Well, it seems Ive stirred up another hornets nest. Judging by the number of E-mails I received after last weeks commentary about passing with a good hand, everyone touched base with me to register their opinion, which is fine....I love getting mail on either side of an issue.

Basically, most of you agreed with me....it makes no sense for anyone with no chance of winning to pick when the game is on the line, unless there have been enough passes to warrant it. Moving from minus 39 to minus 37 on the last hand is hardly reason to pick and can really irritate someone who had an opportunity to win. But it seems that some of the purists out there feel that passing with a good hand is tantamount to treason. They have learned over the years that mauering is only done by idiots, provies and terrorists. If they get a handful of royalty, by God, theyre picking, no matter what the score.

And heres where it gets tricky. Until we are able to convince Yahoo to re-write the rules, we are not playing the game of Sheepshead as we all know it. Doublers on the magic box is not Saturday night around the dining room table and we all know it. This isnt the game our fathers and grandfathers taught us.....since when does a friendly game of cards turn into "you owe me four thousand dollars, so pay up right now or I re-possess the dog." This game that Yahoo designed is as much like a friendly game of sheepshead as playing pool online is to the real thing. And we have to live with it.

We all know winning is the object to any game (although many of you tell me that you enjoy the chit-chat nearly as much as the card game) and most of us would love to keep out ratings as high as possible, right? Nobody wants to sneak into a game sporting a 1250 rating, simply for the sake of our pride, so winning remains the ultimate objective, Im sure we all agree on that score.

So lets discuss this need to pick just because were presented with the opportunity to win a hand....notice I said a hand, not a game. Is this just a salve to our egos, winning a hand that doesnt affect the outcome of the game or is it just to difficult to pass a hand we know would be a slam dunk? Many of you have told me that mauering has no place in Sheepshead and many disagree....Ill leave that part of the argument up to the individual, but please understand...THIS IS NOT SHEEPSHEAD AS WE ALL KNOW IT. This game that involves doubling every time the table passes is entirely different than our normal game, and we all realize it. None of us end up losing the house over a game of cards, which is what would happen if we played the way Yahoo wants us to play. But on the computer, things are a little different....we MUST mauer if we intend to win. It is necessary to pass a good hand if the outcome leaves us losing....why even pick if its impossible to overcome the leaders score?

Last week, I suggested that we play normally up to the eighth hand, at which point the people who are completely out of it would stop picking and allow the leaders to fight it out. Most of you agree with me.....so I guess it remains to be said; if you cant live with Yahoos rules, its time to play on the leaster tables. Im sorry, but thats just the way it is. Until we can talk some sense into Yahoo, please....dont take the enjoyment out of the game by insisting on winning some meaningless hand, OK?

We would all appreciate it.

Phil Hunt

At times, attempting to go alone can be hindered somewhat by the addition to your hand of what Yahoo considers a blind....and what you consider to be a blatant joke, at the very least. So, there you are, stuck with a bunch of fail that includes an Ace, which youre forced to keep. You can do one of two things; go alone or call the ace in your own hand. Lets see what the advantage might be:

To begin with, nine times out of ten (the exception being a provie or someone with no card sense) the leader of the first trick will play his long suite, hoping to catch you playing too small and allowing his partners to trump bigger behind you, right? And it sometimes works....even if you jump all over the trick, many times youre wasted a power card taking a trick that the lowly seven would have taken.

So why are you better off calling yourself as partner? Because usually, instead of leading his long suite, the leader will lead the called suite. If youre fortunate enough to take the trick, no big deal. But if you lose it to a cutter, usually he gets 20 to 25 points, not the 40 he would get if he carried it at the end of the game.

But the real advantage is the fact that everyone assumes that theres a partner out there waiting to jump on a trick with points on it. Lets just assume that youve taken the first trick and must come back with a small trump to get the power cards out of the way. At the first sign of a seven or eight of trump, those without trump immediately throw large points on the trick.  If, however, they think your partner lurks in the weeds, they think twice before throwing tens and aces and the queen that carries the trick will usually be rewarded with 15 to 20 points, not the 35 or 40 that normally accrue on such a lead, you see?

Suppose youre sitting behind the picker and he leads the seven of diamonds back after taking the first trick.....you have points, but you want to make sure they go into the correct column, so you wait to see who the partner is, right? Instead of piling on with points, you play the lowly seven of clubs or hearts or whatever, thereby reducing the number of points that the eventual winner of the hand is going to put in the pile against you, OK? Later, after the power cards have all been played, your King or nine of diamonds will stand a much better chance of making game for you.

So the next time you see someone call himself as partner, dont be so quick to jump to conclusions.....maybe he hasnt lost all his marbles after all.

The Editor

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This weeks letter to the Editor

We received this letter from Ms. Iona Bedwetter of Idontpayno, Texas and we are more than happy to answer the letter, but please, next time, no crayons, OK??

Dear Sirs:

"Can you help me?   I constantly confuse accept with except....is there a way to keep these two words straight in my mind?"

Constantly Confused

Dear Constantly;

I would be happy to accept your letter, except I can't read through all the tears

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This Weeks Provie Tip

(As usual, this section is reserved for my ridiculous attempt to plead for mercy for these poor unfortunate slobs who know nothing of our national pastime, but this week, I simply have run out of supplications for these poor miserable souls.  May God forgive them, for they know not what they do.

"OK, everybody just stand back....I'll handle this.

Hey, stupid, what part of "lead the called suite did you not understand??

You know what a suite is, right??

Cuz that's what they're gonna bury you in if you pull a bonehead play like that again.....do you understand??"

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Look for your next copy of the Daily Schmear whenever it appears on your screen!!