The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship: or The Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating
Ebook
Ebooks are designed for reading and have few connections to your library.
Overview
“What is gamesmanship? Most difficult of questions to answer briefly. ‘The Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating’ – that is my personal ’working definition’. What is its object? There have been five hundred books written on the subject of games. Five hundred books on play and the tactics of play. Not one on the art of winning.”
Stephen Potter has used his extensive experience as a master gamesman to compile this instructional text on the techniques, strategies and etiquette of gamesmanship. Here you will learn how to win games you have no idea how to play, and manoeuvre your opponents into losing when they really should be winning. This funny, charming book is brought to life with helpful diagrams, anecdotes and hilarious conversations. A must read for any sporting chap or chapette. It was first published in 1947.
1. Introductory
Origins
8 June 1931
2. The Pre-Game
Clothesmanship
Counter-Gamesmanship
3. The Game Itself
Some Basic Plays
Sportsmanship Play
Playing-For-Fun Play
Nice Chapmanship
Audience Play
Ruggership and Ruggership Counter-Play
Countpoint
‘My Tomorrow’s Match’
Game Leg
Jack Rivers Opening
4. Winmanship
A Note on Concentration
When to Give Advice
When to be Lucky
5. Luncheonship
Drinkmanship
Guestmanship
6. Losemanship
The Primary Hamper
Potter’s Improvement on the Primitive Hanger
The Secondary Hamper
Hampettes
The Natural Hampette
7. Game by Game
Golf:
- Spitting
- Caddie Play
- An Isolated Instance
- Simpson’s Statue
Billiards and Snooker:
- Snooker-player’s Drivel
Squash-Rackets
Bridge and Poker:
- Intimidation
- Two Simple Bridge Exercises for Beginners
- Split Bridge
Lawn Tennis
Home Games
- Terminology
- ‘My Man Over the Hill’
Chess
- ’Regardez la Dame’ play
- Potter’s Opening
- Chess and Parentship, or Gamesplay against Children
- Basic Chess Play
- Johnsonian Capture
Darts and Shove-Halfpenny
Cricket
8. Lost Game Play
Bookmanism
Use of Bookmanism in Opponent’s Putt-Play
9. Gamesmania
Random jottings of an Old Gamesman
A Queer Match
Gamesmanship and Life
Appendices
I The Koninck Portrait of Dr W. G. Grace
II Note on Etiquette
III Chapter Headings from ’Origins and Early History of Gamesmanship’
IV Diet
V Some Extracts from the ’Gamesman’s Handbook’ for 1949
Footnotes
A Note on the Author
- Title: The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship: or The Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating
- Author: Stephen Potter
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Reader
- Print Publication Date: 2014
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Pages: 1
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781448212378, 1448212375
- Resource ID: LLS:9781448212378
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-04-22T11:59:48Z
Stephen Potter was born in 1900 and educated at Westminster School and Merton College, Oxford, where he read English. In 1926 he became a lecturer in English at London University, and in 1938 he joined staff of the B.B.C. as a writer-producer. There he became editor of literary features and poetry, and in 1943 Chairman of the Literary Committee.
His principal programmes were the How series (with Joyce Grenfell) and the Professional Portraits, and he was originator and editor of the New Judgement series. He was also dramatic critic of the New Statesman, book critic of the News Chronicle and editor of the Leader Magazine. Stephen Potter died in 1969.