BRIDGE NOTES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21412, 2 March 1935, Page 20

BRIDGE NOTES

♦ — - "SCORING TRICK POINTS?* (SPECIALLY WRITTEN TOR THS HUS.) [By WILLIAM SHACKLE.] Surely the most illogical feature rf bridge to-day is the method employ?? to score below the line. Yet \W. effort has been made, of recent yea". to alter this absurdity. Thereto logical reason why one suit shouio be valued at a higher point value tbjin another. In fact, at one time in W early stages of bridge, spades were the lowest suit, which certainly sftdw that the present method is at lea* arbitrary. Naturally, in order to facilitate i variety of bidding it is reasonable- w one suit to be given precedence ow another, but apart from this .asp* l there is no reason whatsoever » the present anomaly of various fonj of scoring. To a certain ftent »» matter has been remedied at contran bridge, though, strangely enough "powers that be" have given only halfway, for i« ste / d £* I f k S suits level, as regards £ck W» they have bracketed clubs «"> mends as of one value, and heartt «g spades as equal with one of higher value. Once the pig£ of equality was admitted Dew any two suits it seems limit the ruling to only two a»J» of including the five (four suits w no trumps). „ a i«ritv * Again the question of majoW value bidding at auction cussed in bridge circles, for tner a very large following who playing to the rules generaUy, » Qff not reverted to value bidding. these players are f nxiouf .to P* J orthodox game, yet unwilling w linquish what they consider the improvement of m^ by which was temporarily allowed ./ the rules from 1928-1932. Many players do not r eai is « jty dentally that by playing the form of bidding they are «Wffi playing against the laws o [ bridge, for the laws now state * £.. clearly that only value bidding » gitimate.