THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1933, Page 9

THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Pre-emptive bids are made on hands which contain a long and very powerful trump suit, and very little or even no outside honour strength. At one's own bid they are very strong and need but little support, but -against an opponent's bid are practically, worthless, because of the lack of butsido honour strength, and the probability of one of the opponents being void in i the bid suit. A pre-emptive bid is j made with the hope of shutting out.an opposing lower opening- bid which might enable the opposition to make a game bid if given the opportunity to exchange information. A shut-out bid prevents this. If the responding hand has any assistance, the game is safe, if he has none whatever it stands to reason that all the honour tricks in the three missing suits are held by tinopponents, who, except for the very high opening bid, could have called game between them at some bid. The loss to the pre-emptive bidder, if left with his call, will not be very damaging, even if. doubled, and if it has saved game by the opponents (perhaps a rubber), is well worth while. Also, if an overbid is made by either of the opponents, there is always tho danger, from their point of view, that the opening bidder's partner may be a source of clanger to them, as he is quite likely to have his share of the missing honour tricks, and in that case will double the opposing.bid if worth while. Opening major four bids, and minor five bids are purely pre-emptive, and require no outside honour strength. Opening major three bids, minor three bids, and minor four bids, are partly shutout and partly strength showing, as they must include certain outside honour strength. Opening major bids of three in a suit (near-game bids) indicate a powerful trump suit, at least 5 : trump tricks (vulnerable),, or 4 tricks (non-vulner-able). The hand, must contain, if not vulnerable, 7 to 8 playing tricks altogether, including about 1J outside honour tricks. If vulnerable the hand must-contain,, at/least 8 playing tricks in the hand, including 1 to 1J honour tricks outside. • ■ ■ • > Examples of opening major suit 3 bids (Spades):— NOT VULNERABLE. Spades. Hearts. Diamonds. -Clubs. A.K.CJ. 9.8.7. A.9.8.5. ' A.10.7.3. — ; A.K.Q.9.8.5. A.T.6.2. ' X.3. 6. A.Q.J.9.8.7.5. — 10;8.3. A.Q.9. when vulnerable: A.K.Q.7.8.5.3. A.Q.T.3. :.. ,5. ;i. A.K.Q.9.8.7. A.5.7.6.5.3.-' — ■ -10.- •• The responding hand-can raise, to game if the hand contains- 1-f- honour trick or 3 trumps andy a singleton when not vulnerable. When vulnerable, the1 raise can b<3 made on 1 honour trick, or threa trumps and' a singleton. Opening major suit bids of four are made on a. long powerful trump suit; but may have no outside strength whatever. "When not vulnerable the bid may be made on a hand containing 7 playing tricks with no outside honour .trick, when vulnerable with 8 playing tricks and no outside honour . trick, e.g.— A.K.Q.J.9.8.5 (not vulnerable), and A.K.Q.J.9.6.3.2. (vulnerable). . Minor suit opening bids of three are only made on a long, absolutely, solid trump suit,, with some, outside queens and knaves r e.g., .bid '3 -Diamonds with Spades Q. 8.3.,: Hearts Q. 2., Diamonds A.K.Q.J.9.8.7., Clubs J.IO. This bid is made in-the hope that the partneT may be able to respond with a 3 no-trump bid, which he may do on a. fairly weak hand, knowing the "cast-iron" nature of the opening bid. Opening minor suit bids of 4 (neargame bids) show about 9 playing tricks,

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including, if not vulnerable, about 1 outside honour trick; and if vulnerable at Icaat 9 playing tricks, including 1J outside honour tricks. Example o* opening 4 Diamond bid:—Not vulnerable: Spades —, Hearts 9., Diamonds A.K.J.8.6.5.4.3;, Clubs A.9.7.6.5. Vulner. able: Spades —, Hearts 9.2., Diamonds A.K.J.9.7.6.4.2., Clubs A.Q.6.3 Opening minor suit bids of 5 (shutout) are made, as in the case of opening major suit bids of 4, on a very long and powerful trump suit, without any; outside strength. "They are piirelyj shut-out bids. A correspondent has sent in a description of . three-handed or ''triangle* contract bridge, taken from the "Lon« don Times." Particulars of this gama may be of interest to readers, as it seems to be very good, and fills a position which sometimes occurs, in tho event of the "fourth" not putting in an appearance. Rules. The three players cut for deal, the highest card winning. Dealer has choice of seats, the next highest, who deals next, sitting on his left, and the third player at the dealer's right. After the dealer has shuffled, his right-hand opponent cuts, and then shuffles the still pack while the left-hand opponent attends to the score. After dealing the cards, the. dealer arranges the dummy 'a cards opposite him, face upwards on the table. Dummy is always the dealer's property, and the other two players are always partners, regardless.of the final contract. The dealer's left-hand opponent has the first bid, and the dealer* right-hand opponent the second, bid, before the dealer may bid at all. Dummy never.bids. The dealer bids for his combined twenty-six cards. The purpose of giving the opponents two bids is to enable them to show each, other their strength before the dealer with his advantage can cut-them .off from each other by some high preemptive bid. Although this advantage to the dealer may seem great, ~Ms adversaries have a greater advantage iv bidding than in the four-handed game, because, in addition to the inferences of their own cards, -each adversary can see Dummy at the outset to guide them to their best contract! ■ The three play* .ers .each Jbjd, double,, re-.double, or pass in turn. Two consecutive passes elbsa the auction, except that the dealer may. open third hand. As in regular bridge, tin hand to the left of the final declares leads. Thus, if-the-dealer's left-hand 'o'ppondnt'should win the contract, the opening lead comes from Dummy. • The scoring.' 'The. official count ': is used with a few modifications. Vulnerability and" ~ rubber-' bonuses are .'eliminated, and part scores are not carried forward into the next deal. .'■ A' bonus of 300'points'is'given for bidding and. making, game, and a bonus of 100 points for fulfilling a contract.of less than game.' ' When playing for stakes each player has a plus and minus aolunm . on. the scorer, and each adversary is plus or minus whatever his side wins or loses on each deal. Ths dealer always wins or loses double the amount, because he collects Dummy's winnings and pays its losses. Each score is entered three times, once iv each player's column. Thus, if the adversaries should bid and make four Hearts, each scores plus 420 (300 plus 120), but the dealer would score minus 840. At the end of the session each player reckons his score.' After the hand is ;played and scored> the left-hand opponent of the dealer becomes the next dealer, and the player to tho right of the last dealer moves into the vacant chair. Should a hand be passed out tho same dealer re-deals. Three completed deals each dealt by a different player constitutes a round. In a round each, player has Dummy once, and each other; player as partner once..