GV 1282 .F73 Copy 1 ISH //FOSTER'S N\ I AUCTION \ ' BRIDGE / V\ UP TO DATE // Class ; Book Gopyright]^" r- COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. AUCTION BRIDGE ^ £><>♦♦ 0] FOS'l'ER'S AUCTION BRIDGE UP TO DATE CONTAINING THE OFFICIAL LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE AS ADOPTED 1910 BY THE WHIST CLUB OF NEW YORK BY R. F. FOSTER AUTHOR OF "Foster's complete hoyle" ILLUSTRATED With Numerous Diagrams and Engravings NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS 7 ♦ £> ♦ ♦ * .\1 ^ <^ "U <^\f1 Copyright, igio, by FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY Copyright, xqoS, by FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY All rights reserved September, igio. ©Gi,A27;^r/7 \ CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 9 LAWS OF THE GAME .... 19 DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME . 49 ORDER OF PLAY 59 TACTICS OF THE GAME ... 73 Bidding 74 First Bidder 75 No-Trump Declarations ... 78 Red Suit Declarations .... 84 First Round 85 Second Round 94 Overbidding 98 Second Bidder 98 Third Bidder 103 Fourth Bidder 114 Second Round 116 Bluffing 118 Doubling 119 6 CONTENTS PAGE TACTICS OF THE GAME (Confd) Opening Leads 122 Leading Against Trumps . . . 128 Leading Against No-Trumpers . 135 Third Hand Play 137 Return Leads 140 Second Hand Play 141 The Declarer's Play .... 144 Discarding 148 Value of the Score 152 Conclusion 155 VARIETIES OF AUCTION BRIDGE 157 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Those who have watched the trend of events in the world of cards must have been im- pressed by the constantly increasing popu- larity of games in which there is a bidding element; games in which there is no favored player who inherits the right of making the trump, or turning it up from among his own cards, but in which everyone must compete in the open market for the advantage. In some games these special privileges must be paid for in some way, and if you want them you must be willing to risk as much (or more) as any other player at the table in order to se- cure them. This is undoubtedly in accordance with the spirit of modern civilization ; for card games, like anything else, follow the development of the race, and mirror the conditions of society and the state of business morals. If we re- view the favorite card games of the past twenty years, we shall find that there has been a constant tendency towards bidding games, in which certain privileges, especially that of 10 INTRODUCTION naming the trump, are sold at auction. Bos- ton, Solo Whist, Cinch, Auction Pitch, Five Hundred, Nap, Auction Pinochle, and Skat, will readily occur to the reader. Several of these games are changes from older forms in which the trump was turned up, and where such a change has been introduced it has been found almost impossible to get players to return to the old style. That Bridge would not escape the general tendency was inevitable. When certain colors become the fashion, they impress themselves upon everything, and you suddenly find your- self tired of a dress which is not up to the latest styles. Bridge, probably because it lacks the bid- ding element, shows some signs of going out of style, and it certainly has not the rage it had a few years ago. There is no bidding for anything. The dealer declares by divine right, and all his adversaries can do is to make the declaration a little more expensive for him if they think it is a bad one; a policy which sometimes reacts upon themselves. They cannot change his decision. They can- not make a better declaration, no matter what cards they hold. The dealer picks up his thirteen cards and says, ** Diamonds are INTRODUCTION 1 1 trumps." As it turns out, between his cards and his partner's, the odd trick with simple honors was a certainty in spite of the best possible play on the part of his adversaries; therefore he scores 6 and 12 — a total of 18 on the deal. Had the adversaries been allowed to say anything about their cards on that deal, they would perhaps have made it hearts, and won five by cards, with four honors in one hand — a total of 104. But the game of Bridge is so contrived that the player cannot get out of his cards what they are worth unless he has the deal. Even then he sometimes misses it pretty badly through not knowing what Dummy holds. Such things as this are continually happen- ing : The dealer passes it and Dummy makes it spades. Eldest hand finds he has four aces. All he can do is to make spades worth four; but this does not deprive the dealer's side of the score for four honors, and although the dealer loses four by cards, making nothing but three tricks in trumps, he is only eight points to the bad on the deal. Had the eldest hand been allowed to play the cards dealt him for what they were worth, he would have made a Grand Slam at no-trumps, with a 12 INTRODUCTION hundred aces, or 224 points instead of 16, to say nothing of a game in. More than half of a player's strength is wasted in Bridge; because the best game at the table is so seldom played. You may hold splendid cards, but unless you hold them at the right time, when it is your deal, or when the make fits your hand, your cards are good for little or nothing. What use are five hon- ors in hearts against a diamond make with a soHd club suit behind it? It is just Hke hold- ing a full hand in Poker when no one comes in. Everyone must have observed countless oc- casions upon which he secretly wished that the dealer would be tempted to go no-trumps, or that Dummy would make it a weak heart. How many times you would like to make the trump when it is not your deal? How often have you felt that you would be willing to give the dealer points for his privilege, simply to make the most of your own cards? Another continual source of loss in Bridge is due to ignorance of the contents of the partner's hand, and this is as true of the dealer and his partner as it is of the leader and his partner. Probably fifty per cent, of the declarations could be improved upon if INTRODUCTION 1 3 one had any idea of even one suit in the part- ner's hand; just as many a game could be saved if one adversary knew what to lead to the other. Auction Bridge provides the coveted op- portunity to play your cards for all they are worth, no matt^er who deals, and it also fur- nishes the player with more or less informa- tion as to the possibilities of his partner's hand, in one suit if not in all. This informa- tion is useful either for declaring or for play- ing against the declaration. In this respect, the garrle becomes a more actual partnership than straight Bridge, and at the same time it offers a wider range for the exercise of per- sonal judgment, as opposed to dumb luck. Above all, it holds ample reward for the first attribute of a good player in any game — courage. Just when or how this innovation of bid- ding for the privilege of naming the trump at Bridge was first suggested, it is difficult to say; but it undoubtedly came from players who were familiar with the attractions of the bidding element in other and similar games. A person who has played one or two good auction games soon wants to play all games that way. 14 INTRODUCTION There are three methods of settling upon the player who shall have the privilege of naming the trump at Auction Bridge, involv- ing three different styles of bidding, and there are also various ways of adjusting the score when the bidder fails to make good. In the first method, the bidder not only names the suit but the number of tricks he proposes to take if that suit be trumps, the rank of the bids being determined by their point value, each player in turn being allowed to outbid the other and to be outbid again. In the second method, the suit only is named, and the rank of the suits determines the rank of the bids. As no tricks are guar- anteed, a player who could make four odd in diamonds would be outbid by one who had nothing but the odd in hearts ; because hearts ranked higher as a suit. In the third method, the bidding is by points, neither suit nor tricks being named, and the value of the honors is also included in the amount named. If a player bids twenty- four, it is impossible to say whether he is going to try for two by cards at no-trump, or three in hearts, or four in diamonds, or four in spades with four honors, or what it will be. The defect of this method is, that it gives INTRODUCTION 1$ the partner no hint as to the suit in which tlie bidder is strong, and no hint to the leader as to the suit with which to attack if the player is overbid. Of these three methods, it would seem that the first, for which special rules have been drawn up, is the fairest to all concerned, and gives the best chance for the display of skill. It is to the description of that form of the game, therefoiie, that the main body of the present text-book has been devoted. The other forms or variations, one of which is bor- rowed from the Russian game of Siberiac, and the other from the American game of Skat, have been separately described at the end. The Laws refer exclusively to the first form. As it is more than probable that many per- sons will take up Auction Bridge who have never played straight Bridge, the following pages have been written with a view to a cer- tain completeness, so that it shall not be neces- sary for the reader to learn Bridge before be- ing able to understand what is here said about Auction Bridge. R. F. FOSTER. THE LAWS OF AUCTION BRIDGE THE Laws of Auction Bridge Reprinted by permission of The Whist Club of New Tork; Revised to October 1, 1910, THE RUBBER 1. The partners first winning two games win the rubber. If the first two games decide the rubber, a third is not played. SCORING 2. A game consists of thirty points obtained by tricks alone, exclusive of any points counted for honors, chicane, slam, little slam, bonus, or undertricks. 3. Every deal is played out, and any points in excess of the thirty necessary for the game are counted. 4. When the declarer wins the number of tricks bid, each one above six counts towards the game two points when ^spades are trumps, four when clubs are trumps, six when dia- monds are trumps, eight when hearts are 20 AUCTION BRIDGE trumps and twelve when there are no trumps. 5. Honors are ace, king, queen, knave and ten of the trump suit; or the aces when no trump is declared. 6. Honors are credited in the honor column to the original holders, being valued as follows : 3 honors 4 ** 5 ** 4 ** 4 •' 5 *' When a Trump is Declared. field between partners equal value of 2 tricks, ii i( (( i( (( 4<< C< <( (( <( (( C(( * * in 1 hand * * * ' 8 * * t 5th in 1 *• **1 **-^ partner's^" '* 9 ** ( hand J 3 4 4 PF^^« No Trump is Declared, aces held between partners count " ** in one hand " 30 40 100 7. Slam is made when seven by cards is scored, independently of tricks taken as penalty for the revoke; it adds forty points to the honor count.^ 8. Little slam is made when six by cards is ^Law 86 prohibits the revoking side from scoring slam or little slam. AUCTION BRIDGE 21 similarly scored; it adds twenty points to the honor count.^ 9. Chicane (one hand void of trumps) is equal in value to simple honors, i.e., if the partners, one of whom has chicane, score hon- ors, it adds the value of three honors to their honor score; if the adversaries score honors, it deducts that value from theirs. Double chicane (both hands void of trumps) is equal in value to four honors, and that value must be deducted from the honor score of the ad- versaries. 10. The value of honors, slam, little slam, or chicane, is not affected by doubling or re- doubling. 11. At the conclusion of a rubber the trick and honor scores of each side are added, and two hundred and fifty points added to the score of the winners. The difference between the completed scores is the number of points of the rubber. 12. A proved error in the honor score may be corrected at any time before the score of the rubber has been made up and agreed upon. 13. A proved error in the trick score may be *Law 86 prohibits the revoking side from scoring slam or little slam. 22 AUCTION BRIDGE corrected prior to the conclusion of the game in which it occurred. Such game shall not be considered concluded until a declaration has been made in the following game, or if it be the final game of the rubber, until the score has been made up and agreed upon. CUTTING 14. In cutting, the ace is the lowest card ; as between cards of otherwise equal value, the lowest is the heart, next the diamond, next the club, and highest the spade. 15. Every player must cut from the same pack. 16. Should a player expose more than one card the highest is his cut. FORMING TABLES 17. The prior right of playing is with those first in the room. If there be more than four candidates, the privilege of playing is decided by cutting. The four who cut the lowest cards play first. 18. After the table is formed the players cut to decide upon partners, the lower two playing against the higher two. The lowest is the dealer, who has choice of cards and seats, and AUCTION BRIDGE 23 who, having made his selection, must abide by it. 19. Six players constitute a complete table. 20. The right to succeed any player who may retire is acquired by announcing the desire to do so, and such announcement shall constitute a prior right to the first vacancy. CUTTING OUT 21. If, at the end of a rubber, admission be claimed by one or two candidates, the player or players having played the greatest number of consecutive rubbers shall withdraw; but when all have played the same number, they must cut to decide upon the outgoers ; the high- est are out.^ RIGHTS OF ENTRY 22. A candidate desiring to enter a table must declare such wish before any player at the table cuts a card, for the purpose either of be- ginning a new rubber or of cutting out. 23. In the formation of new tables those can- didates who have not played at any other table have the prior right of entry. Those who have already played decide their right to admission by cutting. ^See Law 14 as to value of cards in cutting. 24 AUCTION BRIDGE 24. When one or more players belonging to another table aid in making up a new one, the new players at such table shall be the first to go out. 25. A player who cuts into one table, while belonging to another, shall forfeit his prior right of re-entry into the latter, unless he has helped to form a new table. In this event he may signify his intention of returning to his original table when his place at the new one can be filled. 26. Should any player quit the table during the progress of a rubber, he may, with the con- sent of the three others, appoint a substitute to play during his absence ; but such appointment shall become void with the conclusion of the rubber, and shall not in any way aflfect the sub- stitute's rights. 27. If any one break up a table the remain- ing players have a prior right at other tables. SHUFFLING 28. The pack must not be shuffled below the table, nor so that the face of any card may be seen. 29. The dealer's partner must collect the cards from the preceding deal and has the right to shuffle the cards first. Each player has AUCTION BRIDGE 25 the right to shuffle subsequently. The dealer has the right to shuffle last ; but, should a card or cards be seen during the shuffling, or while giving the pack to be cut, he must re-shuffle. 30. After shuffling, the cards properly col- lected must be placed face downward to the left of the next dealer. THE DEAL 31. Each player deals in his turn; the order of dealing is to the left. 32. The player on the dealer's right cuts the pack, and in dividing it he must leave not fewer than four cards in each packet ; if in cut- ting or in replacing one of the two packets a card be exposed, or if there be any confusion or a doubt as to the exact place in which the pack was divided, there must be a fresh cut. 33. When the player whose duty it is to cut has once separated the pack, he can neither re-shuffle nor re-cut, except as provided in Law 32. 34. Should the dealer shuffle the cards after the cut, the pack must be cut again. 35. The fifty-two cards shall be dealt face downward. The deal is not completed until the last card has been dealt. 26 AUCTION BRIDGE 36. There is no penalty for a misdeal. The cards must be dealt again. A NEW DEAL 37. There must be a new deal — a. If the cards be not dealt into four packets, one at a time and in regular rotation, begin- ning at the dealer's left. b. If, during a deal, or during the play, the pack be proved incorrect or imperfect. c. If any card be faced in the pack. d. If any player have dealt to him a greater number of cards than thirteen, whether dis- covered before or during the play. e. If the dealer deal two cards at once and then deal a third before correcting the error. f. If the dealer omit to have the pack cut and either adversary calls attention to the fact prior to the completion of the deal and be- fore either adversary has looked at any of his cards. g. If the last card do not come in its regular order to the dealer. 38. There may be a new deal — a. If the dealer or his partner expose a card before the deal has been completed. Either adversary may claim a new deal. b. If either adversary expose a card before the deal has been completed. The dealer or his partner may claim a new deal. AUCTION BRIDGE 2^ c. If, before fifty-one cards are dealt, the dealer look at any card, his adversaries have the right to see it and either may exact a new deal. d. If, in dealing, one of the last cards be exposed by the dealer or his partner, and the deal be completed before there is reasonable time for either adversary to decide as to a new deal. In all other cases such penalties must be claimed prior to the completion of the deal. ' 39. The claim for a new deal by reason of a card exposed during the deal may not be made by a player who has looked at any of his cards. If the deal stand, a card so exposed cannot be called. 40. Should three players have their right number of cards, the fourth less than thirteen, and not discover such deficiency until he has played, the deal stands ; he, not being dummy, is answerable for any established revoke he may have made as if the missing card or cards had been in his hand. Any player may search the other pack for it or them. 41. If during the play a pack be proved in- correct or imperfect, such proof renders the current deal void but does not affect any prior score. (See Law 37b.) If during or at the 28 AUCTION BRIDGE conclusion of the play one player be found to hold more than the proper number of cards and another have an equal number less, the hand is void. 42. A player dealing out of turn or with the adversaries' cards may be corrected before the last card is dealt; otherwise the deal must stand, and the game proceed as if the deal had been correct. 43. A player can neither cut, shuffle nor deal for his partner without the permission of his adversaries. DECLARING TRUMPS 44. The dealer, having examined his hand, must declare to win at least one odd trick, either with a trump suit or at "no trumps." 45. After the dealer has made his declara- tion, each player in turn, commencing with the player on the dealer's left, has the right to pass or to make a higher declaration, or to double the last declaration made, or to re-double a declaration which has been doubled, subject to the provisions of Law 55. 46. A declaration of a greater number of tricks in a suit of lower value, which equals the last declaration in value of points, shall be AUCTION BRIDGE 2g considered a higher declaration — e, g,, a decla- ration of ''Two Spades" is a higher declaration than ''One Club/' and "Two Diamonds" is higher than "One No Trump." 47. A player in his turn may overbid the previous declaration any number of times, and may also overbid his partner, but he can- not overbid his own declaration which' has been passed by the three other players. 48. When the final declaration has been made — /. e., when the last declaration has been passed by the three other players — ^the player who has made such declaration (or in the case where both partners have made declarations in the same suit, or of "No Trumps," the player who first made such declaration) shall play the combined hands of himself and of his partner, the latter becoming dummy. 49. When the player of the tw^o hands (here- inafter termed "the declarer") wins at least as many tricks as he declared to do, he scores the full value of the tricks won (see Laws 4 and 6). When he fails, his adversaries score in the honor column fifty points for each under- trick — i. e,, each trick short of the number de- clared; or, if the declaration have been doubled, or re-doubled, one hundred or two hundred respectively for each such trick; 30 AUCTION BRIDGE neither the declarer nor his adversaries score anything towards the game. 50. The loss on the declaration of ''One Spade" shall be limited to one hundred points in respect of under-tricks, whether doubled or not, unless re-doubled. 51. If a player make a declaration (other than passing) out of turn, the adversary on his left may demand a new deal, or may allow the declaration so made to stand, when the bidding shall continue as if the declaration had been in order. 52. If a player, in bidding, fail to declare a sufficient number of tricks to overbid the previ- ous declaration, he shall be considered to have declared the requisite number of tricks in the bid which he has made, unless either of his adversaries make a higher declaration, double, or pass the insufficient declaration. When the insufficient declaration is corrected to the requi- site number of tricks in the bid, or if the cor- rection be impossible, the partner of the de- clarer shall be debarred from making any fur- ther declaration, unless either of his adversa- ries make a higher declaration or double. 53. After the final declaration has been made, a player is not entitled to give his part- ner any information as to a previous declara- AUCTION BRIDGE 3 1 tion, whether made by himself or by either adversary, but a player is entitled to inquire, at any time during the play of the hand, what was the final declaration. DOUBLING AND RE-DOUBLING 54. The effect of doubling and re-doubling is that the value of each trick over six is doubled or quadrupled, as provided in Law 4 ; but it does not alter the value of a declaration — e. g., a declaration of *'Two Diamonds" is higher than "One No-Trump," although the ''No-Trump" declaration has been doubled. 55. Any declaration can be doubled and re- doubled once, but not more; a player cannot double his partner's declaration, nor re-double his partner's double, but he may re-double a declaration of his partner which has been doubled by an adversary. 56. The act of doubling, or re-doubling, re- opens the bidding. When a declaration has been doubled or re-doubled, any player, includ- ing the declarer or his partner, can in his proper turn make a further declaration of higher value. 57. When a player whose declaration has been doubled makes good his declaration by 32 AUCTION BRIDGE winning at least the declared number of tricks, he scores a bonus which consists of fifty points in the honor column for winning the number of tricks declared, and a further fifty points for each additional trick he may win. If he or his partner have re-doubled, the bonus is doubled. 58. If a player double out of turn, the ad- versary on his left may demand a new deal. 59. When the final declaration has been made, the play shall begin, and the player on the left of the declarer shall lead. 60. A declaration once made cannot be al- tered, unless it has been doubled or a higher declaration made. DUMMY 61. As soon as the eldest hand has led, the declarer's partner shall place his cards face upward on the table, and the duty of playing the cards from that hand shall devolve upon the declarer. 62. Before placing his cards upon the table the declarer's partner has all the rights of a player, but after so doing takes no part what- ever in the play, except that he has the right : a. To ask the declarer whether he have any of a suit which he may have renounced; AUCTION BRIDGE 33 b. To call the declarer's attention to the fact that too many or too few cards have been played to a trick; c. To correct the claim of either adversary to a penalty to which the latter is not entitled ; d. To call attention to the fact that a trick has been erroneously taken by either side; e. To participate in the discussion of any dis- puted question of fact after it has arisen between the declarer and either adversary. f. To correct an erroneous score. 63. Should the declarer's partner call atten- tion to any other incident of the play in con- sequence of which any penalty might have been exacted, the declarer is precluded from exact- ing such penalty. 64. If the declarer's partner, by touching a card or otherwise, suggest the play of a card from dummy, either adversary may, without consultation, call upon the declarer to play or not to play the card suggested. 65. Dummy is not liable to the penalty for a revoke ; if he revoke and the error be not dis- covered until the trick is turned and quitted, the trick must stand. 66. A card from the declarer's own hand is not played until actually quitted ; but should he name or touch a card in the dummy, such 34 AUCTION BRIDGE card is considered as played unless he, in touch- ing the card, say, '*I arrange,'' or words to that effect. If he simultaneously touch two or more such cards, he may elect which one to play. CARDS EXPOSED BEFORE PLAY 67. If, after the cards have been dealt, and before the trump declaration has been finally determined, any player expose a card from his hand, either adversary may demand a new deal. If the deal be allowed to stand, the ex- posed card may be picked up, and cannot be called. 68. If, after the final declaration has been ac- cepted and before a card is led, the partner of the player who has to lead to the first trick, expose a card from his hand, the declarer may, instead of calling the card, require the leader not to lead the suit of the exposed card ; if so exposed by the leader, it is subject to call. CARDS EXPOSED DURING PLAY 69. All cards exposed after the original lead by the declarer's adversaries are liable to be called, and such cards must be left face upward on the table. AUCTION BRIDGE 35 70. The following are exposed cards : 1st. Two or more cards played at once. 2d. Any card dropped with its face upward on the table, even though snatched up so quickly that it cannot be named. 3d Any card so held by a player that his part- ner sees any portion of its face. 4th. Any card mentioned by either adversary as being held by him or his partner. 71. A card dropped on the floor or elsewhere below the table or so held that an adversary but not the partner sees it, is not an exposed card. y2. If two or more cards be played at once by either of the declarer's adversaries, the de- clarer shall have the right to call any one of such cards to the current trick, and the other card or cards are exposed. 73. If, without waiting for his partner to play, either of the declarer's adversaries play on the table the best card or lead one which is a winning card, as against the declarer and dummy, and continue (without waiting for his partner to play) to lead several such cards, the declarer may demand that the partner of the player in fault win, if he can, the first or any other of these tricks, and the other cards thus improperly played are exposed cards. 36 AUCTION BRIDGE 74. If either or both of the declarer's adver- saries throw his or their cards on the table face upward, such cards are exposed and are liable to be called ; but if either adversary retain his hand, he cannot be forced to abandon it. Cards exposed by the declarer are not liable to be called. If the declarer say, "I have the rest,'' or any other words indicating that the remain- ing tricks or any number thereof are his, he may be required to place his cards face upward on the table. His adversaries are not liable to have any of their cards called should they thereupon expose them. 75. If a player who has rendered himself liable to have the highest or lowest of a suit called (Laws, 82, 88 and 95) fail to play as directed, or if, when called on to lead one suit, he lead another, having in his hand one or more cards of the suit demanded (Laws 76 and 96), or if, called upon to win or lose a trick, fail to do so when he can (Laws 73, 82 and 95), he is liable to the penalty for revoke, unless such play be corrected before the trick is turned and quitted. LEADS OUT OF TURN 76. If either of the declarer's adversaries lead out of turn, the declarer may either treat AUCTION BRIDGE 37 the card so led as an exposed card or may call a suit as soon as it is the turn of either adver- sary to lead. yy. If the declarer lead out of turn, either from his own hand or from dummy, he incurs no penalty; but he may not rectify the error after the second hand has played. 78. If any player lead out of turn and the three others follow, the trick is complete and the error cannot be rectified; but if only the second, or second and third play to the false lead, their cards may be taken back; there is no penalty against any except the original of- fender, who, if he be one of the declarer's ad- versaries, may be penalized as provided in Law 76. 79. A player cannot be compelled to play a card which would oblige him to revoke. 80. The call of an exposed card may be re- peated until such card has been played. 81. If a player called on to lead a suit have none of it, the penalty is paid. CARDS PLAYED IN ERROR 82. Should the fourth hand, not being dummy or declarer, play before the second, the latter may be called upon to play his highest or 38 AUCTION BRIDGE lowest card of the suit played, or to win or lose the trick. 83. If any one, not being dummy, omit play- ing to a trick and such error be not corrected until he has played to the next, the adversaries or either of them may claim a new deal ; should they decide that the deal is to stand, the sur- plus card at the end of the hand is considered to have been played to the imperfect trick, but does not constitute a revoke therein. 84. If any one, except dummy, play two or more cards to the same trick and the mistake be not corrected, he is answerable for any con- sequent revokes he may have made. If during the play the error be detected, the tricks may be counted face downward, to see if any contain more than four cards ; should this be the case, the trick which contains a surplus card or cards may be examined and the card or cards restored to the original holder, who (not being dummy) shall be liable for any revoke he may meanwhile have made. THE REVOKE 85. A revoke occurs when a player, other than dummy, holding one or more cards of the suit led, plays a card of a different suit. AUCTION BRIDGE 39 It becomes an established revoke if the trick in which it occurs be turned and quitted (i, e., the hand removed from the trick after it has been turned face downward on the table) ; or if either the revoking player or his partner, whether in turn or otherwise, lead or play to the following trick. 86. The penalty for each established revoke shall be : a. When the declarer revokes, his adversaries add 150 points to their score in the honor column, in addition to any penalty which he may have incurred for not making good his declaration. b. If either of the adversaries revoke, the de- clarer may either add 150 points to his score in the honor column, or may take three tricks from his opponents and add them to his own. Such tricks may assist the de- clarer to make good his declaration, but shall not entitle him to score any bonus in the honor column, in the case of the dec- laration having been doubled or re-doubled. c. When more than one revoke is made during the play of the hand, the penalty for each revoke after the first shall be 100 points in the honor column. A revoking side cannot score, except for honors in trumps or chicane. 40 AUCTION BRIDGE 87. A player may ask his partner if he have a card of the suit which he has renounced; should the question be asked before the trick is turned and quitted, subsequent turning and quitting does not establish a revoke, and the error may be corrected unless the question be answered in the negative, or unless the revok- ing player or his partner have led or played to the following trick. 88. If a player correct his mistake in time to save a revoke, any player or players who have followed him may withdraw their cards and substitute others, and the cards so with- drawn are not exposed. If the player in fault be one of the declarer's adversaries, the card played in error is exposed and the declarer may call it whenever he pleases ; or he may require the offender to play his highest or lowest card of the suit to the trick, but this penalty cannot be exacted from the declarer. 89. At the end of a hand the claimants of a revoke may search all the tricks. If the cards have been mixed, the claim may be urged and proved if possible; but no proof is necessary and the claim is established if, after it has been made, the accused player or his partner mix the cards before they have been sufficiently ex- amined by the adversaries. AUCTION BRIDGE 4I 90. A revoke must be claimed before the cards have been cut for the following deal. 91. Should both sides revoke, the only score permitted shall be for honors in trumps or chicane. If one side revoke more than once, the penalty of loo points for each extra revoke shall then be scored by the other side. GENERAL RULES 92. There must not be any consultation be- tween partners as to the enforcement of penal- ties. If they do so consult, the penalty is paid. 93. Once a trick is complete, turned and quitted, it must not be looked at (except under Law 84) until the end of the hand. 94. Any player during the play of a trick or after the four cards are played, and before they are touched for the purpose of gathering them together, may demand that the cards be placed before their respective players. 95. If either of the declarer's adversaries, prior to his partner playing, call attention to the trick, either by saying it is his, or without being requested so to do, by naming his card or drawing it towards him, the declarer may require such partner to play his highest or low- est card of the suit led, or to win or lose the trick. 42 AUCTION BRIDGE 96. Either of the declarer's adversaries may call his partner's attention to the fact that he is about to play or lead out of turn ; but if, dur- ing the play of a hand, he make any unautho- rized reference to any incident of the play, or of any bid previously made, the declarer may call a suit from the adversary whose turn it is next to lead. 97. In all cases where a penalty has been in- curred the offender is bound to give reasonable time for the decision of his adversaries; but if a wrong penalty be demanded, none can be enforced. 98. Where the declarer or his partner has incurred a penalty, one of his adversaries may say, ''Partner, will you exact the penalty or shall I?'' but whether this is said or not, if either adversary name the penalty, his decision is final. NEW CARDS 99. Unless a pack be imperfect, no player shall have the right to call for one new pack. If fresh cards be demanded, two packs must be furnished. If they be produced during a rubber, the adversaries shall have the choice of the new cards. If it be the beginning of a new rubber, the dealer, whether he or one of his AUCTION BRIDGE 43 adversaries be the party calling for the new cards, shall have the choice. New cards must be called for before the pack be cut for a new deal. IOC. A card or cards torn or marked must be replaced by agreement or new cards fur- nished. BYSTANDERS loi. While a bystander, by agreement among the players, may decide any question, he must on no account say anything unless ap- pealed to; and if he make any remark which calls attention to an oversight affecting the score, or to the exaction of a penalty, he is liable to be called upon by the players to pay the stakes (not extras) lost. ETIQUETTE OF AUCTION BRIDGE In Bridge slight intimations convey much in- formation. A code is compiled for the pur- pose of succinctly stating laws and for fixing penalties for an offence. To offend against a rule of etiquette is far more serious than to offend against a law; for, while in the latter case the offender is subject to the prescribed penalties, in the former his adversaries have no redress. 44 AUCTION BRIDGE 1. Declarations should be made in a simple manner, thus: ''One Heart," ''One No- Trump," or"I pass," or "I double." 2. Aside from his legitimate declaration, a player should not give any indication by word or gesture as to the nature of his hand, or as to his pleasure or displeasure at a play, a bid or a double. 3. If a player demand that the cards be placed, he should do so for his own informa- tion and not to call his partner's attention to any card or play. 4. No player, other than the declarer, should lead until the preceding trick is turned and quitted ; nor, after having led a winning card, should he draw another from his hand before his partner has played to the current trick. 5. A player should not play a card with such emphasis as to draw attention to it. Nor should he detach one card from his hand and subsequently play another. 6. A player should not purposely incur a pen- alty because he is willing to pay it, nor should he make a second revoke to conceal a first. 7. Players should avoid discussion and re- frain from talking during the play, as it may be annoying^ to players at the table or to those at other tables in the room. AUCTION BRIDGE 45 8. The dummy should not leave his seat for the purpose of watching his partner's play, neither should he call attention to the score nor to any card or cards that he or the other players hold, nor to any bid previously made. 9. If the declarer say "'I have the rest," or any words indicating the remaining tricks are his, and one or both of the other players should expose his or their cards, or request the de- clarer to play out the hand, he should not allow any information so obtained to influence his play nor take any finesse not announced by him at the time of making such claim, unless it had been previously proved to be a winner. 10. If a player concede in error one or more tricks, the concession should stand. 11. A player having been cut out of one table should not seek admission into another unless willing to cut for the privilege of entry. DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME Auction Bridge is played with two packs of fifty-two cards each, one of which is shuffled while the other is dealt. The pack not in play is called the still pack. The cards rank from the ace, king, queen, down to the deuce, in playing ; but in cutting the king is the high- est card, the ace ranking below the deuce. The game is played by four persons, pairing two against two as partners. If there are more than four candidates for play, those who shall play the first rubber are decided by cut- ting. The four players cut for partners, the two lowest pairing against the two highest, the lowest cut of all having the choice of seats and cards, and dealing the first hand. If two cut cards of equal value and they are the two high- est, it does not matter because they are part- ners, and neither of them has any advantage over the other as to deal or seats. If the two lowest cards cut are a tie as to denomination, the rank of the suits, as laid down in Law No. 14, will decide which of the two shall deal the 49 so AUCTION BRIDGE first hand. Hearts are lower than diamonds ; diamonds lower than clubs, and clubs lower than spades. If the ties are intermediates, the rank of the suits will determine which shall play with the one who has cut the lowest card. If there are three cards of equal value in the cut, their rank is decided by the suits ; the odd cut being the partner of the lowest if he is lower than any of the three; otherwise the lowest of the three deals, and the next lowest is his partner. The deal passes in regular rotation to the left, and the position of the deal is marked by the still pack, which is gathered and shuffled by the dealer's partner and placed on his right hand, so that it shall be on the left of the player whose turn it will be to deal next. The dealer presents the pack to the player on his right (who is called the "pone") to be cut, and at least four cards must be left in each packet. The whole fifty-two cards are then distributed one at a time, face down and in rotation, beginning on the dealer's left, so that each player shall receive thirteen. No trump is turned. All irregularities in the manner of cutting, shuffling and dealing will be found fully dealt with in the Laws of the game. AUCTION BRIDGE 51 The object of the game is to win tricks which have a certain counting value, and also to secure certain scores for holding honors in the trump suit. The privilege of naming the trump suit is bid for, and the highest bid- der is called the Declarer. The first six tricks taken by the declarer do not count; but all over the first six, which are called "the book," count towards game according to the value of the suit which has been declared as the trump for that hand. These suit values are as fol- lows for each trick over the book : When Spades are trumps 2 points " Clubs are trumps 4 ** " Diamonds are trumps.... 6 *' " Hearts are trumps 8 " " there are No Trumps 12 " When the declarer does not succeed in mak- ing as many tricks as he has bid, his adver- saries score 50 points penalty in the honor col- umn for each trick by which he fails, but these penalties never count toward game and they never vary from 50 points a trick, no matter what the declaration, unless it was doubled. It is 50 points a trick for no-trumps or for spades. 52 AUCTION BRIDGE As soon as either side reaches or passes thirty points, made by trick scores alone, it is a game. No matter how much more than thirty points the declarer makes on the hand which puts him game, it is all scored ; but it is only counted as one game. If the partners were 24 up on the score, and made five by cards at no-trump, worth 60, their total would be 84, but it would be only one game. As soon as two games are won by the same partners, that ends the rubber. If they are the two first games, the third is not played. The winners of the rubber add 250 points to their score as bonus. In addition to the points won in tricks there are certain additional scores for honors, and for winning twelve tricks, called Little Slam, or all thirteen tricks, called Grand Slam, and also for the misfortune of not having a single trump dealt you, which is called Chicane. All these are called "honor scores," and although they do not count anything towards winning the game, they materially add to the value of the rubber, as they are all added in at the end. All penalties are scored in the honor column. The honors in the trump suit are the ace, king, queen, jack, ten. When there are no trumps, the four aces are the only honors. AUCTION BRIDGE 53 The following table shows the value of these honors, according to their distribution : TABLE OF HONOR VALUES If the Trump Suit is — Three Honors count Four Honors count Five Honors count Four Honors in one hand count. . . . . Four Honors in one hand, fifth in Partner* s hand, count Five honors in one hand count ♦ 4 4 8 12 8 16 24 10 20 30 16 32 48 18 36 54 20 40 60 ^ 16 32 40 64 72 80 When there are No Trumps — Three Aces between Partners count. Four Aces between Partners count. . . Four Aces in one hand count 30 40 100 Chicane counts the same as Three Honors. Little Slam counts 20. | Grand Slam counts 40. It IS not necessary to memorize these values before one can play, as they will be found on all the score-pads used for keeping the game. BIDDING After the cards are all dealt, each player picks up and sorts his hand. The dealer is obliged to make the first declaration, and it 54 AUCTION BRIDGE must be an offer to make at least the odd trick with a named suit for trumps, or at no-trumps. The dealer may name any suit he Hkes and any number of tricks he thinks he can make over the book, but he must bid something. He is the only player that cannot pass without bid- ding, and his declaration should be either a statement of his intention with regard to the trump he would prefer, or it should be an in- timation to his partner as to the general char- acter of his hand. With a very poor hand, the dealer would bid nothing higher than the odd trick in spades; because that is the cheapest way out of his difficulty, and warns his partner of his weak- ness at the same time. But if he is strong enough in spades to be reasonably sure of the odd trick, with average assistance from his partner, he would bid two in spades, instead of the odd trick only. This gives the partner some intimation of the strength of the suit, although it is of little value as a trump. With good cards in the red suits, he would name them at once, because such hands are valuable. As we shall see when we come to the tactics of the game, it is a mistake to un- derbid the hand, intending to name a better suit when someone else has bid, as the ad- AUCTION BRIDGE 55 versaries may leave you with your first bid, so as to prevent you from making a good score. The number of tricks that the dealer should ofifer in a red suit, or at no-trump, must also be left until we come to the chapter devoted to that part of the subject. The dealer having made a declaration of some sort, the player on his left must either pass, or make a better declaration, or "double." As no one but the dealer is obliged to make a declaration, passing may either mean that the player is satisfied with the trump named, or that he can do nothing better. Passing once does not prevent him from com- ing into the bidding later if some other player overbids the dealer. Doubling means that the doubler believes the bidder will fail in his undertaking. In passing, some persons insist that it is bet- ter to use the word *'No,'' as the word "pass" may be confused with "hearts." This seems rather fanciful, as one never says "one in pass," but must always name the number of tricks in hearts. In doubling, the player must remember that it is imperative to name the number of tricks doubled. It is not enough to say "I double." One must always say, "I double two hearts." 56 AUCTION BRIDGE Whatever the player on the dealer's left may do, the next player to his left again has the same chance in his turn to pass or to bid higher. Being the dealer's partner, he can- not double the dealer's bid ; because no player is allowed to double his partner. If the trump named by his partner suits him, the best thing is to pass, unless he wishes to shut out further bids, or his partner has been overbid. Suppose the dealer declared to make the odd in dia- monds, and the next player passed. The dealer's partner could pass, or bid two or three tricks in diamonds, or he could change the suit or go no-trumps ; but he could not double. The fourth player then has the same chance to bid higher, to pass, or to double the adver- saries' declaration. If a declaration, no matter by whom made, is not overbid by a better one, or the number of tricks is not increased by the partner, that declaration is final ; because no player can change his own bid in any way unless he has been overbid or doubled by another player in the meantime. There is no limit to the number of times that a player may bid if he is overbid ; but each succeeding bid must be higher than the last. Whenever the point value is equal, the one AUCTION BRIDGE 57 who offers to take the greater number of tricks to reach those points is the higher bid- der. If the point value is not equal, the higher point value is the higher bid, regardless of the suit or of the number of tricks. Suppose the dealer starts by declaring to make the odd in diamonds, and that the next player says two in clubs. Although the club suit is lower in rank than the diamond, two tricks in clubs are worth eight, as against the six which the odd in diamonds is worth. Suppose the dealer's partner now offers one in no-trumps, worth twelve, and the fourth hand bids three in clubs. Although three in clubs are worth no more than one at no- trumps, the bid outranks it in trick-taking. If a player doubles, only one re-double is allowed. Although one cannot double one's partner's bid, one can re-double the adver- sary's double. Doubling is overbidding only in the sense that it opens the way for further bidding. After a double or re-double, any player can make a bid which is higher than the bid which has just been doubled, the doubling itself being disregarded; because doubling does not affect the rank of the bids. Suppose the dealer bids the odd in diamonds, doubled by the player on his left. The double S8 AUCTION BRIDGE opens the way for any player, including the dealer, to overbid the odd in diamonds. Sup- pose the dealer's partner offers to make the odd in hearts. This outbids the double; be- cause, for the purpose of bidding, the doubled odd in diamonds is still worth six points only ; the effects of doubling, as far as points are concerned, being restricted entirely to the score, as will be explained presently. Even if a double is re-doubled, the increased value of the tricks is disregarded in any fur- ther bidding. If the dealer bids one in hearts and the next player doubles, the dealer's part- ner re-doubling, the fourth player can bid two in clubs, worth eight only; because it outbids the original odd in hearts. The bidding is sometimes done with the full knowledge that it cannot succeed, the ob- ject being to keep the game in. This will be more fully explained when we come to the chapter on tactics. As it is only the success- ful bidder's side that can score anything towards game, no matter how many tricks are won and lost, it is very important not to let players make a declaration that will put them out, especially on the rubber game; because anything is better as a chance than a rubber that is surely lost. AUCTION BRIDGE 59 Suppose that AB are 24 up, and YZ are 22 up. If AB bid the odd in diamonds, and make it, they win the game and rubber. YZ have nothing in their cards, and are sure to lose on any declaration they make, yet they must outbid AB, so as to keep the game in, on the chance that YZ may get better cards next deal. Therefore YZ will bid the odd in hearts, or at no-trumps, or two by cards, or anything which will take the declaration away from AB, or else compel AB to overbid their hands. ORDER OF PLAY At the conclusion of the bidding, the highest bid made is known as the ''winning declara- tion,'' even if it is doubled, because it wins the privilege of playing the combined hands and of scoring toward game. One of the partners who make this winning declaration must be the dummy for that deal, while the other becomes the declarer, and the number of tricks they have named in their bid is called their "contract." The declarer is always the partner who first named the suit that becomes the winning decla- ration, no matter who dealt the cards. The player on his left leads for the first trick and the declarer plays his own hand, held up, com- bined with his partner's hand, which is laid on 6o AUCTION BRIDGE the table face up as soon as a card is led, and is known as the dummy. The declarer plays dummy's cards for him throughout the entire deal. It should be observed that it is not neces- sarily the highest bidder that becomes the de- clarer, because sometimes partners both make declarations in the same suit. Suppose the dealer bids the odd at no-trumps ; second man bids two in hearts, and the dealer's partner out- bids that by declaring two at no-trumps, which is the highest bid made: it is the dealer, and not his partner, that becomes declarer ; because it was the dealer that first named the winning declaration, no-trumps. If a player is compelled to bid up to three in hearts and is then doubled, no one going higher, the one who is doubled becomes de- clarer, not the player who doubled him; be- cause doubling is not a higher bid, but only an expression of opinion that the contract cannot be carried out. When a player doubles, it does not mean that he will make the odd trick, but that the declaring side will not make as many tricks as it has undertaken to make. Suppose the dealer has bid three by cards in hearts and is doubled. This means that the adversary who AUCTION BRIDGE 6l doubles him thinks he may make the odd trick, or even two by cards; but he does not beHeve that he can make three tricks. In other words, doubhng means that the declara- tion will fail. Re-doubling means that the doubler is mistaken. When everyone at the table is content, and will bid no higher, the player to the left of the declarer leads any card he pleases for the first trick, and then the Dummy's cards are laid down, sorted into suits, the trumps to the right. From that point on, declarer manages the two hands, playing whatever card he thinks best from Dummy, after comparing Dummy's cards with his own. The player who held Dummy's cards has nothing further to do with the game for that deal, not being allowed to make any remarks or suggestions about the play. Dummy may ask his partner if he has none of a suit to which he renounces, so as to save a revoke, the usual formula being, "No spades. Partner?" Dummy may also protest against the adversaries' enforcing a penalty to which they are not entitled, and may call at- tention to a trick which is not complete. Apart from this, he is supposed to be blind and deaf. 62 AUCTION BRIDGE Each player in turn must follow suit if he can, and the highest card played, if of the suit led, wins the trick, trumps winning all other suits. The winner of one trick leads for the next, and so on, until all thirteen tricks have been taken in. Declarer gathers the tricks for his side, keeping them separate, so that they may be readily counted. Either adversary may gather for himself and his partner ; but all their tricks must be kept on the same side of the table. As soon as one side wins six tricks, it is usual to bunch them together, forming a *'book," so that all the tricks over the book may be the more easily counted. The penalty for a revoke, which is a re- nounce in error, not corrected in time, is 150 points in the honor column for the first revoke and 100 points for each additional revoke in the same hand. The declarer, however, has the option of taking three actual tricks instead of the 150 points, for the first revoke, but he cannot take anything but the 100 points for any further revokes. His adversaries cannot take tricks as revoke penalties under any cir- cumstances, they being restricted to the points. The revoking side can score nothing but actual honors held, or chicane. If it is the de- AUCTION BRIDGE 63 clarer who is in error, he cannot score any- thing toward game, no matter how many tricks he wins or what his contract is. If it is one of his adversaries who revokes, they cannot score any penalties, no matter how much they may defeat the declaration. If the declarer takes tricks as the revoke penalty he cannot score any bonus for them in case he has been doubled, but he may score the bonus of 50 points for all tricks won in the course of the play if he has been doubled. Suppose the contract is two in diamonds and he makes four by cards after being doubled and takes three tricks for the revoke. He scores seven tricks at 12 each toward game, 50 penalty for carrying out his contract after being doubled, 50 each for the two tricks he won over his contract by making four by cards ; but no 50 for any of the three tricks he took in revoke penalty. All he gets for them is their doubled value, 12 points each toward game. For this reason it is always better to take the 150 points when one can go game without the assistance of the penalty tricks. SCORING At the end of the hand, the honors are claimed, and the scores are then put down on 64 AUCTION BRIDGE a score-pad printed for the purpose. The score sheet has two parallel columns, one for each side, the side keeping the score being "we," and the opponents "they." All trick scores are entered "below the line," and all honor scores and penalties "above the line," as shown in the example on page 67. If the declarer succeeds, after being doubled, he scores his tricks at double value: 12 for diamonds, 16 for hearts, and so on, as the case may be; but he does not double the value of the honors. In addition to this, he scores 50 points penalty above the line. If he gets more than he declared to make, he gets an additional 50 points for each trick. Suppose he bid two in hearts and was doubled. If he gets two by cards, he gets 32 below and 50 above. If he gets three by cards, he scores 48 below and 100 above. These penalty points never count towards game, but always go with the honors. If the declarer fails, not being doubled, he scores nothing for tricks, no matter how many he makes ; but his adversaries score 50 points in the honor column for each trick by which the declaration falls short. If they have doubled they score double fifty, or a hundred. Suppose the declaration is four in hearts, AUCTION BRIDGE 65 doubled, and that the declarer gets two by cards only. He scores nothing for those two tricks ; but his adversaries score 200 above the line for doubling. Had they not doubled they would have scored 100 only, which is 50 each for the two tricks that the declarer fell short. Honors are claimed and scored as held, whether the declaration succeeds or not. If the declarer does not even make the odd trick, his adversaries still score nothing below the line. All they get is the 50 points a trick penalty. Suppose the bid is two in no-trumps, and the adversaries win two by cards, leaving the bidder five tricks only, when he declared to win eight. The bidder scores nothing for tricks, but his adversaries score 150 in honors for penalty. Beginners often have trouble with the scor- ing when the situation is at all complicated, especially when the declarer fails after being doubled and when there is a revoke penalty to be considered. A few examples may make the matter clearer. (i.) YZ are the declarers and AB their adversaries. The contract is to make three at no-trumps, no doubling. YZ win six tricks only, instead of the nine they contracted for, 66 AUCTION BRIDGE but they catch AB in a revoke. If YZ take three tricks, they can use them to fulfil their contract and can score three by cards, 36 points, toward game. If they take the 150 points these points are put in the honor column and there is nothing to score for tricks. At the same time, the adversaries cannot score anything for defeating the declaration by three tricks, because they revoked. In such cases it is better for the dealer to take the tricks, as they win a game, perhaps the rubber. (2.) YZ contract to make three by cards at no-trump and are doubled. They make eight tricks only, but AB revoke. YZ take three tricks and score for five by cards, at 24 a trick, toward game, but they get no bonus of 50 points for fulfilling their contract after being doubled, because the tricks that fulfilled the contract were taken in penalty for a revoke and not in play. A good general rule for the declarer is to take the tricks when his contract fails without them, or when they will give him the game, but otherwise to take the points. Take a case like this : (3.) YZ declare to make three in hearts and win four by cards, after being doubled, but AB revoke. YZ score four by cards in AUCTION BRIDGE 67 hearts at double value, 64 toward game and take 50 penalty in the honor column for ful- filling their contract after being doubled and 50 more for the extra trick over their con- tract, won in play, and then 150 for the re- voke penalty. In order that the reader may have a clear idea of how the scores are kept, an example is given in the margin. It is a very short game, but sufficient for the purpose of illus- tration. WE THEY — 250 — 48 50 20 200 32 30 16 24 40 — 36 304 +442 — —304 138 First Deal. — We bid two in no-trumps and held three aces ; 24 below the line and 30 above. Second Deal. — They bid three in hearts, were doubled, and made the odd trick only, holding simple honors. Noth- ing scored below the line on either side, because the bidder failed; but they got 16 for honors, and we got 200 above the line; 50 points penalty for each of the two tricks by which the bidder failed, doubled. Third Deal.— They bid three in hearts, made five by cards and four honors; 40 be- low the line and 32 above. This wins the first game, and a line is drawn under it. 68 AUCTION BRIDGE Fourth Deal. — They bid three at no-trumps, and made two by cards only; aces easy, each side hav- ing two. Nothing to score but the 50 points penalty for WE, because the bid failed by one trick. Fifth Deal. — They bid four in diamonds, made a Little Slam, and had four honors in one hand; 36 below the line, winning the second game, 20 above the line for the Little Slam, and 48 for honors. As THEY have won two games, that ends the rubber, and they add 250 points bonus. The scores of each side are now added up, the lesser total deducted from the greater, and the difference, which is 138 points, is the value of the rubber. The result of the rubber is usually trans- ferred to a wash-book, or flogger, upon which its value in points or in cash is set down oppo- site the names of the winners and losers as minus or plus. These entries can be carried on until the party breaks up, the top of each column being used to show the value of the rubber, which is added to or de- ducted from the previous scores of each player. The following is a sample of a wash-book for a table at which six players were engaged: AUCTION BRIDGE 69 Values:— 140 325 280 360 Jones... + 140 +465 +465 +825 Green . . + 140 + 140 —140 —500 White.. —140 + 185 + 185 —175 Brown.. —140 —140 +140 +500 Black . . —325 — 45 — 45 Smith . . —325 —605 —605 This wash-book can be checked at any time by seeing that the plus and minus scores bal- ance. In the second rubber, Jones and White beat Black and Smith. In the third, Brown and Black beat Green and Smith. In the fourth, Jones and Brown beat Green and White. As the value of the rubber sometimes runs into large figures, it is advisable to play for about one-fourth of the points that one is ac- customed to at straight Bridge. With beginners, the value of the rubbers will probably run into large figures, 1,000 points not being uncommon and 650 about the aver- age. But as players advance in skill and learn not to throw good money after bad by over- bidding their hands and trying to grasp the declaration when they are not strong enough for it, or by trying to keep the flag flying when 70 AUCTION BRIDGE all hope is gone, the value of the rubbers will be found to decrease steadily. Among good players they will not average more than 420 points. Persons who are in the habit of playing straight bridge for a stake will find that penny auction is about the same as two-and-a-half bridge. Some think that auction should be about half the bridge stakes, on account of the longer time it takes to play a rubber. TACTICS OF THE GAME TACTICS OF THE GAME There are certain recognized principles of play, usually spoken of as conventionalities, in all games of cards, and it is a social duty that everyone owes to others to learn these con- ventionalities before sitting down to play in company. To undertake to make up a rubber at Auction Bridge without knowing anything of its principles, is as bad as offering to dance with a partner without knowing any of the steps. While a great deal must be left to be gained from experience at the card table, reverses of fortune usually ripening the judgment, there are many things which can be learned from the text-book, and there are others of which the text-book can give hints which are suffi- cient to enable a player to recognize the gen- eral situation in actual play. All examples in a text-book should be gone over with the actual cards, and if the reader will take the trouble to study the following tactics with the cards before him, the princi- ples enunciated should be mastered without much difficulty, and the result should be a cer* 73 74 AUCTION BRIDGE tain confidence in one's ability to play cor- rectly. The most important element in Auction Bridge is the bidding, and we shall begin with that. BIDDING There are several things to be constantly kept in view in bidding. The most important is to secure the privilege of making the decla- ration that promises the best results for your own hand. The next is to give your partner some idea of what you hold, so that he may assist you in one of two ways — in bidding high enough to get the declaration, or in defeating the adversaries in the play of the hand if they outbid you. Another important point is to prevent the adversaries from giving informa- tion to each other which might be more useful to them in playing against you than it would be to you in the bidding. Still another con- sideration is to keep the other side from going out on its own bid if you can. There is one thing that the auction bridge player very soon learns, and that is that the declaration which promises the best results may be one that leaves the play of the com- bined hands to the adversaries. More points AUCTION BRIDGE 75 are won and larger rubbers are gained by de- feating the declaration than by playing it your- self. Every time they fail to carry out their contract, you get 50 points a trick, and if you have doubled them after they have bid one trick too many, you get 100 points a trick if you defeat them. Their gain is from twelve down to two points a trick; yours is always fifty. Before going into the motives that prompt a player to make certain bids at certain times, it will be necessary to explain clearly the dif- ference between the first and the second round of bids and also the diflference between a legiti- mate bid and a bluff. Quite as many bids are made for the purpose of inducing the oppo- nents to go one trick higher as are made in the hope of securing the winning declaration your- self. Many a double is merely to frighten a bidder off a suit which his partner is quite safe in. FIRST BIDDER We shall begin with the most valuable dec- larations first; not only because they win the most points, but because they frequently shut out minor and informatory declarations by the adversaries. As a general rule, the dealer should bid his hand to its full value at once. 76 AUCTION BRIDGE when he has either a no-trumper or a good red make. If you are the dealer, and have a good dia- mond hand, on which you bid the odd trick only, you leave the second player an oppor- tunity to bid the odd at no-trumps or hearts, or two in clubs. While you or your partner may be able to outbid any of these by increas- ing your original declaration to two or more in diamonds, nothing you can do will undo the injury you have done by allowing the second bidder to give his partner an indication of his strong suit. Had you bid two in diamonds at the start, you would have compelled the second bidder to pass, or else to bid higher. If he was able to bid higher, it does not matter; because he would have outbid you and taken the declara- tion away from you in any case. But if his bid was merely to convey information to his partner, you would have shut him out. What is true of the original bids is also true of the overbids, as we shall see presently. Before taking up the consideration of bids which are based on inferences from other declarations, the player should be able to rec- ognize hands which would justify certain declarations under ordinary circumstances. AUCTION BRIDGE yy In auction bridge there is the greatest dif- ference in the world between a suit declaration and a no-trumper, because on the first round of the bidding the suit declaration is very often nothing but information giving, whereas the no-trumper means business right from the jump. The one gives information to the part- ner as to where the tricks can be won, while the other gives no information, but is willing to receive it. A suit declaration, on the first round, is practically an invitation to the partner to go no-trumps, and it is only on the second round that the suit is persevered in if it is the inten- tion of the bidder to make it the trump suit in preference to a no-trumper, even if that be offered by his partner, or in preference to let- ting the adversaries have the winning declara- tion for that deal. This distinction between the first and second bids will be more clearly explained after we have come to an understanding as to what we are talking about w^hen we speak of no- trumpers, or heart makes, or diamond declara- tions. The characteristics of such hands should be sufficiently familiar to the reader to enable him to follow the argument and to rec- ognize the combinations of cards which would 78 AUCTION BRIDGE justify declarations under ordinary circum- stances. Some hands are always good no- trumpers, or heart makes, because of the prob- ability that they are strong enough to win at least the odd trick. Hands which are above this standard should be good enough for more than the odd trick; therefore every player should be thoroughly familiar with the mini- mum strength for an odd-trick declaration, so that he may be able to judge how much more than the odd trick he would be justified in bid- ding on some hands. NO TRUMP DECLARATIONS The best no-trumpers are hands in which the strength is scattered among at least three suits. When the strength of the hand is all massed in one suit, it is usually better to make that suit the trump. One great advantage of the successful bid- der, often under-estimated, is that he obtains the privilege of playing his own hand in com- bination with an exposed hand, the Dummy's. Good players consider this equal to a trick a deal, the cards being equal. Absolutely equal cards would be to give each player at the table one ace, one king, one queen, and so on down to the deuce. If the number AUCTION BRIDGE 79 in the suits and the combinations with the part- ner's hand were also equal, we should have some such distribution as this : K 7 5 10 9 3 A J 6 2 Q 8 4 Y V * 10 9 3 K 7 5 Q S 4 A J 6 2 A B Z A J 6 2 Q 8 4 K 7 5 10 9 3 Q 8 4 A J 6 2 10 9 3 K 7 5 If we suppose that this hand is to be played as a no-trumper, it does not matter which of the four is the declarer; he will win at least the odd trick, almost certainly two by cards, and very likely the game, if the player on his left opens conventionally with his longest suit, no matter what he and his partner do after- ward. Give the hand to some Bridge players, tell them it is a no-trumper, and let them try it. It will greatly assist the beginner to remem- 8o AUCTION BRIDGE ber that the standard no-trumper is three aces, or their equivalent. This means at least three sure tricks in three different suits. As one seldom holds exactly three aces, it is necessary to be familiar with the combina- tions that are equal to an ace in certainty of trick-taking. Such as king, queen, or king, jack, ten, or queen, jack, ten, are easily recog- nized. Length is in itself protection; four to a king being considered safe, and even three to the queen, ten, may be chanced; but not unless under compulsion to stretch a point. If we take such a hand as tlie following: we can easily determine that it is equal to an ace in three suits, as it is certain to win at least one trick in each. This hand is also a king above the average in high cards, because it con- tains ace, king, king, queen, jack, ten, nine, distributed among the various suits. AUCTION BRIDGE 8l A king above the average should be good for a trick above the average, leaving the ad- vantage of the play for good measure, and any hand which is a trick above average and pro- tected in three suits should declare no-trumps. Beginners are usually afraid to make it no- trumps if they are very weak in one suit ; but you can always trust your partner for one suit. It is dangerous to trust him for two, unless your own hand is so strong in the other two as to justify the risk. All you ask him to do is to protect the suit in which you have nothing; you do not ask him to make three or four tricks in it. Protection in a suit means that you can stop the adversaries from winning every trick in it. They may win one or two rounds, but if you are really protected you should be able to win the third or fourth round, at the latest. As three aces would be a no-trumper, so would two aces and a king, queen suit, or one ace and two king, queen suits. The same aces with any equally strong suit would be a good no-trumper, such as two aces and king, jack, ten in another suit, or even queen, jack, ten; but a no-trumper without an ace is likely to prove expensive. Four aces is always a no-trumper unless the 82 AUCTION BRIDGE hearts are strong enough to win the game. Beginners, and those who have played Bridge, should observe that the honor score for four aces in one hand is not of much value in itself ; because if the declaration loses two by cards the adversaries will score lOO in the honor col- umn for penalty. When the eye has been trained to recognize any hand which is a king above the average, and protected in three suits, as a no-trumper for the odd trick, it will be an easy matter to see that any hand which is still stronger than this should be willing to bid two at no-trumps, or even more. Take such cards as these : There are two actual aces, and the king and queen of hearts are equal to an ace; enough for a no-trump bid. But you have the king and queen of spades besides, so that the hand should justify a bid of two or even three tricks at no-trump. AUCTION BRIDGE 83 Occasionally one may bid no-trumps on two suits only, provided neither of the weak suits has been declared by an adversary. The long and strong suit in such a declaration would of course be black, or the hand would be a red make. Take such a hand as the fol- lowing : The dealer might bid two in spades in order to show his strength; but if he was not over- bid he would have to play the hand as a spade, which might prove to be a wasted opportunity. With seven tricks in his own cards, the dealer should bid at least two at no-trumps, and trust his partner to stop whichever suit is opened against him. When such bids are made, the adversaries often lead the dealer's re-entry suits, hearts in this case. The high original bid prevents the adversaries from declaring any informatory suits. They would have to bid at least four by cards in diamonds to shut 84 Auction bridge out a no-trumper like this, as it is almost im- possible that they could make three in hearts against it. As one becomes more familiar with the tac- tics of the game it will be found that one can well afford to stretch a point in the declaration of no-trumps on the first round of the bids, and many players will declare no-trumps freely on hands which are not a card above average, provided the strength is distributed among three suits. Take this example : These cards are not even a spot above aver- age, there being just one of each denomination, but the strength is well distributed and an im- mediate bid of no-trumps gives one a grip on the situation that nothing else will do. RED SUIT DECLARATIONS As the declaration of a red suit has a differ- ent meaning on the first and second rounds of AUCTION BRIDGE 85 the bidding, or rather as the meaning may not be clear to the partner until the second round, the principles on which suits are declared should be clearly understood, and the first and second bids should be studied separately. THE FIRST ROUND Those who are accustomed to straight bridge usually find a difficulty in passing on hands which would be a good red-suit declaration at that game. Take these cards for an example : At straight bridge this is unquestionably a good heart make, but never, on the first round of the bidding, at auction. If there were only one bid and that ended it, the case would be different, but with such cards as these the player should wait until the second round to declare hearts and then only if he thinks, after hearing the other declarations, that it would be 86 AUCTION BRIDGE good for two by cards, because it must be re- membered that one seldom gets the winning declaration for just the odd trick. The proper declaration on the foregoing hand is one in clubs, because that is the suit in which you have some winning cards, cards that are good for tricks, regardless of the declara- tion made by others. To understand the reason for this, one must keep continually in view that the first round of the bidding is for the purpose of leading up to a no-trumper if possible and that when a player has not a no-trumper himself he still hopes for one in his partner's hand and ac- cordingly gives him all the information he can as to his own strength. But the strength wanted in a no-trumper is not six cards to a ten, but aces and kings. Even queens are of no value in the original bids. The error into which most persons fall lies in supposing that it is good enough to have a suit stopped and that four to a jack or ten will usually do this. As part of the hand that declares the no-trumper, this is true ; but as in- formation conveyed to the hand that wants that suit to fill out a no-trumper, it is false. If the partner is induced to go no-trumps by your naming a suit that you have surely AUCTION BRIDGE 87 Stopped, and is over-called by a suit declarer, the next question that will present itself to him will be that of doubling, and in his doubling he will be depending on you for at least one sure trick in the suit you have named. In this he will be misled if you have declared a suit of six to the ten, because you cannot win a trick in it until some other player has cleared it up for you and that fourth round may never come. It is a fundamental principle, therefore, never to name a suit on the first round except under one of two conditions: That you intend to stick to that suit, even if you have to over-call your partner's declaration of one or two in no- trumps, or unless you have a certain trick in it, such as the ace, or both king and queen, and want your partner to go no-trumps. Take a hand like this : This is a heart, not a no-trumper, and no 88 AUCTION BRIDGE matter who declares clubs, or diamonds, or no- trumps, you are going to outbid them and make it hearts, or else they are going so high that you can double and defeat the declaration easily. If your partner has a no-trumper, it is a sure game hand in hearts and you should over-call him. If he persists after that he must have all the suits. Your persistence in returning to the suit first declared shows your partner the difference be- tween the declaration made on high cards and that made on length, and marks the distinction between an invitation to him to go no-trumps and a wish to name a trump suit for your own hand. If he has a no-trumper to help out your red make, what more do you want? What is true of the heart suit is largely true of diamonds, but it is harder to over-call a no- trumper with diamonds, on account of the de- creased value of the tricks. One should never call diamonds on the first round of the bidding without the ace, or king-queen-ten, or king queen at least, unless you are ready to over- call a no-trumper of your partner's or the ad- versary's. If you do not stick to the suit and declare it again on the second round, your partner will assume that your original call was on winning cards and he will count on you for AUCTION BRIDGE 89 a sure trick in the suit on the first or at the latest on the second round of it. Remember that it is useless to call a suit as a trump suit when you cannot undertake to make more than the odd trick with your cards, be- cause it is practically certain that you will never be allowed to take the winning dec- laration for one tiick in anything but no- trumps. It is of the greatest importance to get this principle clearly fixed in the mind, that the first call of a suit, not followed by a second call in the same suit, means high cards which you hope to be useful as part of a no-trumper in your partner's hand ; but a second call in the same suit means that you want that suit for the trump and think it better than a no-trumper, so far as the bidding has then gone. When two suits are about equal, it is usual to name the weaker first, because that leaves room to shift if you are doubled. If you hold four to the ace-queen in hearts and diamonds, your first call should be the diamond. Then, if you are doubled, which is always possible, you can shift to hearts by bidding one trick only. Had you started with the hearts and been doubled, you would have had to bid two in diamonds to get out of it. By beginning 90 AUCTION BRIDGE with the weaker of two suits you can often show your partner your strength in both. If neither suit is followed up, he can read you for high cards only, and not for length. With two suits nearly equal and both strong in high cards, the declaration of the cheaper suit first has the advantage of coaxing the ad- versaries to show their hands, which will be to your benefit, as information is always of more value to a strong hand than to a weak one. If your one diamond is over-called by two in clubs, you get a line on the situation and your partner's call will be a further guide. If you are over-called in hearts, you are in an excellent position to defeat the declaration, because your partner knows your side suit, dia- monds. If a no-trumper is bid against you, your partner knows what to lead ; your unnamed heart suit lies back like a masked battery. As the dealer is obliged to make a declara- tion of some kind, whether he has a trick in his hand or not, his resource when he has nothing is to call one in spades. This simply means that he will wait until he sees what the others do. As already pointed out, if he has such strength in spades that they would make a sub- stantial part of a no-trumper, such as the fol- lowing cards : AUCTION BRIDGE QI he should declare two in spades, to distinguish it from the ordinary spade call, which is noth- ing but a pass. Two in spades should never be called unless there is unusual strength in the suit in high cards. Two tricks is not enough, and the ace-king-queen is probably the mini- mum that would justify a call of two spades, or else a suit of seven or eight to the ace-king, because a spade is never called in the hope that it will be the trump suit, nor with any inten- tion of persevering in it if the partner calls anything better. Some players have a very bad habit of bid- ding one spade whenever they have an average hand. Bridge players bid one spade on any hand with which they would pass the make at straight bridge. Their theory is that they like to wait until they see what others will do and that they may catch an adversary unaware by concealing their strength instead of risking a 92 AUCTION BRIDGE declaration themselves. But the modern player, always working toward that possible no-trumper, will never bid one in spades if he has an ace in his hand, or a king-queen suit, unless that suit is nothing but spades. The proper time to bid one spade is when you have a suit which you are willing to make the trump on a contract for two by cards at the least, but which has not the top cards in it. Some one must have the aces if you have none and there is little danger of your being left in with a spade bid while your losses are limited to lOO points, whether you are doubled or not. Take these cards : In straight bridge, this is a heart make, and you should be quite willing to bid two by cards on it at auction. But do not be in too great a hurry about it. Bid one spade on the first call if you are the dealer. If you sit anywhere AUCTION BRIDGE 93 else, pass. Wait until you hear what your partner and the adversaries have to say. You bid two in spades to show strength in the suit, but it is not necessary to bid more than one in clubs to show this strength, al- though both suits are black. If you have the ace, or king-queen- jack in clubs, these cards are useful as part of a no-trumper, and with such winning cards you can bid one in clubs just as freely as you would call one in hearts or diamonds. Occasionally you may have such a long suit of clubs that you can afford to over- call an adversary, so as to keep him out of the winning declaration. You may lose on it, but you prevent him from scoring toward game. With a sure trick in a side suit, a sporty no- trumper may be better than a club. Take these cards : Without the sure trick in the side suit, this 94 AUCTION BRIDGE would be a club declaration ; but as it is, a no- trump bid is better. When the clubs are not strong enough to justify you in encouraging your partner to go no-trumps upon your assistance in that suit, it is better to declare the odd in spades. SECOND ROUND Before going into the question of over-call- ing, one should know what constitutes a fair red-suit declaration, that is, a hand which has a legitimate chance for the odd trick even when the partner gives no indication of any support. This knowledge is useful to the dealer on the second round, after he has been forced to make a spad€ call on the first round, and to the others when any preceding player has made a call which must be responded to. Every player should be thoroughly familiar with the strength that would justify him in declaring a red suit for the trump and how many tricks he should go on it. It must not be forgotten that a good red suit declaration is always safer than an average no-trumper with a weak spot in it. The adversaries have a nasty trick of finding those weak spots. The chief value of a no-trump bid is, either AUCTION BRIDGE 95 as an original declaration by the dealer, to shut out information, or as an advance upon a pre- vious bid of the partner's, as v^e shall see pre- sently. Players should be especially careful about bidding more than one or two tricks in no-trumps after the adversaries have declared a suit, unless that suit can be stopped. A good working rule for beginners as a test for a red suit declaration, is to add to the number of the trumps themselves the honors in trumps which are as good as ace, king, queen, and the aces and kings in plain suits. Do not count queens. If the total is eight or better, it is usually a safe bid for the odd trick. Take the following example: This is equal to three aces, and is a king above the average ; but it is a better and safer heart declaration than no-trump, and has the great advantage of telling your partner in 96 AUCTION BRIDGE which suit you are strong. If we count it up according to the rule just given, we find five trumps, two honors in trumps, one king and one ace in plain suits ; a total of nine. Here is an example of a hand which is not a good red declaration if tested by the eight rule: Although there are five hearts, there is no good honor among them, and no aces and only one king in the plain suits; a total of six, which is too weak to bid on. When there is a very short or missing suit, it is sometimes a better trump declaration on that account. Five or six trumps of any size with a strong five-card plain suit and a miss- ing suit, is very strong. As a rule, for every trick that one can count above this eight-rule test, especially if the ex- tra tricks are in plain suits, one can aflford to bid an extra trick. A player should have no AUCTION BRIDGE 97 hesitation in bidding two by cards on the ex- ample first given, which counted up to nine. Good red makes should always be carefully considered when there is a choice between them and a no-trumper. Take such cards as these : While this hand is above the average enough for no-trumps, it is a safer diamond at Auction Bridge, especially if you are something up on the score. Reckoning six trumps, two high honors in trumps, and three aces and kings in plain suits, the hand counts up to eleven, and should be well worth a bid of three by cards, with the chance of going game. If the hand is overbid, the suit named may be a guide as to the advisability of changing to no-trumps. Those who have played Bridge must get over any aversion they may have had to de- claring diamonds; because, although it is a difficult matter to win the game from zero 98 AUCTION BRIDGE v/ith a diamond, the player in Auction Bridge must take every opportunity to advance his score surely and steadily, instead of over- reaching himself in an attempt to go game on one deal. The closer he gets to thirty points, the greater the chances the adversaries will take to overbid him, and the more points he is likely to pile up in the honor column from penalties in consequence. Trump honors, in Auction Bridge, are of comparatively small importance, except as trick-winners, because of the large number of points usually piled up for penalties, and the increased value of the rubber points, 250. OVERBIDDING SECOND BIDDER As soon as the dealer has made his declara- tion, it becomes the duty of the second bidder to give his partner, who will be the fourth bidder, some idea of the suit in which his strength lies, if he can ; but he should not make a declaration which is absolutely hope- less unless it is done with the deliberate inten- tion of shutting the dealer out. Neither should he bid a number of tricks which is more than necessary to over-call the previous declaration, AUCTION BRIDGE 99 except with a view to shutting out an inform- atory bid by the dealer's partner. If the dealer's original bid is a forced '*one in spades," it will usually pay the second bidder to make it expensive for the dealer's partner to name a suit. Many beginners make the mistake of passing second hand, regardless of what they hold, when the dealer starts with one spade, on the theory that the dealer's partner will have to pull him out of the hole by bidding something bet- ter and that it will be time enough for the sec- ond hand to bid when it comes round to him again. But this idea must not be carried too far, because under the rule which limits the loss on a declaration of one spade to lOO points, whether it is doubled or not, the dealer's part- ner will frequently pass a bid of one spade when he has nothing himself and second hand passes, and then the onus of the situation is upon the fourth bidder, who has no idea of what he is doing and who may walk into a trap, instead of which the fourth bidder should have the best position at the table in the bid- ding, because he should have a line on all the other players, including a hint from his part- ner. lOO AUCTION BRIDGE If the second bidder has anything in his hand, he should declare it at once, especially if he has anything like a no-trumper. Such a bid compels the dealer's partner to offer two tricks at least in a red suit, or three in clubs, to show his hand when the dealer has bid one spade. If the second bidder has not a no- trumper, he should declare any suit in which he has sure tricks, not for the purpose of get- ting that suit made the trump, but as an invita- tion to his partner to go no-trumps if he has the other suits. This information is often of more value on the first round than on the second. When the second bidder names a suit, the fourth bidder can take advantage of the in- formation in either of two ways — in bidding on the combined strength of the two hands, or in leading the suit which the second bidder declares strength in, in case the dealer's part- ner becomes declarer on the deal. There is no use piling up penalties against yourself just for the sake of giving your part- ner information that cannot be of any use to him unless he has a phenomenal hand. When you have to bid two or three by cards just to tell your partner what your suit is, you invite the adversaries to let you play it, or to double AUCTION BRIDGE lOI you, and then your partner has to let it go at that, or pull you out of your hole by going into a deeper one himself. It is when the dealer's bid is low that the second bidder gets his op- portunity. The score plays a very important part in overbidding. Suppose the dealer declares the odd in spades when he is not more than twenty up. If the second bidder has only an average hand, he should pass at once, so as to let the dealer play spades; because he cannot possibly win the game with such a declaration. When the second bidder passes, it becomes the duty of the third bidder to pull the dealer out, if he can, by bidding something in which there is a chance to go game. Then one of two things must happen. If the adversaries can, they will outbid the dealer's partner, especially if they have any fear that he will go out on his declaration. Or, if they think the declaration is weak, they can let it stand and double it. There is one point to which the beginner's attention should be directed, and that is the difference between declaring no-trumps and defeating a no-trump declaration. If the dealer bids no-trumps, and the second bidder holds a solid suit, good for eight tricks, he 102 AUCTION BRIDGE can defeat the declaration ; because he has the lead. But he could not declare no-trumps himself, because he cannot get that suit led, and might not be able to bring it into play until the odd trick had been lost. Therefore, if a player bids two in diamonds with six solid trump tricks and an outside king, that does not mean that he would also be willing to de- clare two in no-trumps with such cards ; and a no-trump bid will frequently shut him out, and prevent him from mentioning the suit even, which is of the greatest importance. If the dealer has bid no-trumps and the sec- ond bidder has no suit that he can name for two tricks as a trump, he should pass, because even if he can defeat the no-trumper he will only frighten the dealer's partner or the dealer himself into something else if the declaration is doubled. Remember that if the dealer calls no-trumps and you are the man on his left, it will be your lead and if you can defeat the call it will pay you to keep quiet unless the dealer has been bid up to two or three in no- trumps, and cannot shift without certain loss in anything else, which you can also double. It is a common artifice for the second bidder to double a suit called by the dealer simply to show the fourth bidder that he need not be AUCTION BRIDGE IO3 afraid of that suit. Suppose the dealer calls one in hearts and that the second bidder holds some such cards as five to the king-queen. He should double one heart, to show his partner that he has that suit stopped, as otherwise the fourth player might be afraid to go no-trumps on account of his weakness in hearts, espe- cially if he had to bid two or three tricks to get it. The most common double for the second bid- der is that of a spade call. This does not mean that the second hand has any idea that the deal will be played as a spade and wishes to double the value of the penalties, but simply that what strength he has is in the spade suit. In- stead of bidding two in spades, it is cheaper to double, as that does not oblige him to make the odd trick even. The result is the same, the fourth bidder being informed that the spade suit is safe. THE THIRD BIDDER The third bidder must be guided largely by the dealer's declaration, modified by the over- bidding, if any. The combinations are so end- less that it would be impossible to enumerate a tenth part of them ; but one or two examples 104 AUCTION BRIDGE may give the reader a fair idea of how to man- age such situations. If the dealer's partner holds bad cards, and cannot risk anything when the dealer bids the odd in spades and the second bidder passes, it is a convention in many circles to overbid the dealer by offering two in spades. The theory is that the dealer's bid may be forced, and that he may not be absolutely weak, but simply waiting for the bids of others to guide him. An overbid of two in spades not only warns him of the weakness of his partner's hand, but gives him a chance to change his bid if he cares to. This opportunity to bid again may be invaluable. But while third hand's increase of his part- ner's one spade to two spades re-opens the bid- ding and gives the dealer a chance to recon- sider his first call and to do something better it must not be forgotten that it also forfeits the protection of the rule limiting the loss on one spade to lOO points, because the moment a player bids two in spades he takes the greatest risk in the game, the odds against him be- ing practically 12 to i. The same is true of re-doubling after a one-spade call has been doubled. The re-double forfeits the protection. AUCTION BRIDGE IO5 The odds against a spade call should be care- fully studied by every auction bridge player. If you play spades, you are risking 50 points a trick in order to win 2. If you play no- trumps, you are not assuming any more risk, but you may win six times as much as you can in spades. Viewed from the point of proba- bility alone, the spade is undoubtedly the worst of all calls in the game, and for that reason the dealer should never declare a spade if he has even as much as a blank ace or a king- queen in anything else. When the dealer bids one spade, if he is a good player it means that he has not a sure trick in his hand, or else that he has one tre- mendous suit and hopes to catch the opponent on his right going no-trumps, a trick which is not uncommon. The dealer may have a trick in spades, but he has not two or three, or he would call two spades instead of one. Remem- ber that this one-spade call of the dealer's does not mean that he has nothing at all, but it means that he has no aces and no king-queen suit. For all that he may have five or six red cards to a king and an outside king or so and be waiting for a chance to name a trump after he gets a line on the general situation. You must wait for the second round of the bids to io6 AUCTION BRIDGE tell you which it is; a long weak red suit or nothing at all. When the dealer declares a red suit on his first call it does not mean that he wants it for the trump. He may have only two or three cards to an ace, but it does mean that he has a sure trick in that suit and that if you have any show for a no-trumper you can depend on him for a trick in the suit he names. Take these cards in third hand : The dealer starts with one diamond. Second bidder does not over-call him, so there is no great strength in hearts there. With your partner's sure trick in diamonds, you can con- fidently bid one in no-trumps, which will force the man on your left to go two in hearts or pass. If he wants to show his heart suit, he cannot do it without the risk of being left to play it, and what chance would he have? AUCTION BRIDGE 10/ If you have not the nerve to call no-trumps, bid two in clubs, just to show your partner where your strength lies. This leaves the onus of the declaration of no-trumps to him and he may shirk it if he has nothing in spades or hearts, because he cannot risk a no-trumper on clubs and diamonds alone. What he will prob- ably do is to return to the diamond suit, if he is long in it, and a great opportunity will be lost. Never leave to your partner anything that you can attend to yourself. Jump at every chance to go no-trumps. When the third bidder has only one good suit, he should either name it for the trump, with the intention of supporting it by calling it a second time if necessary, or he may name it just to show the high cards in it. In the illustration just given, if there were no high cards in the spade suit, or only one honor, not the ace, the proper call would be one or two in clubs, whichever was necessary to over-call the dealer or the second hand. When the dealer's first bid is over-called by the second player, the third bidder will some- times find it necessary to make a declaration which would be absurd except for the purpose of giving information. Something like this frequently happens: I08 AUCTION BRIDGE The dealer starts with one no-trump. Sec- ond bidder says two diamonds, and third man holds three top honors in spades. It should be clear that the dealer's no-trumper is pretty slim, or that the second hand is long in dia- monds without all the high cards, and wants them for the trump. The only way in which the third hand can show what he has to help out his partner's no-trumper is to bid six in spades. If the dealer has the diamonds stopped, which is very probable, this spade bid will bolster up his courage enough for him to go two in no-trumps. He may even take the chance that the adversaries cannot win more than five diamond tricks. In such cases, the third bidder need not have the slightest fear that his partner will leave him in the lurch to play for a small slam in spades, even if the fourth bidder does not double, which he will never do, as he knows it will be a waste of time. Bids of this kind, which are made without the slightest inten- tion of playing them, are often the salvation of the partner's hand. When the dealer starts with a red suit and is not over-called by the second bidder, it is bet- ter to leave your partner alone unless you can stretch the combination to no-trumps, or unless AUCTION BRIDGE lOQ you have a suit which you think may be bet- ter than his. This shift is then useful as in- forming your partner that you cannot support his call but that you are pretty well off in something else. Take these cards : The dealer starts with one diamond, second hand passes. Diamonds do not suit you at all as you cannot support them as trumps and they are no use to you as part of a no-trumper. You have apparently a much safer heart, and you should bid one heart. This is only a hint, of course, but it gives your partner a line on the situation and he can do what he likes with it. He may shift to no-trumps or he may stick to his diamonds, or he may prefer to let the other side play the hand, in the hopes of defeating the declaration. It is a common mistake with beginners to Qver-call the partner in the partner's suit, with no AUCTION BRIDGE the idea that they are showing assistance in it. Suppose the dealer starts with one heart, second hand passes and third hand holds two black aces. Many players will increase their partner's bid to two hearts, on the theory that with two sure tricks they can help him out. But this overlooks two important things. In the first place, the partner has not the slight- est idea of the nature of the assistance you offer, as you name no suit. In the second place it overlooks the fundamental principle of the first round of bids. The dealer does not say that he wants hearts for trumps. He may be only showing a sure trick or two in the suit. If you bid two tricks in hearts, espe- cially when there is no necessity to bid at all, second hand having passed, you lead your partner to believe that you want hearts for trumps and probably induce him to go on and bid three in hearts if you are over-called, and the adversaries just sit tight and de- stroy you. When you want to show your partner that you can assist him in a suit call, but are not willing to go no-trumps, name the suit in which you have the winning cards if you can afford to do so. It is very rare that the winning dec- AUCTION BRIDGE III laration remains at one trick in anything but no-trumps, and even if you bid one in no- trumps with nothing but two black aces in your hand, there is not much danger that you will be left to play it. Even if you are, you do not risk very much. If the adversaries cannot over-call you, they must be pretty weak, or they have set a trap for you. Beginners sometimes find it difficult to dis- tinguish between a call which is intended as a shift to a preferable suit and one which is sim- ply to show winning cards that may be of as- sistance. Take the example just given of a hand in which the dealer starts with one dia- mond and his partner shifts to one heart be- cause he cannot support a diamond for the trump. Why, asks the beginner, should not this mean that he has a trick or two in hearts to support the diamond call? It does. That is to say, if the dealer chooses to take it that way. No matter which way he looks at it, the result must be the same. If the dealer's diamond call was only tentative he will drop it and leave you to manage your heart call yourself if the adversaries over-bid you. If he really had a big diamond suit he will go back to it and declare two or three in diamonds, being guided by your refusal to go 112 AUCTION BRIDGE no-trumps to the conclusion that hearts are the only suit in which you can assist him. If the dealer starts with no-trumps and is over-called it is often impossible for the third hand to name a suit without declaring so many tricks that it is dangerous. The best thing he can do is to increase his partner's no-trump bid in order to show that he can assist him. But if the third hand thinks that a red suit would be a better declaration with his part- ner's no-trumper to help it out, it is often safer to call the suit, even if you have to offer three or four tricks in it. Upon one occasion I saw a dealer declare the odd at no-trumps, holding the ace and small hearts, the ace and small clubs, no dia- monds, and six spades to the king, queen, jack. His partner had six hearts to the king, queen, jack, and also no diamonds ; and when the second bidder passed, the third bidder very wisely overbid, and declared two in hearts, which shut out eight winning diamonds in the hand of the second bidder, who had shrewdly refrained from doubling, hoping the no-trump declaration would stand. Another point for the third hand, which also applies upon occasion to any position at the table, is the method of showing that the suit AUCTION BRIDGE II3 named by an adversary is stopped. The sec- ond-hand doubling the dealer has been men- tioned, but this is a different situation. Suppose the dealer starts with one diamond and the second hand offers one heart. If the third bidder shifts to no-trumps it should be an evidence that he has the heart suit stopped, as otherwise he should assist his partner's dia- mond bid by naming the suit he has trick in. If he has nothing but diamonds, he would be justified in bidding two diamonds, which means that the suit is the best for his hand, no matter what his partner holds. There are occasions, of course, upon which you will bid no-trumps even if you have no protection in the suit bid by the player ahead of you, but in such cases you are simply trust- ing that he has not length enough in it to de- feat your declaration, but you must not bid too high. When you are very weak in a suit which is declared by the adversaries, you should over- bid them, so as to prevent them from going game, unless you are so much ahead of them in the matter of penalties that you can afford to let them win the rubber and still be a win- ner in points yourself. Take this case: The dealer bids the odd 114 AUCTION BRIDGE in Spades. Second bidder, being eighteen up, declares two in diamonds. While one in dia- monds would be enough to over-bid, he oflfers two, so as to prevent the dealer's partner from giving information too cheaply, which he will always seize an opportunity to do when the dealer's bid is a forced "one in spades." The dealer's partner in this case holds no dia- monds, but has something like four hearts to the king, four clubs to the ace-queen, and five spades to the king. He knows that his part- ner is either waiting to see how the land lies, or may be weak, but he bids two in hearts; not with any idea of being able to make it, but in order to keep the game in, which would be lost if the adversaries were allowed to play diamonds for trumps. Observe that in over-bidding just to save the game, it is always advisable to bid as few tricks as possible, as the penalty is the same no matter what the declaration is. If the third bidder in this case had bid three in clubs, so as to over-bid the two in diamonds, he would be running an extra risk of penalties. THE FOURTH BIDDER The fourth bidder usually has a great ad- vantage in the first round of the bids, because AUCTION BRIDGE 115 he has the declarations of all the other players to go upon. These will usually guide him as to his safest course, and the only times he will be in doubt will probably be when his partner passes and he has no great strength himself. When the second bidder lets the dealer's odd in spades pass, and the third bidder is not able to do anything better than two spades, the fourth bidder should be pretty strong to inter- fere with his partner's handling of the situa- tion, and should wait for the dealer, to see if he is going to risk a change of suit or not. When the dealer declares a spade and second and third hands both pass, the fourth bidder should be able to declare something, so as to give his partner a chance to come into the bid- ding again. If fourth hand passes, all he can win is IOC points penalty and he may be un- pleasantly surprised to find that he cannot win that with spades for trumps, but that he has lost an opportunity to make a good score in some other suit by not giving his partner a chance. A sure trick in any suit should be named by the fourth player if he can call it for one trick, as his partner may be waiting to hear from that very suit. The principles of over-calling and of supporting the partner are practically the same for the fourth hand as for any other Il6 AUCTION BRIDGE position, and should give the player little trouble. Situations something like the following fre- quently arise : The dealer bids the odd in spades ; second bidder declares two in dia- monds; third bidder two in hearts. If the fourth bidder judges from his own cards, and from his partner's diamond declaration, that the heart bid is simply to shut out the dia- monds, he can outbid the hearts by bidding three in diamonds; but such a bid should be a clear indication to his partner that the hearts will be taken care of ; because it is a challenge to the adversaries to increase their heart bid. If the dealer's side does over-bid, by going three in hearts, the others will have to con- sider their chances of making four by cards in diamonds, or shifting to no-trumps, or letting the heart declaration stand and securing pen- alties in the honor column, perhaps doubled. Of course, if they go on, and over-bid their diamond hand, they may lose heavily by it, as they will have penalties piled up against them- selves, when they might easily have beaten the heart declaration. It is situations like this that make Auction Bridge such an interesting game. SECOND ROUND With all players alike, the second round of AUCTION BRIDGE II7 bids lias practically the same meaning. The first round is often only to give information; but the second round gets down to business and is for keeps. If the dealer has started by naming a suit, hoping to encourage his partner to go no- trumps and the partner does not respond to the invitation, it is the dealer's turn to pick out what he really wants for the hand, being guided by the bids of others. Otherwise he will have to turn his attention to defeating the declara- tion of his adversaries. When the dealer names a suit on the first round with the intention of making it the trump, he must support it on the second round by bidding two tricks or more, because if he abandons it he tells his partner that he never wanted it for the trump, but was simply show- ing a trick in it. Many good players believe it is good policy to bid two tricks in a red suit right at the start, so as to indicate that it is to be the trump suit, and also to shut out inf orma- tory bids from the adversaries to each other. There is not much to be said to a bid of two in hearts from the dealer, unless it be to keep the flag flying. Suppose the dealer starts with one heart and his partner says no-trumps. If the dealer is Il8 AUCTION BRIDGE long in hearts, it will be better for him to over- call his partner's no-trumper with two hearts. If his partner persists in the no-trumper, it should be a very strong one. When the second bidder passes the first time, he should be ready to take advantage of the information derived from other bids, and on the second round he occupies practically the same advantageous position that the fourth bidder usually does on the first round. When a player is overcalled by his partner, or when his partner returns to his original dec- laration in spite of the over-call, some judg- ment must be used in interfering with it. If your partner starts with one diamond and you shift to no-trumps and he returns to the dia- mond suit and is over-called by an adversary in something else, it will probably be much better for you to go higher in diamonds and drop your no-trumper. BLUFFING There is one part of the game which re- quires a good deal of experience and judgment and which had better be left until the player has become quite at home with the simpler tactics of the game, but it may be mentioned here in order to warn the beginner against it. Occasionally you will make a bid which AUCTION BRIDGE II9 your opponents know will carry you out unless it is over-called or unless they can induce you to change it or to undertake more than you should. Take such a case as this : The dealer starts with one in no-trumps and his partner shifts to two in hearts. The fourth bidder has nothing in hearts but has a chance to hold a no-trumper down to two by cards if not to defeat it, so he doubles the two in hearts. Nine times out of ten this will frighten the player who bid no-trumps to go back to that declaration, and then his partner cannot afford to go as far as three in hearts with a double on his left. Many a game has been saved by judicious bluffing. DOUBLING It is a great mistake for the second bidder to double an original declaration, or one that can be backed out of; because it alarms the dealer's partner. Suppose the dealer declares the odd at no-trump, and the second bidder doubles. The third bidder immediately pulls the dealer out of the hole he is in by declar- ing two in diamonds - or hearts, or three in clubs, or anything, so as to prevent the second bidder from defeating the no-trumper and scoring lOO points a trick penalty. I20 AUCTION BRIDGE What has the second bidder gained by his doubHng? He has not given his partner any idea of the suit with which he proposed to defeat the no-trump make, but he has driven the opposing bid to such a figure that he dare not come in and name his own suit against it, unless it is a red suit. The best time for doubHng is when you think that the bidding has forced the adver- saries up so far that they have over-reached their strength. Take this distribution of the cards as an illustration of such a case : 4 A J 8 75 ^ J 7 6 5 4 K J 10 3 Y K Q 10 8 9 6 A K Q 9 4 2 A B Z 4 109 43 3 8 742 J 10 8 6 4' 6 2 A K 9 4 2 * A Q 5 7 5 3 The dealer, Z, bid the odd in hearts, and A AUCTION BRIDGE 121 bid two in diamonds. Y declared two tricks in hearts, as he could ruif the opposing dia- mond suit, making his own trumps separately from his partner's. B, with two honors m diamonds, and able to ruff hearts after one round, bid three in diamonds. The dealer passed, not knowing the situation, and being afraid of his five weak cards in diamonds and spades. A, who argued that he had the heart suit stopped, and that his partner knew his diamond suit, declared two in no-trumps, trust- ing B to stop the clubs, should that suit be led. Y, still sure of the advantage of being able to ruff the first round of diamonds, bid three in hearts, so as to outbid A, and, both the others passing, A offered to make three in no-trumps. Y, afraid to risk five by cards in hearts, which would have been defeated, turned round and doubled A's no-trumper, on the ground that if A should make three by cards he would win the game and rubber, and a few penalty points did not matter much. This left B help- less, as the bidding had gone too far for him to risk a Little Slam in diamonds, and nothing else would over-bid, so he hoped the no- trumper would go through, as he knew A must have the hearts stopped, and all the diamonds ought to fall. 122 AUCTION BRIDGE A became the declarer, and Y led his best heart, the jack, which Z won with the king and led the ace. As the rule is to lead the best card of the suit your partner has named in his bidding, Z marks the queen of hearts with A, and as it does not fall, Z shifts to clubs. Four club tricks and the ace of spades, in ad- dition to the two heart tricks, netted Y and Z 300 points penalty as a reward for their good judgment in doubling at the right time. OPENING LEADS The partner who first names the suit which is finally settled on for the trump, or who first declares no-trumps if the hand is to be played that way, becomes declarer for that deal, no matter how much his original offer for tricks may have been increased, and the player sitting on his left leads for the first trick. If we suppose this to be the position of the players : AUCTION BRIDGE 1 23 Z having dealt and bid the odd in spades, A bids two in hearts, Y bids two in no-trumps, B makes it three in hearts, Z passes, A passes, and Y doubles. Although A's bid has been increased by one player and doubled by an- other, hearts are to be the trump, and as A first named them, he is declarer, and Y leads for the first trick. It sometimes happens that both sides name the same suit. Suppose the dealer starts with one diamond, just to show a sure trick in it. Second bidder declares one heart and the third bidder one in no-trumps. Now, it is not at all impossible for the fourth bidder to hold a long diamond suit and he would be* quite right in over-calling the no-trumper with two in dia- monds. If the second bidder's cards are good enough to stick to the hearts, he will do so; but should he decide to support his partner and the hand be finally played as a diamond, it would be the fourth bidder who would become the declarer, although the diamond was first called by the dealer. As soon as a card is led, declarer's partner lays down his thirteen cards and becomes Dummy, taking no further part in the game. The suit selected for the opening lead by the eldest hand will depend largely upon 124 AUCTION BRIDGE whether or not he has any information as to his partner's strength, or has a good suit of his own. The mere fact that the partner has declared a suit does not mean that he can win every trick in it. A suit may be selected and bid upon which has only one trick in it. Over-bids, especially when made to keep the other side from going game, are not to be re- garded as guides which are as reliable as those made in good faith. If a player bids hearts to take the declaration away from an oppo- nent who looks as if he would go game on dia- monds, that is not as true an index of his strength in hearts as it would have been had he bid hearts after the dealer had declared the odd in spades. If the eldest hand can hold the lead until he has seen Dummy's cards, it is usually a great advantage, especially if he does not give up the control of the suit by so doing ; but to lead an ace just for the sake of seeing Dummy is often a mistake. In no-trumps it is almost al- ways so. If your partner has declared a suit in a hand which is eventually played as a no-trumper, lead him that suit, unless you have a good suit of your own, such as ace, king. If you think his declaration of the suit was from strength AUCTION BRIDGE 125 in it, sacrifice your hand to his, and lead him the best card you hold in it, regardless of num- ber, so that he may know what is against him. In order that the partner may be able to count the number of the suit held by the leader, it is usual to play the suit "down." Suppose your partner has called hearts but is playing against a no-trumper, your lead. You hold the jack, eight, deuce of hearts. Lead him the jack first, and if you lead the suit again, or play to his lead, or discard hearts, play the eight, keeping the deuce of hearts to the last. This will frequently enable a good player to count the suit by placing the small unplayed cards in your hand. If you play the deuce after the jack, it should be clear to him that you have no intermediate card. If you are the only one of the partnership that has named a suit, the declaration having been changed afterward to no-trumps, it is al- most a certainty that the adversaries, who are to play the declarer's side, have the suit stopped. But unless this stopper is some card that you could catch if the suit were led by your partner, you may as well start your suit and lead it right out until you get it cleared. If you have declared clubs, for instance, holding six to the ace, queen, jack, and your 126 AUCTION BRIDGE partner has overbid the player on your left by naming hearts, the hand being finally played as a no-trumper, your lead should be your best heart, on the chance that you can catch the guarded king of clubs if your partner can lead through it. Here is a situation of this kind: ♦ 10 8 V K Q 10 6 5 3 ♦ 10 3 J 4 2 Y ♦ 9 5 2 4^ K Q J 6 4 c? 9 2 A B ^ A J 8 « 9 8 ♦ K 75 K 10 9 7 6 3 Z A Q 4 A 73 o 7 4 4^ A Q J 642 8 5 Z dealt and bid the odd in clubs ; overbid by A in diamonds; overbid by Y with one in hearts. As B had both the adversaries' de- clared suits stopped, and could infer that his partner was strong in diamonds, he bid one AUCTION BRIDGE 1 27 in no-trumps. Z raised his partner's heart bid to two tricks, and B raised his own bid. Z raised to three in hearts, because he knew that his partner, Y, could have nothing but hearts, and Z was afraid that Y would stop bidding when B went two in no-trumps. This bid of Z's forced B to go on to three in no-trumps. Neither Y nor Z dared to risk five in hearts ; but Z doubled the no-trumper, and A could do nothing to pull his partner out. B became the declarer, and Z led a heart, that being his partner's declaration. B tried to drop the diamonds, overtaking his own lead. As the jack did not fall, he tried the spades, putting Z in, who led another heart. Y quit the hearts, and came through with the ten of clubs, the suit indicated by his partner's opening bid; two by cards for YZ. If you lead a suit because it has been indi- cated by your partner, lead the top of it, re- gardless of number, so as to show him the highest card in it; but if you lead your own suit, lead it according to the conventional rules for leading high or low cards. When suits are led by the adversaries of the declarer, which are not opened in response to the partner's indication, there is a slight dif- 128 AUCTION BRIDGE ference in the leads from high cards when there is a trump and when there is no trump. LEADING AGAINST TRUMPS If your partner has doubled a trump declar- ation, do not assume great strength in his hand in the trump suit, and avoid a trump lead at all costs. Against any trump declaration, the best suits to open are those headed by two or more cards in sequence. The worst are those with honors which are not in sequence when the suit is short, and those headed by single honors which are not the ace. The best of all openings are suits headed by both ace anA king, as they hold the lead until Dummy's cards are laid down, and still command the suit. Every player should learn the various com- binations from which it is conventional to lead one of the five high cards — the ace, king, queen, jack, or ten. These leads are covered by five simple rules. The king is always led when it is accom- panied by the card next it in value, above or helow; that is, by the ace or the queen or both. From any of the following combina- AUCTION BRIDGE 129 tions, the proper card to lead would be the king: ^ 4. 4. 4. 4. o o o O 4- 4- There are two objects in view in leading conventionally. In the first place, you make the most out of the suit by leading high cards instead of low ones. In the second place, if your partner is a good player,. and knows the leads, he will be able to infer what combina- tion of high cards you hold. When playing against a trump declaration, there is little for the adversaries to do in the opening attack but to show each other what tricks they can win. This the leader does by 130 AUCTION BRIDGE opening conventionally, while his partner in- dicates, by methods to be explained when we come to the play of the third hand, whether or not he can trump the smaller cards of the suit after the leader has exhausted his winning cards. If the king is led from any of the foregoing combinations, it will win the trick, and the partner will infer that the leader must hold the ace. For the second round of the suit the leader should follow the king with the lowest card he has that is just as good as the ace — that is, that will win the second trick. These secondary leads are based on the principle that you should never tell your part- ner anything he already knows, when you can tell him something that he does not know. From the first combination, having led the king and won the trick, your partner knows you have the ace. Follow with the jack, which tells him it is as good as the ace, and marks you with the queen also. From the second combination, follow with the queen, which is as good as the ace; but denies the jack. From the third and fourth, you must follow the king with the ace, which denies the queen. The king is also led from the following AUCTION BRIDGE 131 combinations, because it is accompanied by the card next in value, in these, the queen: o o o 9? <^ 9 9 4. 4. If the king wins, you infer that your part- ner holds the ace. If the king loses, your partner infers that you hold the queen. If you lead the suit again, lead the card that he does not know. From the first, lead the ten after the king, because the ten is as good as the queen, which is the card he knows. From the second, lead the jack, which is as good as the queen; but denies the ten. If the king loses to the ace, and you have not the jack, you must go on with the best 132 AUCTION BRIDGE card of the suit wfien y m ♦ ♦ AUCTION BRIDGE 133 The ten is led from one combination only Ooo 0-5 o o O If the leader opens a suit which is headed by the ace, without the king, he should always lead the ac,e, or it may be lost when playing against a declared trump. This does not mean that you should pick out an ace suit to lead; but that if you have to open that suit, and it is headed by the ace without the king, the ace is the card to lead. The following are all ace leads ; because the king is not present : 2 ^ <9 S? □ 134 AUCTION BRIDGE After leading the ace, follow with your original fourth-best, unless you hold two honors in sequence, as in the first two com- binations shown. In that case you lead one of the two honors, and always the higher, so that the jack following the ace will deny the queen, while the queen following the ace will show the jack. The fourth-best of the suit is always led originally when you have no combination from which you would lead a high card. The fourth-best is also the card of uniformity for the second round in all suits in which you do not lead a high card for the second round. This card is always counted from the top of the suit as it stood originally. In each of the following the fourth-best would be the four: 212 9 ^ 4> ♦ ±-± AUCTION BRIDGE 135 ^ *** *** *** 4. 4. 4. + * + 4- 4- 4- 0^0 ^0^ 0^0 0% LEADS AGAINST NO-TRUMPERS When playing against a no-trump declara- tion, if your partner has not indicated a suit, you should select the longest suit in your own hand for the opening, unless you have a suit headed by three honors, one as good as the king. In playing against no-trumpers, there is no hurry about making your aces and kings, as there is in a trump declaration; because you are not in the same danger of losing them. They cannot be trumped, and they may be more useful later in the hand than at the start. There is this simple difference between the rules for leading high cards. Against a trump declaration, you always lead from any two honors in sequence; but at no-trumps you do 136 AUCTION BRIDGE not lead high cards unless you have three honors, at least two of them in sequence. From such combinations as ace, king, queen; king, queen, jack; queen, jack, ten; ace, queen, jack; or king, queen, ten, you would lead the same way in either case; but from such suits as ace, king; king, queen; or queen, jack, you lead the fourth-best at no-trump. An excep- tion may be made if you are very long in the suit, seven cards or more. There is no hurry about making aces at no- trump, and if you open a suit which is headed by the ace without the king, never lead the ace unless you have the queen and jack also; but start with the fourth-best. Against no-trumpers, it is better to avoid leads from short suits, if possible. They are a resource when all the other suits are bad ones to open, such as three- or four-card suits headed by honors which are not in sequence, like ace, queen, or king, jack. It is not often that such openings are justified in Auction Bridge, and they should be avoided; short- suit leads being reserved for a response to the partner's declared suit. If a short suit is led, always lead the best card of it if it is not as good as a queen, and follow with the next best, whether you lead it, AUCTION BRIDGE 1 37 follow suit, or discard, so that the partner may infer that you still have a smaller card if you had three originally. Lead a queen, king, or ace at the top of two or three, if it is your partner's suit you are trying to hit. THIRD HAND PLAY In playing against a declared trump, it should be the duty of the third hand to show his partner whether or not he can trump the third round of the suit first opened, if it is not his own suit. If he cannot trump it, he may be able to warn his partner that the fourth hand will. When high cards are led, or played in by Dummy, so that third hand makes no attempt to win the trick, he plays the higher of two cards only, neither of them an honor ; but the lowest of three or more, no matter what they are. Suppose third hand to hold the eight and four only of a suit in which his partner leads the king. The proper play to the first trick is the eight. When the lower card drops to the second round of the suit, the leader will know that his partner has no more, and can trump a third round. If the first card played by third hand is smaller than the second he plays, he must have a third, as he is playing up. This 138 AUCTION BRIDGE may warn the leader that declarer is out of the suit. When one of the two cards is as high as the jack, this echo is unnecessary, as the fall of the jack will show the queen or no more. If the jack falls to the first trick, the player must have the queen or no more. This is called the down-and-out echo, but its use is confined exclusively to trump- declaring hands. Against no-trumpers, when the third hand makes no attempt to win the trick, he should always play his second-best card, regardless of number or value. On the second round, if he had more than two originally, he always keeps his original lowest to the last, playing the one above it. Suppose a king is led, and third hand holds jack, ten, four. He plays the ten the first time, the jack the next, keeping the four. Suppose he holds jack, ten, eight, four. He plays the ten the first time, but the eight the next. It will be observed that with two or three of the suit he plays up, while with four he plays down. When the third hand tries to win a trick, he does so as cheaply as possible. With any high cards in sequence, such as ace, king, or king, AUCTION BRIDGE 139 queen, or queen, jack, he should always play the lower card, so as not to deceive his part- ner. To play the ace when holding* the king third hand, is to tell the leader that declarer has the king against him, which might be an expensive piece of deception. You cannot de- ceive the declarer, as he knows that neither he nor Dummy has the king. The eleven rule is sometimes useful to the third hand in showing him how far from es- tablished the leader's suit may be, and also sometimes in enabling third hand to hold over Dummy to advantage. The rule can be ap- plied only when the original leader opens with his fourth-best. By deducting from eleven the number of pips on any fourth-best lead of the partner's, the third hand may count how many cards^ higher than the one led, are not in the leader's hand. If they are not in the leader's hand, nor in Dummy's, nor in third hand, the infer- ence is that the declarer holds them. If Dummy and third hand hold all the higher cards indicated, the inference is that the declarer has no card higher than the one led. Suppose you are third hand, and your part- ner leads the seven of clubs, Dummy laying 140 AUCTION BRIDGE down the queen, nine, two; you holding ace, jack, three. This will be the position : 4. 4. Leader Dummy Third Hand Q 4- 4- Deducting the card led, seven, from eleven, leaves four. These four cards, which are to be higher than the one led, are all in sight — queen, nine in Dummy; ace, jack in your own hand; therefore the declarer cannot have any card higher than the seven. If he has, your partner's seven cannot be the fourth-best of his club holding, as you will see if you lay out the whole suit. RETURN LEADS In returning the suit first opened by your partner, always lead one of the second- and third-best if you hold both those cards; such AUCTION BRIDGE I4I as jack, ten, after the king has forced out the ace; or queen, jack, if your partner has led the ace and the suit has been changed. With any two cards of your partner's suit, return the higher. With three or more, re- turn the lowest, except that you should lead a card that will beat Dummy if you can. Hold- ing jack, nine, four, for instance, Dummy with only seven high, return the nine ; not the four. If you change the suit, or have no more of your partner's suit to lead to him, always lead up to Dummy's weak suits. To lead up to Dummy's strong suit should show that you can trump the second round of it. Let your part- ner lead through Dummy's strong suits. If you hold over Dummy, and can catch his high cards, put your partner in on another suit if possible. Sometimes you can show what you want led, as when you have an ace, king, jack suit. Dummy holding the queen twice guarded. Lead the king to show the ace, and then change suits, so as to get the finesse of the jack if your partner can get in and lead through. SECOND HAND PLAY With Dummy on your left, all that is neces- sary is to beat the cards exposed in his hand if you can, when a suit is led through you. It is 142 AUCTION BRIDGE useless to play high cards second hand under the impression that you will force Dummy to play higher, unless your high cards are two or more in sequence. Many beginners have an idea that if they play the king second hand, Dummy's ace will be forced; but Dummy's ace is forced in any case, and to play the king is to throw it away, if a small card is led. As a rule, cover an honor with an honor, when the honor in your suit is led through. If Dummy leads a queen, and you have the king and only two small, it usually pays to put on the king, so as to force the declarer to play two honors to get one trick; and you may make the jack or ten good in your partner's hand by so doing. With any combination of cards from which you would lead a high card, play a high card second hand if a small card is led through you. With ace, king, for instance ; or king, queen ; or queen, jack; or king, jack, ten, play the lowest of the high cards second hand on a small card led through you. The declarer must manage his second hand plays according to the combination which is formed by the two hands. It is never neces- sary to play a high card second hand, such as a queen, from one hand, when there is a card AUCTION BRIDGE 143 in sequence with it, such as king or jack, in the fourth hand. With queen and only one small in second hand, ace and others in fourth hand, it is better for the declarer to put on the queen, as that may make two tricks in the suit. But with the ten in the same hand as the ace, do not play the queen ; because if the lead is allowed to come up to the ace, ten, small, the declarer must make two tricks in the suit, no matter what third hand plays. The same is true of jack and one small in one hand; king and others in fourth hand. The jack may make two tricks in the suit if the lead was a low card from ace, queen. At no-trumps, if the fourth hand cannot beat the card led, second hand should cover it if possible, so as to put the lead on the right. Suppose a seven is led, and Dummy lays down king, nine, three, the declarer having nothing higher than the seven in that suit. The nine should be played from Dummy, or the third hand will pass the seven, as he knows by the eleven rule that the declarer cannot beat it. This will compel third hand to win the trick and lead up to the guarded king, or else ghange the suit. 144 AUCTION BRIDGE THE DECLARER'S PLAY With a declared trump, the declarer's first consideration upon getting into the lead must be whether or not to exhaust the adverse trumps at once, or to do something else first. If there seem to be more tricks in making the declarer's and Dummy's trumps separately by a cross-ruff, the trump lead should be avoided. Sometimes the lead is in the wrong hand to play trumps to advantage, and a plain suit must be led to put the other hand in. Sometimes Dummy can make a little trump before trumps are led, and then again it is often possible, by leading winning cards of a plain suit first, to get rid of losing cards in the other hand, that hand having none of the suit led. In no-trumps, the declarer must make up his mind at once, upon getting into the lead, which suit he is going to play for. As a rule, he should select the suit in which he has the most cards, counting those in both hands. If two suits are equal, he should choose the one which has more cards in one hand than the other. If two suits are equal in all these respects, it is always better to play for the one that is shown on the table, so that the strength in the hand may be concealed from the adversaries AUCTION BRIDGE I45 as long as possible. They may discard from that suit, and perhaps unguard it. The golden rule for the declarer, in his management of the combined hands, is to lead from the weak hand to the strong, so as to secure all the extra tricks he can by finessing. If there was nothing in the play but to take tricks with the aces and kings, the declarer might as well lay down his cards and claim so many tricks at once ; but by good manage- ment he may make tricks with cards which are not aces and kings by any means, and may prevent cards as good as kings and queens from ever winning tricks for the adversaries that hold them. A finesse is an attempt to win a trick with any card which is not the best you hold of that suit, nor in sequence with it. If you have ace, queen in one hand, small cards in the other, you can lead from the weak hand to the strong, and finesse the queen. If the king is on the right of the ace-queen combination, you win two tricks in the suit, by the finesse. Sometimes two finesses are necessary in the same suit. These must be secured in one of two ways — either by taking one finesse, and then putting the weaker hand in again on an- other suit; or by so managing the cards that 146 AUCTION BRIDGE the weaker hand may retain the lead. Sup- pose this is the position, either hand being Dummy's, the other the declarer's : The rule is to lead high cards from the short hand, and most players would be satisfied to lead the jack, intending to play the small card from the other hand. This will win in all cases but one. If the king happens to be three times guarded on the left, it must eventually be led up to. If the eight is with the king, the king will cover the nine, if the ten is played under the jack on the first lead. The only way to manage this instructive po- sition is to lead the nine, so that if it is not covered the four can be played on it. Follow with the jack, and play the ten on it, and then the king must be caught if it is on the left. Holding ace, jack, ten in one hand, small cards in the other, it may be necessary to lead the suit twice from the weaker hand. The ten should be finessed the first time if the sec- AUCTION BRIDGE 147 ond hand does not play king or queen, and the weak hand must be put in again to give a finesse of the jack on the second round, the theory being that both king and queen are un- likely to be on the right. If a high card is played second hand, win it with the ace and force out the other with the jack or ten. In planning the play of a no-trumper, de- clarer must be careful to provide for re-entry cards, otherwise he may not be able to make tricks with the long cards of his suit after he gets it established. Holding the ace in one hand, king in the other, and another big suit in one hand, not established, if it is necessary to win a trick with the ace or king, win it with the hand which does not hold the long suit, so that such a useful side card may be preserved for re-entry purposes. A misplay on the first trick of the hand is often fatal in this respect, declarer not having been careful to look ahead to see which hand should hold on to its high cards. Ducking is a common way of bringing in a suit when there is no re-entry card in another suit. Suppose Dummy holds a six-card suit, headed by ace, king, and that declarer has only two small cards of that suit, Dummy having no re-entry in any other suit. If two rounds 148 AUCTION BRIDGE of the suit are led out, the remainder of the suit is dead. But if the first round is ducked, holding up both ace and king, the next time that declarer gets in he can lead the suit again, and the ace and king, winning the second and third rounds instead of the first and second, may make every remaining trick in the suit. When the dealer is afraid of a suit opened against him and has only one winning card in it, such as the ace, it is better to hold up that card until one adversary is out of the suit, so that he cannot lead it to his partner. Declarer must be careful to get out of his own way, so as not to block his good suits ; but there will be little difficulty in this respect if he is careful to follow the rule of always play- ing the high cards from the hand which is shorter in the suit. With six to the king in one hand, queen, jack, small in the other, play small from the hand that has six cards; and play the queen and then the jack from the other, even if the ace wins the first trick. DISCARDING Declarer, seeing both hands, knows what he can best aflford to discard when he cannot fol- low suit. The beginner may perhaps need to have it pointed out to him that it is never nee- AUCTION BRIDGE I49 essary to keep the same number of the same suit in both hands. Suppose that declarer has to discard from his own hand and from Dummy's, and that he holds four clubs and diamonds in each. He can discard three of the clubs from the hand that is weak in that suit, and three of the diamonds from the other hand. If one hand is strong" in both suits, he can discard his uncertain cards. When either of declarer's adversaries have to discard when playing against a trump dec- laration, the conventional rule is to discard the suit you want led, because it is highly impor- tant to inform the partner in which suit there is any chance for more tricks. This idea is borrowed from the experience of the Whist table, at which strength was always discarded when the strength in trumps was against the player. Some players discard weakness, even against a trump declaration, trusting the part- ner to judge which of the other suits it is better to lead. This weak discard is probably the more common in England ; but it is never played in the United States. It is just as well in these days of difference of opinion, to ask your partner, before the rubber begins, which discard he affects. Against a no-trumper, the majority of ISO AUCTION BRIDGE players will tell you that they discard from weakness; but you wall find that they depart from this rule whenever it is necessary to pro- tect a suit; so you must not jump to the con- clusion that your partner is weak in a suit just because he discards it, even if he has told you that he discards from weakness as a system. Careful observation has convinced me that the safest rule when playing against a no- trumper is to discard the suit you are not afraid of — the suit which you do not think the declarer will attack next. This enables you to keep guard on the suit you are afraid of. Re- member that the discard is not for the purpose of keeping every possible trick in your long suit, but it is to keep the declarer from making tricks which he has no business to make, and which he never could make if you did not help him along by unguarding the suit. Suppose the declarer is leading diamonds, and you have a suit of five hearts to the ace, king, ten, and three clubs to the jack; Dummy having nothing of value in either suit. Discard the hearts and keep the three clubs. The de- clarer is never going to lead a suit in which you have the ace, king, ten over him, after he has run down all his diamonds. What he is going to attack next is probably the club suit, and your three to the jack may prove useful. AUCTION BRIDGE 151 Remember that jack in one hand, queen in the other, either twice guarded, is a sure stopper for that suit. Three to a jack or a queen is often the salvation of a no-trumper that would otherwise take the game and rubber away from you. There are many situations in auction bridge which require the player to recall the bidding, but he is not allowed to be informed by his partner as to any feature of it. If you are in doubt as to where the command of a certain suit lies or wish to place the lead in a certain hand, a recollection of the bids may enable you to solve the problem. Here is an example from actual play: 4^ 8 5 3 C? K Q 10 6 3 2 «8 J 64 Y 4 10 9 6 4 2 ♦ K7 C?9 4» A 9 3 A B C? A 84 ♦ J 10 7 5 K Q 10 2 Z A 9 7 3 4 A Q J ^ J 7 6 4» K Q 6 4 2 085 ' 152 AUCTION BRIDGE Z, the dealer, bid one club as he did not care to go two in spades. A bid one diamond and Y one heart, B one in no-trumps. Z and A passed, Y bid two in hearts and B two in no- trumps, becoming the declarer, with Z to lead. Z led the jack of hearts and B held off until the third round. Then he made four tricks in diamonds, winning the last round himself. Now, in order to get his king of spades led up and so save his declaration, he recalled Z's opening bid of clubs, showing the king and queen at least, as Dummy has the ace. B led a small club and allowed Z to hold the trick with his queen, Z having discarded two clubs on the diamonds. Z at once returned the club, thinking B would make both jack and ace but would then have to lead a spade. But Dummy put on the ace second hand and led a third round, forcing Z in and B made his spade king and a club trick, which fulfilled his con- tract. VALUE OF THE SCORE Those who have been accustomed to straight bridge will have to abandon all their ideas of playing to the score, because the score amounts to little or nothing in auction unless you are making a safe bid to take you out on the deal. AUCTION BRIDGE 1 53 There is no particular danger in allowing the adversaries to get to 24, because they have no more chance of going out on the next deal than you have. In bridge it seems to be taken for granted that if the other side have only a few points to go and it is their next deal that they will probably make them and go out. This is not so in auction. The importance of the score in auction bridge is not for the next deal, but for the deal you are playing, and it is essential to watch carefully how many points are wanted by the side that is bidding for the declaration, because if they are likely to make those points the only chance is to induce them to bid up their hands ^ to just one trick more than they are worth, so that they shall not be able to reach. You must remember that although only 6 points may be needed to go game, if they make it diamonds they may have to bid as high as three by cards and if they win only two by cards they are as far from game as ever. Another part of the score that requires watching is the grand total. After you have scored several heavy penalties and are some six or seven hundred points ahead, the prin- cipal thing to avoid is allowing the other side to score penalties against you and so balancing 154 AUCTION BRIDGE the account. If they will permit you to get the declaration cheaply so that you can score safely and go out, take it. But if they push you to bidding anything beyond what is quite safe, let them have it themselves. If they fail, you get more points in penalties. If they suc- ceed and go out, the balance on the rubber will be largely in your favor. There used to be an idea among those who were prejudiced against auction that one could keep the game going forever, so that those who were ahead would never win it; but that is hardly possible when one side can refrain from bidding and let the other side win, even if they have to throw tricks to do it. Some good players make a point to give the opponents a game and the rubber whenever the 250 points that go with it will still leave a balance in their own favor of 400 points or over, as that is about the average value of a rubber. When you are behind in the grand total, these tactics may be reversed and it should be your aim to induce the adversaries to think they have an easy game when they have not. Your best chance is to let them alone if you think they have undertaken a trick more than they can carry. Do not double them or scare them oflf, but sit tight and defeat every declara- AUCTION BRIDGE 155 tion you can, because that is the only way to get back points by the hundred. You do not want to win the rubber while you are four or five hundred points minus. There is one feature of playing to the score that used to be much more in evidence than it is now. This is what is called keeping the flag flying. It was a pet theory among those who first took up the game that anything was better than a lost rubber and they would make the most extraordinary bids on their cards simply to keep the other side from winning the rubber on that deal. The defence to this was, of course, to take the penalties and then give up the rubber. These outlines are only hints, as this part of the play is so infinitely varied that it will be much better and more quickly learnt at the card-table than from any text-book. Nothing will impress such situations on the beginner as to burn his fingers with them once or twice. IN CONCLUSION Practice is the principal thing, of course, in learning any game, and watching good players is a great help. Beginners will always find the really good players ready and willing to ex- 156 AUCTION BRIDGE plain their reasons for handling certain situa- tions which are not clear to the novice. Avoid criticising your partner, above all things ; because nothing so quickly destroys the mutual confidence which is so essential to suc- cess. If your partner does not know the leads, or does not understand your conventional bids and plays, you can still play your own hand to the best advantage ; but do not try to teach any- one the game during the progress of a rubber. Above all, in Auction Bridge, as in all bid- ding games, do not be afraid. Bid your hand for all it is worth, so as to get the declaration if you can. There is a good old axiom which says that the man who plays the most games will win the most points. Fortune favors the brave. VARIETIES OF AUCTION BRIDGE There is one variation of Auction Bridge (the idea of which is apparently borrowed from the Russian game of Siberiac), in which the bid- ding is entirely by suits, the number of tricks to be taken not being mentioned. The dealer is not obliged to bid at all, and it sometimes happens* that everyone passes and the deal is void. A mark is then placed upon the score sheets, showing that 50 points bonus is to be added to the eventual winners of the rubber. The suits maintain their usual rank — spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts, and no-trumps. Bids outrank one another by suits alone. A player who is willing to declare hearts for the trump, even if he thinks he can make no more than the odd trick, outbids one who is willing to undertake a Grand Slam in diamonds. There is no doubling. The declarer always plays with the Dummy for his partner, no matter who deals, and the player on the declarer's left always leads for the first trick before Dummy's cards are laid down. Only the declaring side can score be- 157 158 AUCTION BRIDGE low the line, so that a player must go out on his own declaration. If the declaring side makes the odd trick or more, it scores, as usual, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 12 points a trick over the book, according to the declara- tion. If the adversaries make the odd trick or more, they score in the same way, but above the line, and they add 50 points penalty for every trick that they make over the book. Suppose the declaring hand says hearts, and loses two by cards. His adversaries would score 116 above the line. Honors are scored as usual, and 100 points are added for winning the rubber. Little Slam is worth 50, and Grand Slam 100. There is no Chicane. Another variation, popular in many parts of America, is to bid by figures, so as to conceal the bidder's intention as to the trump suit. The dealer must make a bid, and each player in turn can overbid by stating the numerical value of the game which he is willing to undertake. These figures include both the trick and the honor values in one sum. The rank of the suits and the value of the tricks is the same as usual ; but there is an added declaration of misere, in which each trick is worth 14 points. AUCTION BRIDGE 1 59 The honors must be taken home in tricks to count, and their value is simpHfied by making each honor in the black suits worth two points, and in the red suits four. Aces are worth six, and the last ace played counts double, so as to avoid ties. Only the difference between the honors is reckoned. If AB take home three out of five, they score for one. If they get home four, they score for three. If they get home three aces, none of them the last ace, they score for one only. After the dealer has started the bidding, each player can overbid as long as he is over- bid himself, the bid going round to the left in turn. Sometimes the bids keep one guessing. Suppose a player thinks he can make the odd in hearts, holding ace, king, queen in that suit, with others. He must have the majority of the honors, even if he fails to catch any, so he can bid twelve. The player on his left has three aces, and being sure of six for honors, bids eighteen, with a view to the odd at no- trump. Either of these bids might be almost anything, and many players conceal their suit by odd bids. I have known a player to bid twenty-two with five honors in diamonds in his hand, just to keep the others guessing. The highest bidder, when all others pass, l6o AUCTION BRIDGE names the trump suit, or no-trumps, or misere. The player on his left leads, and Dummy lays down his cards, the highest bidder playing the combined hands. In a trump declaration, the declaring hand must take the odd trick at least; he cannot make his bid good with honors alone. All tricks over the book count. If the bidder fails to make as many points as he has bid in a trump declaration, he scores nothing, not even for honors, and he loses double value for every trick by which he fails. Suppose he has bid twenty and declared hearts, winning the odd only, and three honors out of the five. The value of this is twelve points, so he is a trick short of his bid, twenty. He therefore loses sixteen. At the end of a no-trumper, the bidder must give back one of the tricks he has won, and the score is then settled by the difference be- tween the tricks held by each side. Suppose the bid was thirty, and the declaring side won nine actual tricks at no-trump, with three aces, one of them the last played. After giving back a trick, he has eight to five, a difference of three, at 12 points each, 36 for tricks and 18 for aces — total, 54. If the declaration is misere, there are no AUCTION BRIDGE l6l trumps, and the declaring side tries to win as few tricks as possible. Aces count against the side taking them home. No matter how many actual tricks the declaring hand wins in a misere, the adversaries give him two of theirs at the end, and the difference is then settled for. Suppose the bid is forty, and the misere player wins three tricks and takes home the last ace. He gets two tricks from his adver- saries, making him 5ve, but still three less than theirs, so he scores three times fourteen, or 42 for tricks, and 6 for aces; because the aces count against the holders of them at the end. They are therefore good discards, if the misere player can get rid of them on another suit. If the declarer fails in either a no-trump or a misere, he loses double. Suppose he has bid thirty-six, and wins eight actual tricks, with three aces, one the last. When he has given back the required trick, he has a majority of one only, worth 12 points, and 18 for aces ; so he is set back and scores nothing. The adver- saries, who always reckon that it would have been tricks and not honors which would have been required to make the bid good, score one trick doubled, or 24 points penalty. If the bidder has the majority of tricks in a misere, or fails to make good his bid, he loses l62 AUCTION BRIDGE double the trick value, which is 14 each. The majority of the aces count against the side taking them in at misere, and the last one counts double, as usual. Everything is scored in a lump, and the game is at an end when each player has dealt once. The lesser total is deducted from the greater, and the difference is the value of the game to the winners, at so much a point. This is a much more interesting variation than it may appear to be from the description of it, although it lacks the element of informa- ing the partner as to the suit in which the un- successful bidder is strong, as in the regular game of Auction Bridge. THREE HAND AUCTION When there are not enough players to form a table, it is sometimes desirable to play three- hand. The cards are dealt in the usual way, after cutting for the first deal and the choice of seats, each player receiving thirteen, the fourth hand being dealt opposite the vacant seat. The bidding proceeds in the usual manner, the dealer making the first declaration, but there are no partnerships, each player being against both the others. This precludes any such tactics as naming a suit in the hope that a partner will be induced to over-call it with no- trumps. It is only when one player has bid and the second has passed that the third to say can pass also, so as to secure the first one who passed for his partner. The highest bidder becomes the declarer and the player sitting on his left leads for the first trick. Should the seat opposite the declarer be occupied, the person in it must move to the vacant chair, taking his cards with him, and 164 AUCTION BRIDGE the dummy hand, which has so far remained face down and untouched, is sorted and placed face up, opposite the declarer. Just as in four hand, no one but the declarer can score toward game. If the declaration is defeated, each adversary scores separately the amount of the penalties, so that if A's contract was to make three in hearts and he made two only, B and C would each score 50 points penalty. If they held simple honors against him, they would both score them. It is necessary to keep the score in three columns, one for each player. At the end of the rubber, these are balanced, the method be- ing as follows : Suppose that after adding his 250 rubber points, A, who was the first player to win two games, has 650, while B has 420 and C has no only. ABC +650 +420 +110 +230 -230 -540 +540 +310 -310 +760 + 80 -850 A has won the difference between his 650 and B's 420, so A is plus 230 and B is minus AUCTION BRIDGE 165 that amount. From C, we find A has won 540, so C has lost that amount. Finally, the dif- ference between B and C is 310, in B's favor. Putting all these down and adding, we get 770 plus for A, and 850 minus for C, while B's 230 minus must be deducted from his 310 plus, leaving him still 80 winner. -CT 3 1910 One copy del. to Cat. Div. i^-i 3 WdO