Advanced Bridge; The Higher Principles of the Game Analysed and Explained

Transcriber's Notes: Underscores “_” before and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_ in the original text. Equal signs “=” before and after a word or phrase indicate =bold= in the original text. Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals. Old or antiquated spellings have been preserved. The original text used both “redouble” and “re-double” interchangeably. In this edition only the modern spelling of “redouble” is used. -------------------------------------------------------------------

Advanced Bridge

Mr. Elwell’S Books

ADVANCED BRIDGE: The Higher Principles of the Game Analysed and Explained, and their Application Illustrated, by Hands taken from Actual Play. $1.50, net. Postage, 8 cents.

BRIDGE: Its Principles and Rules of Play. $1.25, net.

THE ANALYSIS AND COMPLETE PLAY OF THE BRIDGE TOURNAMENT HANDS. 60 cents, net. Postage, 5 cents.

Advanced Bridge

THE HIGHER PRINCIPLES OF THE GAME ANALYSED AND EXPLAINED, AND THEIR APPLICATION ILLUSTRATED, BY HANDS TAKEN FROM ACTUAL PLAY

By

J. B. Elwell

Author Of “Elwell On Bridge” “Bridge Tournament Hands”

Sixth Edition

New York Charles Scribner’S Sons 1907

Copyright, 1904, 1905, By J. B. Elwell

[Illustration]

To Mr. Henry I. Barbey

Who First Introduced Bridge In America The Author Cordially Dedicates This Book

Preface

In the study of any game, the foundation of success must be a thorough acquaintance with the principles of play. This once attained, future progress becomes easy and rapid.

Many writers on Bridge have left much of the play to the individual judgment and knowledge of the player, and in most works on this subject, illustrations of the fundamental principles are largely wanting.

The present work is an attempt to supply these deficiencies; this volume is intended to aid the Bridge student in acquiring a practical acquaintance with the various forms of attack and defence as outlined by the best players. Particular attention is given to the dealer’s play of the dummy hand, the management of trumps is outlined in detail, and the underlying principles are fully illustrated by the complete play of selected hands.

The writer has endeavoured to make this work simple in its arrangement and style so as to be adapted to the capacity of all lovers of Bridge, comprehensive and complete so as to be a sufficient and certain guide in the most difficult as well as in the easy situations.

The laws of Bridge published in this edition have been prepared by the author, who has used as a foundation the codes accepted by the principal clubs of the world. The author does not favour the exaction of a penalty for the dealer’s lead out of turn. The American opinion on this point is divided, but the English practice is to exact no penalty. Otherwise the various club codes show but minor differences.

Contents

Page

PREFACE vii

The Laws Of Bridge 1

Etiquette 22

Bridge For Three Players 25

THE SCORE 27 Declaring to the score 27 Playing to the score 28 The non-dealer’s play to the score 29

THE DECLARATION 31 “No-Trump” declaration by the dealer 32 Rules for “No-Trump” declaration by the dealer 32 “No-Trump” with three aces 35 “No-Trump” with two aces and one other guarded suit 35 “No-Trump” with two aces 36 “No-Trump” with one ace 37 “No-Trump” without an ace 37 Examples of “No-Trump” makes 38 Hearts 38 Rules for the heart make 40 Five hearts including three honours 40 Five hearts including two honours 41 Five hearts with one honour 41 Four hearts with three honours 41 Examples of hands that should not be passed 42 Hearts in preference to “No-Trump” 42 Hearts, not “No-Trump” 43 Diamonds 43 Clubs 46 Spades 47 Passed makes 47 Abandoning spade hands 49

DOUBLING 51 Redoubling 54 Estimating the value of a hand 54 The lead when partner has doubled 55 The heart convention 57 The weak suit convention 57

THE NON-DEALER’S PLAY AGAINST A DECLARED TRUMP 59 The opening lead 60 Examples of opening leads 63 Inferences from high card leads 64 Inferences from low card leads 67 Examples of inference from opening leads 68 Original trump openings 70 Original trump openings from strength 72 The trump lead against a spade make 72 How to play to partner’s trump opening 73 Leading trumps to prevent a ruff in the weak trump hand 74 Short suit openings 74 Leading through strength 77 When to lead through strength 78 Choice of suits to lead through 79 Suggestions for third hand play 80 Inferences from third hand play 82 Leading up to dummy 87 The Echo 88 Forcing 89 Returning partner’s lead 91 Second hand play 91 When you play before the dummy 92 When you play before the dealer 94

INFERENCES 95 The value of information 96 How to draw inferences 97 Inferences regarding the make 98 General inferences 99

THE NON-DEALER’S PLAY OF A “NO-TRUMP” HAND 102 The original lead 103 The original lead at “No-Trump” 106 Opening a short suit against a “No-Trump” declaration 107 Unblocking 108 Returning partner’s lead 109 Holding up by the non-dealers 111 Examples of holding up 112 Taking out re-entry cards 115

THE DISCARD 116 The discard against a declared trump 117 The discard at “No-Trump” 118 Hints on discarding 121 The reverse discard 122 Discarding by the dealer 122

THE DEALER’S PLAY 124 Combining the hands of dealer and dummy 125 Ace, Queen, Jack Combination 125 Ace, king, jack combination 127 Ace, jack, ten combination 129 King, jack, ten combination 129 Miscellaneous combinations 130 Arranging the lead 131 Finessing 132 The finesse obligatory 134 Watching the discards in order to locate finesses 135 Second hand plays 136

MANAGEMENT OF TRUMPS BY THE DEALER 139 When to lead trumps 139 When not to lead trumps 141 Unblocking the trump suit 142 Not forcing your strong trump hand 142 Leading trumps to prevent a ruff 143 When to draw the remaining trumps 144 Discontinuing the lead of trumps 144 When to trump 146 Overtrumping 147 Re-entry cards 148 Forcing discards 148 Throwing the lead 150

THE DEALER’S PLAY OF A “NO-TRUMP” DECLARATION 151 Choice of suits 152 Keeping the commanding card of the adversaries’ suit 154 Re-entry cards 158 Unblocking 162 Overtaking 164 “Ducking” 167 “Overtaking and unblocking” 171 “Overtaking and ducking” 172 The defence against overtaking and “ducking” 173

Card Strategy 175

Lost Tricks 183

“Your Partner.” His Idiosyncrasies, And Some Of Yours 190

Illustrative Hands 195

END PLAYS 277 Refusing to draw the losing trump 279 Leading the losing trump 280 Throwing the lead 281 Leading a singleton 282 Saving a low trump to lead 283 Refusing to over trump 284 The extra trump 285 Unblocking 286 Making a tenace 287

Glossary 289

Index 293

Index To Illustrative Hands

NO. PAGE 1. Saving an entry card. Leading the losing trump 197 2. Not showing adversaries that the weak hand can “ruff” 199 3. Leading the losing trump 201 4. Arranging the lead 203 5. Not leading trumps until losing cards have been discarded 205 6. Leading through 207 7. Refusing to accept a force 209 8. Not taking a finesse which, if unsuccessful, would block the trump suit 211 9. Saving an entry card. Overtaking 213 10. Double entry 215 11. Making an entry card 217 12. A card of re-entry 219 13. Double entry 221 14. Overtaking to make an entry card 223 15. Not holding up an ace. Unblocking 225 16. Holding up a king 227 17. Overtaking, losing a trick, in order to make a suit 229 18. Not taking a finesse 231 19. Forcing discards to locate a finesse 233 20. Deschapelles coup. Finesse obligatory 235 21. Not allowing adversary to lead through a once guarded king 237 22. Not allowing an established suit to make 239 23. “Ducking” 241 24. Leading through dummy’s strength 243 25. Preventing a ruff by the weak trump hand 245 26. Preventing a ruff by the weak trump hand 247 27. Not forcing 249 28. Inference 251 29. Inference 253 30. Inference 255 31. Leading through 257 32. Overtaking by the adversary 259 33. Refusing to play the high card of a long suit 261 34. Arranging the lead 263 35. Not unblocking. Deschapelles coup 265 36. Abandoning a suit 267 37. Discarding commanding cards 269 38. Counting 271 39. Allowing the weaker hand to “ruff” 273 40. Not holding up an ace 275

Advanced Bridge

The Laws Of Bridge Revised 1905

The Rubber

1. The partners first winning two games win the rubber. If the first two games be won by the same partners, the third game is not played.

Scoring

2. A game consists of thirty points obtained by tricks alone, exclusive of any points counted for honours, chicane or slam.

3. Every hand is played out, and any points in excess of thirty points necessary for the game are counted.

4. Each trick above six counts two points when spades are trumps, four points when clubs are trumps, six points when diamonds are trumps, eight points when hearts are trumps, and twelve points when there are no trumps.

5. Honours are ace, king, queen, knave and ten of the trump suit; or the aces when no trump is declared.

6. Honours are credited to the original holders and are valued as follows:

+---------------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+ | | | | | | NO | | DECLARATION. | ♠ | ♣ | ♦ | ♥ |TRUMPS| +---------------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+ | Each Trick above Six | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 12 | | { 3 Honours | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 30 | | { 4 " | 8 | 16 | 24 | 32 | 40 | | { 4 " (All in one hand) | 16 | 32 | 48 | 64 | 100 | |HONOURS{ 5 " | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | -- | | { 5 " (4 in one hand) | 18 | 36 | 54 | 72 | -- | | { 5 " (All in one hand) | 20 | 40 | 60 | 80 | -- | | { Chicane | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | -- | +---------------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+ | Rubber 100, Grand Slam 40, Little Slam 20. | +----------------------------------------------------------------+

7. If a player and his partner make thirteen tricks, independently of any tricks gained by the revoke penalty, they score Grand Slam and add forty points to their honour count.

8. Little slam is twelve tricks similarly scored, and adds twenty points to the honour count.

9. Chicane (one hand void of trumps) is equal in value to three honours, _i.e._ if partner of player having chicane scores honours he adds the value of three honours to his honour score, while, if the adversaries score honours, it deducts an equal value from their honour score. Double Chicane (a player and his partner both void of trumps) is equal in value to four honours, and the value thereof may be deducted from the total honour score of the adversaries.

10. The value of honours, slam, little slam, or chicane, is in nowise affected by doubling or redoubling.

11. At the conclusion of a rubber the scores for tricks, honours, Chicane, and Slam, obtained by each side are added, and one hundred points are added to the score of the winners of the rubber. The difference between the completed scores is the number of points won or lost by the winners of the rubber.

12. If an erroneous score affecting tricks be proven, such mistake must be corrected prior to the conclusion of the game in which it has occurred, and such game shall not be considered as concluded until the following deal has been completed and the trump declared, unless it be that the game is the last one of the rubber,--then the score is subject to inquiry until an agreement between the sides (as to the value of the rubber) shall have been reached.

13. If an erroneous score affecting honours, chicane or slam be proven, such mistake may be corrected at any time before the score of the rubber has been made up and agreed upon.

Cutting

14. The ace is the lowest card.

15. In all cases every player must cut from the same pack.

16. Should a player expose more than one card, he must cut again.

Forming Tables

17. The prior right of playing is with those first in the room. If there are more than four candidates for seats at a table, 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 on partners; the two lowest play against the two highest. The lowest is the dealer, who has choice of cards and seats, and who, having once made his selection, must abide by it.

19. Should the two players who cut lowest, secure cards of equal value, they shall re-cut to determine which of the two shall deal, and the lower on the re-cut deals.

20. Should three players cut cards of equal value, they cut again; if the fourth card be the highest, the two lowest of the new cut are partners and the lower of the two the dealer; if, however, the fourth card be the lowest, the two highest on the re-cut are partners and the original lowest the dealer.

21. Six players constitute a full table, and no player shall have a right to cut into a game which is complete.

22. When there are more than six candidates, 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

23. If at the end of a rubber, should admission be claimed by one or two candidates, the player or players having played a greater number of consecutive rubbers shall withdraw; but when all have played the same number, they must cut to decide upon the outgoers; the highest are out.

Rights Of Entry

24. A candidate desiring to enter a table must declare such wish before any player at the table cuts a card, either for the purpose of beginning a new rubber or of cutting out.

25. In the formation of new tables, those candidates who have neither belonged to nor played at any other table have the prior right of entry. Those who have already played decide their right of admission by cutting.

26. A player who cuts into one table while belonging to another, shall forfeit his prior right of re-entry into the latter, unless by doing so he enables three candidates to form a fresh table. In this event he may signify his intention of returning to his original table, and his place at the new one can be filled.

27. Should any player quit the table during the progress of a rubber, he may, with the consent of the other three players, appoint a substitute during his absence; but such appointment shall become void with the conclusion of the rubber, and shall not in any way affect the substitute’s rights.

28. If anyone break up a table, the remaining players have a prior right to play at other tables.

Shuffling

29. The pack must neither be shuffled below the table nor so the face of any card be seen.

30. The dealer’s partner must collect the cards for the ensuing deal and he has the first right to shuffle the cards. Each player has the right to shuffle subsequently. The dealer has the right to shuffle last, but should a card or cards be seen during his shuffling, or whilst giving the pack to be cut, he must re-shuffle.

31. Each player, after shuffling, must place the cards properly collected and face downward to the left of the player next to deal.

The Deal

32. Each player deals in his turn; the order of dealing goes to the left.

33. The player on the dealer’s right cuts the pack, and in dividing it he must not leave fewer than four cards in either packet; if in cutting or in replacing one of the two packets a card be exposed, or if there be any confusion of the cards or a doubt as to the exact place in which the pack was divided, there must be a fresh cut.

34. When the player whose duty it is to cut has once separated the pack he can neither re-shuffle nor re-cut the cards.

35. Should the dealer shuffle the cards, after the pack is cut, the pack must be cut again.

36. The fifty-two cards shall be dealt face downward. The deal is not completed until the last card has been dealt face downward.

37. There Is No Misdeal.

A New Deal

38. There must be a new deal--

_a_ If the cards be not dealt into four packets, one at a time, and in regular rotation, beginning at the dealer’s left.

_b_ If, during a deal, or during the play of a hand, the pack be proven 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.

_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 the adversaries call attention to the fact prior to the conclusion of the deal and before looking at their cards.

_g_ If the last card do not come in its regular order to the dealer.

39. There may be a new deal--

_a_ If the dealer or his partner expose a card. The eldest hand may claim a new deal.

_b_ If either adversary expose a card. The dealer or his partner may claim a new deal.

_c_ If, before fifty-one cards are dealt, the dealer should look at any card. His adversaries have the right to see it, and the eldest hand 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 is completed before there is reasonable time for the eldest hand to decide as to a new deal. But in all other cases such penalties must be claimed prior to the completion of the deal.

40. 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 a new deal does not take place, the card exposed during the deal cannot be called.

41. Should three players have their right number of cards, and should the fourth, not being dummy, have less than thirteen and not discover such deficiency until he has played any of his cards, the deal stands good; should he have played, he is answerable for any revoke he may have made as if the missing card or cards had been in his hand. The other pack may be searched for the missing card or cards.

42. If during the play of a deal a pack be proven incorrect or imperfect, such proof renders only the current deal void, and does not affect any prior score. The dealer must deal again (Law 38 _b_).

43. Any one dealing with the adversaries’ cards must be corrected before the play of the first card, otherwise the deal stands good. If any one deals when it is the turn of an adversary, such error must be corrected before the cards are dealt for the following deal.

44. A player can neither shuffle, cut nor deal for his partner without the permission of his adversaries.

Declaring Trumps

45. The trump is declared. No card is turned.

_a_ The dealer may either make the trump or pass the declaration to his partner.

_b_ If the declaration be passed to partner, he must make the trump.

46. Should the dealer’s partner make the trump without receiving permission from the dealer, the eldest hand may demand,

1st. That the trump shall stand, or 2d. That there shall be a new deal.

But if any declaration as to doubling, or not doubling, shall have been made, or if a new deal be not claimed, the declaration wrongly made shall stand. The eldest hand is the player on the left of the dealer.

47. Should the dealer’s partner pass the declaration to the dealer it shall be the right of the eldest hand to claim a new deal or to compel the offending player to declare the trump; provided, that no declaration as to doubling has been made.

48. If either of the dealer’s adversaries make or pass the declaration, the dealer may, after looking at his hand, either claim a new deal or proceed as if no declaration had been made.

49. A declaration once made cannot be altered.

Doubling, Redoubling, Etc.

50. The effect of doubling, re-doubling, and so on, is that the value of each trick above six is doubled, quadrupled, and so on.

51. After the trump declaration has been made by the dealer or his partner, their adversaries have the right to double. The eldest hand has the first right. If he does not wish to double, he may ask his partner, “May I lead?” His partner shall answer, “Yes” or “I double.”

52. If either of their adversaries elect to double, the dealer and his partner have the right to redouble. The player who has declared the trump shall have the first right. He may say, “I redouble” or “Satisfied.” Should he say the latter, his partner may redouble.

53. If the dealer or his partner elect to redouble, their adversaries shall have the right to again double. The original doubler has the first right.

54. If the right-hand adversary of the dealer double before his partner has asked “May I lead?” the declarer of the trump shall have the right to say whether or not the double shall stand. If he decide that the double shall stand, the process of re-doubling may continue as described in paragraphs 52, 53, 55.

55. The process of re-doubling may be continued indefinitely.[1] The first right to continue the re-doubling on behalf of a partnership belongs to that player who has last redoubled. Should he, however, express himself satisfied, the right to continue the re-doubling passes to his partner. Should any player redouble out of turn, the adversary who last doubled shall decide whether or not such double shall stand. If it is decided that the redouble shall stand, the process of re-doubling may continue as described in this and foregoing laws (52 and 53). If any double or redouble out of turn be not accepted there shall be no further doubling in that hand. Any consultation between partners as to doubling or re-doubling will entitle the maker of the trump or the eldest hand, without consultation, to a new deal.

[1] In some clubs, doubling ceases whenever the value of the odd trick exceeds one hundred points; in other clubs the limit is placed at two hundred points.

56. If the eldest hand lead before the doubling be completed, his partner may redouble only with the consent of the adversary who last doubled; but such lead shall not affect the right of either adversary to double.

57. When the question, “May I lead?” has been answered in the affirmative or when the player who has the last right to continue the doubling, expresses himself satisfied, the play shall begin.

58. Should the eldest hand lead without asking permission, his partner may double, but only if the maker of the trump consent.

59. Should the right-hand adversary of the dealer ask permission to lead, the eldest hand does not thereby lose his right to double. Should the right-hand adversary of the dealer double before his partner has asked “May I lead?” the maker of the trump shall have the right to say whether or not the double shall stand. If he decide that the double shall stand, the process of re-doubling may continue as described in Laws 52, 53, 55.

60. If the right-hand adversary of the dealer lead out of turn, the maker of the trump may call a suit from the eldest hand, who may only double if the maker of the trump consent.

A declaration as to doubling or re-doubling once made cannot be altered.

Dummy

61. As soon as the eldest hand has led, the dealer’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 dealer, unassisted by his partner.

62. Before exposing his cards, the dealer’s partner has all the rights of a player, but after his cards have been shown the dealer’s partner takes no part whatever in the play, except that he has the right--

_a_ To ask the dealer whether he has none of the suit in which he may have renounced.

_b_ To ask the dealer when called upon to play his highest or lowest card whether he has conformed to the penalty.

_c_ To call the dealer’s attention to the fact that a trick has not been completed.

_d_ To correct the claim of either adversary to a penalty to which the latter is not entitled.

_e_ To call attention to the fact that a trick has been erroneously taken by either side.

_f_ To participate in the discussion of any disputed question of fact which may arise between the dealer and either adversary.

_g_ To correct an erroneous score.

63. Should the dealer’s partner call attention to any other incident of the play, in consequence of which any penalty might be exacted, the fact of his so doing precludes the dealer exacting such penalty.

64. If the dealer’s partner, by touching a card or otherwise, suggest the play of a card from dummy, either of the adversaries may, but without consultation, call upon the dealer to play or not to play the card suggested.

65. Dummy is not liable to the penalty for a revoke; and if he should revoke and the error be not discovered until the trick is turned and quitted, the trick stands good.

66. A card from the dealer’s hand is not played until actually quitted; but should the dealer name or touch a card from the dummy hand, such card is considered as played, unless the dealer in touching the card or cards says, “I arrange,” or words to that effect.

Cards Exposed Before Play

67. If, after the deal has been completed and before the trump declaration has been made, either the dealer or his partner expose a card from his hand, the eldest hand may, without consulting with his partner, claim a new deal.

68. If, after the deal has been completed and before a card is led, any player shall expose a card, his partner shall forfeit any right to double or redouble which he otherwise would have been entitled to exercise; and in case of a card being so exposed by the leader’s partner, the dealer may either call the card or require the leader not to lead the suit of the exposed card.

Cards Exposed During Play

69. All cards exposed by the dealer’s adversaries are liable to be called, and such cards must be left face upward on the table.

70. The following are exposed cards:

1st. Two or more cards played at once.

2d. Any card dropped with its face upward, or in any way exposed on or above the table, even though snatched up so quickly that no one can name it.

3d. Every card so held by a player that his partner can see any portion of its face.

71. A card dropped on the floor or elsewhere below the table is not an exposed card.

72. If two or more cards be played at once, by either of the dealer’s adversaries, the dealer shall have the right to call which one he pleases to the current trick, and the other card or cards shall remain face upward on the table and may be called at any time.

73. If, without waiting for his partner to play, either of the dealer’s adversaries should play on the table the best card or lead one which is a winning card, as against the dealer and dummy, or should continue (without waiting for his partner to play) to lead several such cards, the dealer 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.

74. If either or both of the dealer’s adversaries 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. If, however, the dealer should say, “I have the rest,” or any other words indicating that the remaining tricks are his, the adversaries of the dealer are not liable to have any of their cards called should they expose them, believing the dealer’s claim to be true, should it subsequently prove false.

75. If a player who has rendered himself liable to have the highest or lowest of a suit called (Laws 82, 91, 92 and 100), fail to play as directed, or if, when called on to lead one suit, lead another, having in his hand one or more cards of the suit demanded (Law 76), or if called upon to win or lose a trick, fail to do so when he can (Laws 73, 82 and 100), 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 dealer’s adversaries lead out of turn, the dealer may call the card erroneously led, or may call a suit when it is the turn of either adversary to lead.

77. If the dealer lead out of turn, either from his own hand or 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 other three follow him, 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 anyone except the original offender, who, if he be one of the dealer’s adversaries, may be penalised as provided in Laws 60 and 76.

79. In no case can a player be compelled to play a card which would oblige him to revoke.

80. The call of an exposed card may be repeated at every trick 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 third hand not have played and the fourth play before his partner, the latter (not being dummy or dealer) may be called upon to play his highest or lowest card of the suit played, or to win or lose the trick.

83. If anyone, not being dummy, omit playing to a former trick and such error be not corrected until he has played to the next, the adversaries may claim a new deal; should they decide that the deal stands good, the surplus 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 anyone (except dummy) play two cards to the same trick, or mix a card with a trick to which it does not belong, and the mistake be not discovered until the hand is played out, he is answerable for any consequent revokes he may have made. If during the play of the hand the error be detected, the tricks may be counted face downward, in order to ascertain whether there be among them a card too many; should this be the case, the trick which contains a surplus card may be examined and the card restored to its 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. The penalty for a revoke takes precedence of all other counts.

86. A revoke is established if the trick in which it occurs be turned and quitted, _i.e._ the hand removed from the trick after it has been gathered and placed face downward on the table; or if either the revoking player or his partner, whether in his right turn or otherwise, have led or played to the following trick.

87. The penalty for a revoke is three tricks taken from the revoking player and added to those of the adversaries.

88. The penalty is applicable only to the score of the game in which it occurs.

89. Under no circumstances can the revoking side score game, in that hand. Whatever their previous score may have been, the side revoking cannot attain a higher score toward game than twenty-eight.

90. A player may ask his partner, whether he has not 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 revoking player or his partner has led or played to the following trick.

91. 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 withdrawn are not exposed cards. If the player in fault be one of the dealer’s adversaries, the card played in error is an exposed card, and the dealer can call it whenever he pleases; or he may require the offender to play his highest or lowest card of the suit to the trick in which he has renounced.

92. If the player in fault be the dealer, the eldest hand may require him to play the highest or lowest card of the suit in which he has renounced, provided both adversaries of the dealer have played to the current trick; but this penalty cannot be exacted against the dealer when he is fourth in hand, nor can it be enforced at all from dummy.

93. 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 revoke is established if, after it has been claimed, the accused player or his partner mix the cards before they have been sufficiently examined by the adversaries.

94. A revoke must be claimed before the cards have been cut for the following deal.

95. Should the players on both sides subject themselves to the revoke penalty neither can win the game by that hand.

96. The revoke penalty may be claimed for as many revokes as occur during a hand; but the accumulated penalty shall in no event exceed thirteen tricks. (See Law 7.)

General Rules

97. There should not be any consultation between partners as to the enforcement of penalties. If they do so consult, the penalty is paid.

98. Once a trick is complete, turned and quitted it must not be looked at (except under Law 84), until the end of the hand.

99. 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.

100. If either of the dealer’s adversaries, prior to his partner’s playing, should 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 toward him, the dealer may require that opponent’s partner to play his highest or lowest card of the suit led, or to win or lose the trick.

101. Either of the dealer’s adversaries may call his partner’s attention to the fact that he is about to lead out of turn, but if he make any unauthorised reference to any incident of the play the dealer may call a suit from the adversary whose turn it is next to lead.

102. In all cases where a penalty has been incurred, 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.

103. The partner of the eldest hand may inform him that their adversaries have incurred a penalty, but may not give any further information. Should he suggest the penalty, or demand the enforcement of it, such action shall be deemed a consultation, and no penalty can be enforced.

New Cards

104. Unless a pack be imperfect, no player shall have the right to call for one new pack. If fresh cards are demanded, two packs must be furnished and paid for by the player who has demanded them. If they are furnished during a rubber, the adversaries shall have their choice of new cards. If it is the beginning of a new rubber, the dealer, whether he or one of his adversaries be the party calling for the new cards, shall have the choice. New cards must be called for before the pack is cut for a new deal.

105. A card or cards torn or marked must be replaced by agreement or new cards furnished.

Bystanders

106. While a bystander, by agreement among the players, may decide any question, yet he must on no account say anything unless appealed 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 on by the players to pay the stakes on that rubber.

Spade Convention

I.--Where players agree “not to play spades” the rule is, that if the spade make is not doubled, the hand shall be played where either side is 20 or over.

II.--If the third hand player ask, “Shall I play?” or should he lead out of turn, or should the eldest hand lead without asking permission to play, the spade maker may take two on the score or may call a lead and require the hand to be played out.

III.--Should the third hand player double before his partner asks permission to play, the spade maker may decide whether the double shall stand or not; but the hand must be played out.

Etiquette

It has been truthfully said that there is no game in which slight intimations can convey so much information as that of Bridge. In justice to those who, by their manner, give information, it may be stated that most of the apparent unfairness at the Bridge table is unintentional. Hesitation and mannerisms, however, cannot be too carefully avoided; such a breach of etiquette is an offence for which the adversaries have no redress except perhaps a refusal to continue the play.

It is obviously a greater fault to take advantage of information thus given. A play in your judgment may be perfectly sound, but you leave yourself open to criticism if it is in any way contingent on information obtained from your partner’s manner.

Cultivate uniformity in your style of play; let there be no remarkable haste or hesitation in making or passing; try always to use the same formula of words, and do not call attention to the score after the cards have been dealt.

Remember that any undue hesitancy in regard to doubling will deprive a fair-minded partner of the privilege of so doing. Such delays are too frequent at spade declarations.

Emphasise no play of your own and show no pleasure or displeasure at any other play.

Do not ask to have the cards placed unless it is solely for your own information.

It is an offence either to revoke purposely or to make a second revoke in order to conceal the first.

The dealer’s partner should not call attention to the score nor to any card or cards that he or the other players hold, and neither should he leave his seat for the purpose of watching his partner’s play.

When there is an unusual distribution of the cards, no remarks of any kind should be allowed.

After a hand has been played, it may be discussed to the common benefit; but the bore who is continually blowing up his partner to show his superior knowledge, together with the player who interrupts the game to discuss the play, should be ostracised from the card-room. Superiority of skill is shown by the play of the cards, not by mannerisms.

It is often difficult to refrain from showing pleasure at the accomplishment of a desired purpose, but undue elation is most aggravating to the adversaries.

Do not make a dig at the adversaries by confiding to your partner that your success was due to an ill-judged play of the opponent.

It is not good form to complain of poor cards, as you imply that the adversaries profit by your weak hands and not by their skill.

The better players rarely criticise unless asked to do so; it is usually the inexperienced player who offers an astonishing amount of gratuitous and unsought-for advice.

Do not tell your partner, after seeing all the cards, what he should have done, but think what you would have done in your partner’s place. Do not criticise at all, but if you must, criticise fairly.

Bridge For Three Players

When the game is played by three persons, the cards are cut to decide which shall have the dummy; the one cutting the lowest card has the deal and a permanent dummy during the game or the rubber, as the case may be. It is then customary for each player to have dummy in turn, during one game or rubber.

In playing rubbers, 100 points are added to the score of the winning side.

In playing games, 50 points are added to the score of the winning side.

If the make is passed to dummy, four aces or three aces constitute a compulsory “no-trump” declaration; otherwise, dummy must declare the longest suit.

When there are two suits of equal length, dummy must select the suit, which counts most by spots, the ace counting eleven and the other honours ten each. If the suits are still equal, dummy declares the one having the higher trick valuation.

Only one adversary, the leader, can double.

If the dealer has seen the two hands, he is not allowed to redouble.

The dummy hand is not exposed until the doubling has been settled and a card led.

When the dummy is the leader, his partner must look at the dummy hand and lead from it before seeing his own cards; and dummy alone has the right to double.

There are various methods of playing Dummy Bridge. An approved feature is to allow either adversary to double the dealer’s make and to eliminate doubling on a forced make.

The Score

Practise soon shows a player the relative importance of playing for the greatest possible number of points and tricks, and of playing to win or to save the game. No matter how cleverly the cards are managed, the player who underestimates the attention the state of the score demands, will unnecessarily lose many a rubber. The declaration largely depends upon the score, and much of the play is influenced by the number of tricks required to win or to save the game.

Most Bridge players take means to ascertain the score before announcing a declaration; it is only an occasional game that is lost by a hasty declaration regardless of the state of the score; but in the play of the hand, the score is frequently entirely overlooked. Interested in his scheme of play, the dealer will try for too much or too little, and quite lose sight of what should be his first goal--to win or to save the game.

Declaring To The Score

With a game to the good, the advantage conferred by the position is too great to risk by a rash make. When you are a game ahead, make none but a conservative and sound declaration. When you are a game behind, the score justifies a bold make.

On the rubber game, particularly if the adversaries are over twenty, the dealer may attempt a forward declaration, but his partner should not be too reckless, realising that the dealer knew the situation and did not consider his hand worth a venture.

At twenty-four or more on the score, with a strong black suit the make should not be passed; average assistance in your partner’s hand will probably enable you to win the game; and with weak red suits, a passed red declaration may be doubled and the game won by the adversaries.

When the score is twenty-four to nothing against you either on the first game or when you are a game to the good, avoid a doubtful declaration which may enable the adversaries to win the game on your deal. There is a vast difference whether the adversaries start their deal wanting a few points or whether they have the first deal on a new game.

When the score is twenty-four all on the rubber game, the dealer may pass a fairly strong hand trusting he can win the game with any declaration; and at this score dummy should not hesitate to declare his best suit. It is highly probable that the adversaries would win out on the next deal.

Playing To The Score

Correct dealer’s play is closely influenced by the state of the score. The game is an important goal which should never be hazarded for the sake of an extra trick; but, if this goal is not assured, the loss of a few extra points in an effort to reach it, demands but small consideration.

When there is the slightest chance that the adversaries may win the game on your deal, hasten to secure the tricks needful to insure its safety. Many times the game can only be won or saved in case the cards lie in a certain position, and the dealer must assume that the cards are favourably placed and play the hand accordingly.

When the game is saved, but with no possibility of winning it, the seventh trick should be the objective point in the dealer’s play. When you cannot reach game, never hazard the odd trick in an attempt to win two tricks. In a no-trump declaration, the risk would be twenty-four points for a possible gain of twelve points; and if you lose the odd trick, it may enable the adversaries to win the game on their deal.

The Non-Dealer’S Play To The Score

The probabilities are not in favour of winning against declared strength. The score will indicate the number of tricks needful to save the game, and the adversaries should take no chances until this important object is attained. Until the game is saved, make no effort to gain extra tricks. Many a rubber which the prompt lead of a high card might have saved is lost by trying for too much.

If you find that the continuation of a certain line of play will lose the rubber, abandon your scheme and take the one chance of finding in your partner’s hand the cards that will save the game. The loss of an extra trick is of slight importance compared with the loss of the game.

The Declaration

The advantage of the deal is enormous, and it is important to utilise it properly to make the largest possible score with the least possible risk. The make shows the great increase in percentage of the good player over the poor one. More rubbers are lost by bad makes than by bad play. The cautious man who passes “no-trumpers” will lose many games by his extreme carefulness. The reckless man loses even more by declaring “no-trump” when his partner must have a “no-trumper” to pull him through. As the element of luck has a potent influence on the result of a make, a sound declaration based on the merits of the hand may be unsuccessful. No one can select the winning trump every time, and an occasional loss must be borne with equanimity for the sake of the many successes; the make that will win with average strength in the dummy hand will pay in the long run. Do not hope for too much, or expect too little assistance from your partner; give him credit for no more and no less than the average hand. If you question yourself--what will my partner probably make it if I pass?--you will find it a great help in determining the declaration. He will usually make it your weak suit, and it follows that you may depend on him for protection in that suit.

A sound make may necessitate the sacrifice of the possibility of a large score for the sake of positively winning the game. The chance for the game takes precedence of all other considerations.

As Bridge is played for points, a fair amount of regard is also due the honour score. A declaration that is apt to give honours to the adversaries is a costly method of winning the game.

It is difficult for the beginner to understand the reason for certain formulated rules for the makes, but it will pay the average novice to accept the judgment of those who have learned by, often bitter, experience. Sound makes will win in the long run, and the rules should not be scorned merely because in a few hands the cards were badly placed.

“No-Trump” Declaration By The Dealer

While a good red declaration is always preferable to a doubtful “no-trumper,” yet when a bold dash for the game must be made, a forward “no-trump” declaration is the safest risk; and experience certainly shows that what is called a doubtful “no-trumper” will succeed more often than it fails. Such a declaration has a great advantage over a light red make. There is a wider range for assistance in the dummy hand. The make does not disclose the dealer’s principal strength. It offers the adversaries a larger scope for errors, and an error is more costly in a “no-trump” hand. The opponents have no means of knowing their combined strength, and for this reason their best suit may never be made; while the dealer knows the suit to establish and can arrange the lead to bring it in. In short, the dealer can utilise his strength and the adversaries’ drawbacks to the best advantage in a “no-trump” hand. As a logical consequence, a strong player may take more chances in the make.

Your goal is the game, and at a love score, this can be reached with fewest tricks at a “no-trump” declaration. Therefore, lacking a good red hand, a “no-trump” declaration that with average strength in your partner’s hand will secure the odd trick, will more often win than lose.

What constitutes an average hand, and how much help should you expect from your partner, are frequent inquiries. As the trick-taking value of a hand may depend entirely on the distribution of the remaining cards, these questions are difficult to answer. An average hand, however, contains the equivalent of one ace, one king, one queen, etc.

An established suit that can be made before the adversaries obtain the lead the second time is always a great advantage.

A “no-trump” make that is not protected in three suits is dangerous, but, even if you are entirely void of a suit with real strength in the other three, you can reasonably expect your partner to supply protection in the missing suit. Aces are an important help in establishing your suits, and are much greater strength than kings or queens, which may be led through and captured. A no-trump make without an ace is liable to score honours for the adversaries--in rare cases 100 points--and is almost never sound.

Rules For “No-Trump” Declaration By The Dealer

There should be a certain set standard for a “no-trump” make, but at times it is difficult to draw the line that divides the hands that should be passed from those that warrant a “no-trump” declaration. It is obvious that a good player will make more with a hand than a poor one; consequently a greater risk may be taken by players who thoroughly understand the finesse and strategy of the game. The make which would prove successful if played correctly, if badly played might be disastrous. Then again your adversaries must be regarded; if pitted against weak players, you are more apt to pull a “no-trumper” through than when matched against opponents who will take advantage of any failing in your hand or play.

{ 4 Aces. Declare { 3 Aces. “No-trumps” { 2 Aces and one other guarded suit. holding { 1 Ace and three other guarded suits. { 1 long established black suit (A K Q x x x) and one other Ace.

“No-Trump” With Three Aces

Unless you hold a strong heart hand, or, unless the game can be won with a trump declaration, three aces should usually be considered an obligatory “no-trumper.” No doubt a three-ace hand containing no other honour, is a weak one with which to make the strongest declaration; but experience demonstrates that if your partner holds an average hand or any one long suit, loss seldom occurs. When the make does lose, the points secured above the line usually compensate for the loss sustained in trick points, and if the rule is consistently followed, the total gain will be many times greater than the aggregate loss.

“No-Trump” With Two Aces And One Other Guarded Suit

At a love score, if the ace suits contain additional honours, “no-trumps” should always be declared with two aces and a guarded honour in another suit. This is particularly true if the aces are red; if you hold the two red aces, it is doubtful if your partner could declare any other than a black make. A long suit, particularly one that can be easily established, is additional strength; and jacks, tens and nines are an important assistance to a two-ace “no-trump” declaration.

If all the remaining cards in the ace suits are small, and if the protection in the third suit is doubtful, “no-trumps” can scarcely be considered a safe declaration. A guarded honour or a protected suit is supposed to imply a certain trick; but a king once guarded or a queen twice guarded may be led through and captured.

Guarded suits are:

K Q J K 10 x Q J 10 Q x x K Q x K x x Q J x J 10 x x K J x K x Q 10 x J x x x

The value of these suits is greater or less according to the size of the top honour, the number of cards in sequence, and the length of the suit.

An ace suit may contain:

A K x A Q x A J x A 10 x A x x A

But the value of the ace suit diminishes according to the decreased value of the next card. A single ace is of little use in blocking the adversaries’ suit, and it may often block the long suit in dummy.

“No-Trump” With Two Aces

A “no-trump” declaration that is unguarded in two suits, is always dangerous; while you can rely on your partner to protect one suit, it is a bit sanguine to expect him to hold guards in two. However, a hand containing a long established suit, headed by ace, king, queen, and another ace, wins at “no-trump” many more times than it loses, and the make must, therefore, be classed as sound. If you hold two suits headed by ace king, and particularly if these suits are red, a “no-trump” declaration is preferable to passing; but with less strength, the make should not be attempted except at an adverse score.

“No-Trump” With One Ace

With one ace and general protection in all the suits, “no-trump” should be declared. Of course, the adversaries may secure the honour score, and it is probable that such a hand will contain no long suit; but any good suit in your partner’s hand will ensure the safety of the make.

With one ace and but two other protected suits, “no-trumps” should not be declared unless the guarded suits include at least two honours. “No-trump” declarations with one ace and a single honour in each of two other suits are often made to the score, but a venture of this kind is dangerous and is more apt to lose than to win.

A six or seven card suit headed by ace, king, and queen, with a guarded king in another suit, will usually succeed as a “no-trumper.”

“No-Trump” Without An Ace

A “no-trump” make without an ace is almost never sound. There are, no doubt, extreme cases where, with a king and queen in each suit, this make may be justifiable; but the honour score obtained by the adversaries will usually far exceed the trick points secured by the dealer.

Examples Of No-Trump Makes

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ | ♥ | ♦ | ♣ | ♠ | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ |A 8 5 3 |A 10 6 4 |7 2 |A 8 3 | |A Q 6 |7 3 |A J 10 8 4 |A 6 2 | |A 5 |A Q 10 8 |A J 10 6 |10 7 4 | |8 3 |A Q 7 5 |A J 10 7 |K J 5 | |K J 4 |8 6 |A J 7 4 |A 10 6 5 | |8 6 |A Q 10 7 |A K 7 5 |Q 8 4 | |A 10 8 6 |Q J 10 |A J 9 4 |7 3 | |A 7 5 |K Q 8 |Q J 10 6 |K 8 6 | |J 10 7 4 |A K Q |Q 8 5 |K Q 6 | |A 10 4 |A K 3 |K Q J 9 4 |Q 7 | |A |J 5 3 |9 3 2 |A K Q 9 7 5 | |K |A J 7 4 |A K Q 8 5 |6 3 2 | |K 7 |6 5 |7 2 |A K Q J 7 5 2| |K Q 6 |K J 7 |A K 4 2 |6 3 2 | |K J 9 7 |A Q 9 8 |K Q 6 4 |10 | |K Q 9 8 |K J 3 |A Q 10 4 |10 6 | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Hearts

The advisability of a heart make is contingent on the length and strength of the heart suit, as well as on the probable trick-taking value of the hand. However, as the honour score must also be regarded, hearts should be declared with four honours irrespective of the strength of the other suits; the honour score will usually more than compensate for any possible loss in trick points.

Declare hearts with but four cards, including three high honours, provided you hold another long suit or two outside tricks; results show conclusively that this make is sound.

Hearts should be declared with five hearts, including two honours and at least one outside trick. Without this extra trick a five-heart declaration with two honours--unless they are ace and king--is unsafe.

Hearts should be declared with six trumps, including one honour; but, with fewer than six trumps, a one honour make is doubtful. Occasionally it may not be advisable to pass five hearts with one honour--holding, say, five hearts and four diamonds; your partner’s make would probably be black.

In considering such a declaration, the value of a long side suit that either is, or can be easily established, must not be overlooked. The strength of a five-card trump hand with a long suit and a re-entry card, is apparent to those who have had Whist experience. It requires but one trump honour from your partner to make this a winning hand, and unless the remaining cards are very unfortunately placed, it is difficult to defeat the make.

With a good side suit, do not hesitate to declare hearts with five, including an honour. Even a four-card side suit is usually a help. It is when the hand is divided 5, 3, 3, 2, that you are apt to lose by being forced to follow suit. Therefore a short suit is a help to a five-trump hand; to be sure, it may at times enable the adversaries to force you, but as you can always prevent the adversaries’ high cards in that suit from making, a short suit is a greater benefit than detriment.

Rules For The Heart Make

Generally declare a red make holding six cards with one honour, five cards with two honours, or four with three honours. Some makes may be attempted with or without outside strength, while others require a certain amount of strength in side suits. The value of a long suit and the importance of inferring the probable passed make, has been mentioned.

Below are given various combinations of honours showing the strength required for a red make. Only general rules are cited and the particular value of the hand must be left to the individual judgment. In these examples, the score has not been considered.

Five Hearts Including Three Honours

A K Q } A K J } A K 10 } A Q J } With or without other tricks. K Q J } A J 10 } K Q 10 }

K J 10 } With one outside trick. Q J 10 }

Five Hearts Including Two Honours

A K With or without an outside trick.

A Q } K Q } A J } With one outside trick. K J } A 10 }

K 10 } Q 10 } With a four or five card plain suit, or two J 10 } outside tricks.

Five Hearts With One Honour

} With any good four or five card plain suit, A } when partner will probably declare black, K } or with two or three outside tricks. Q } J } With an established black suit, especially 10 } when void in one suit, or with two or three } outside tricks.

Four Hearts With Three Honours

A K Q } A K J } With any good suit, with an outside ace, A K 10 } or with two or more outside tricks. K Q J }

Examples Of Hands That Should Not Be Passed

A number of hands are given below to illustrate the value of a long suit. If your partner holds an average hand the long suit can usually be made.

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ | ♥ | ♦ | ♣ | ♠ | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ |J 10 8 6 4 |7 5 |A K 5 3 2 |8 | |10 9 8 7 5 |None |K Q J 7 6 3 |K 7 | |K J 8 6 4 |6 |8 3 |K 10 8 7 4 | |A 9 7 6 4 |K 8 6 5 3 |4 2 |6 | |J 9 8 7 4 |6 |A |K Q 10 8 7 6 | |K 9 8 6 5 |4 |A Q J 6 3 |3 2 | |Q 9 7 6 3 |None |K J 10 7 5 |A 10 4 | |A 9 8 5 3 |K 7 |6 |K Q J 9 6 | |10 9 8 6 5 |None |Q J 9 |A K Q 7 5 | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Hearts In Preference To “No-Trump”

There are many players who delight in declaring “no-trumps,” overlooking the fact that they may hold a suit declaration that would be certain to win the game without the risk attending a “no-trump” make.

Although one more trick is necessary at hearts, the chances are that if the game can be won at “no-trump,” it will be won with equal facility at hearts. The adversaries may hold an established suit or may establish and make a suit at “no-trump” which it would be impossible for them to bring in with a trump declaration. There is no rule so universally followed among the better players as that of declaring hearts in preference to “no-trump.”

Hearts, Not “No-Trumps”

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ | ♥ | ♦ | ♣ | ♠ | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ |A Q J 9 5 |A 6 4 |A 7 5 |7 3 | |K Q J 9 6 3 |A 7 5 3 |A |8 4 | |A K Q 9 8 |A Q 7 |A K Q J |4 | |A K Q 9 |A 8 4 |5 |J 10 8 6 3 | |A K Q 9 |7 |Q 1O 5 |K J 8 5 3 | |K Q J 9 7 |A |A 5 |K J 9 8 7 | |A K Q 9 8 |K Q 7 |A Q 5 3 2 |None | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Diamonds

As there are two declarations of greater value, it is often advisable to pass a fair diamond make to your partner in the hope that he may be able to make it a “no-trumps” or hearts. There is no declaration more universally disliked than diamonds. It is frequently spoken of as the “deadly” or “unlucky” diamond make. Players seem to be continually making or not making it at the wrong time. Often an original diamond declaration will find your partner with a game hand at “no-trumps” or hearts; again, when the make is passed and your partner declares spades, you make eternal vows never to pass a diamond hand.

The diamond is essentially a score make, and should be attempted at a score which admits of a reasonable chance to win the game. With a love score it requires a very strong hand to win the game; eleven of the thirteen tricks must be won. When the adversaries are 24 to your nothing either on the first or on the rubber game, it is most important that you win the game before it becomes the turn of the adversary to deal. Winning three or four odd tricks will be of little use, as in all probability the adversaries will make the number of points requisite to go out on their own deal. At this score, it is usually better to pass a fair diamond hand in the hope that your partner can make a stronger declaration.

If at least 24 points are necessary to win the game and there is a question between a diamond and a “no-trump” make, the preference should be given to the “no-trump” declaration. Each trick at “no-trump” is worth just twice as much as at diamonds, and if it is possible to win four or five odd tricks with diamonds, you will have no difficulty in making the fewer number required at “no-trump.”

In considering the advisability of a diamond make, infer from your hand your partner’s probable declaration. If you hold no ace, there is a fair chance that he will declare “no-trump.” If you hold but one or two hearts, you are likely to get a heart declaration; an honour included in these hearts would support the supposed make. If you hold length in the heart suit, say five diamonds and four hearts, there is small hope for a red declaration by your partner; at this time, and when your hand contains cards that preclude the possibility of a “no-trumper,” the make should not be passed.

Occasionally diamonds should be declared as a safety make, with a hand that affords little help to a “no-trump” or a heart declaration. Take the following hand:

♦ ♥ ♣ ♠ J 10 7 5 3 2 8 J 7 5 3 6 4

Should the hand be passed, partner will either declare hearts or “no-trump.” Unless he holds great strength or the cards are very fortunately placed, you must lose, and not only that, your partner’s make is also very apt to be doubled. If your partner holds a strong hand the diamond declaration may win the game; at any rate it will sufficiently increase your score to facilitate winning on your next deal. As a matter of fact, this hand was held and the make was passed. The dummy held the following hand:

♦ ♥ ♣ ♠ K 6 A K 10 6 2 K 9 Q J 9 5

Hearts were declared, the adversary doubled, and the dealer lost three by cards. While in this hand the remaining cards were unfortunately placed for the dealer, still it shows that a strong make may be defeated when you can lend it no support.

The general rules given for the heart makes may be applied to the diamond declaration.

Clubs

An original club should be made only when the score is 18 or more, and the hand strong enough, with slight assistance, to win the game. As there are three declarations of greater value than either clubs or spades, unless there is a reasonable chance to win the game, black makes should not be considered. Your partner may be able to make a red or a “no-trump” declaration, and, failing these, his defensive black declaration may suit your hand. There are unpleasant occasions when you hold a strong club hand and your partner declares spades. When the make has been doubled and you have little strength to support it, you are very apt to regret that you did not make an original club. While this may be true of an occasional hand, don’t forget the many times your partner can give you a heart or a “no-trump” make which will enable you to win the game.

If, however, you hold a black hand when you are a game to the good, with 8 points or more on the second game, particularly if the hand contains four club honours, it may not be advisable to pass the declaration. The honour score together with the probable trick value of the hand will win more points than the average hand is worth, whereas you could not support your partner’s red declaration.

Spades

Spades should never be declared offensively, unless to win the game at a score of 24 or more points. With a very weak hand some players advise a defensive spade make with the hope of preventing a disastrous passed make. Statistics, no doubt, prove the correctness of this theory, still but few of the better players attempt a defensive spade declaration unless the score justifies their so doing. If you are a game to the good and perhaps well along on the second game, with a hand too poor to support an average “no-trump” or red make, it might be wise not to risk the advantage already gained. Should the adversaries win the game on your deal, it would give them the first deal on the rubber game.

At a love score, however, no player should deprive his partner of the privilege of declaring the trump to win. Many times a passed “no-trump” or red make is strong enough with slight assistance to win the game.

Passed Makes

The success of an original “no-trump” make is often due to the fact that the adversaries do not discover the dealer’s weak suit; a passed “no-trumper,” however, is exposed, and has the additional disadvantage of the dealer’s acknowledged weakness. The dealer shows by passing that he has not a strong hand; neither has he much strength in the red suits; while this latter inference may be doubtful, for the dealer often passes with fair strength in diamonds and occasionally in both red suits, still the fact remains that a passed “no-trump” make that is weak in the red suits, is extremely risky.

It is remarkable how many passed “no-trumpers” go astray, and the number proves the necessity for more cautious passed makes. The dummy hand, in declaring the trump, should keep in mind the general rules suggested for the dealer, and be governed in his choice by the state of the score, by the general strength of his hand, and by the dealer’s acknowledged weakness.

A speculative spirit is so strong in some players that they find it difficult to resist announcing a make which they know to be unsound, yet with which they hope, by a fortuitous combination of circumstances, to win. Often the result of one hand, which proves nothing, will encourage this tendency toward unsound makes.

Be very careful about declaring a red trump with but four cards. The beginner’s distaste for spade makes, frequently leads to a light red make which is doubled, and the game thrown away. As a general rule, it is wrong to attempt a red trump unless the hand is worth at least four tricks. With fewer than four tricks, make the declaration that will lose the least. The score will often warrant a risky make, but consider that your partner knew the score and did not deem his hand worth a venture. Do not flatter your partner by a few kind remarks and then place a hand on the table that is a disgrace to your judgment.

When you are ahead on the game, avoid all weak heart and diamond makes. If you must gamble, a “no-trump” make is a safer speculation.

With four or more clubs, including two honours and one or two worthless spades, clubs will usually prove the more profitable declaration. For defensive purposes a club is useful and is a safer defence than an extremely weak spade, which the adversaries will probably double.

Do not hesitate to make it spades when your hand is weak; and be cautious at all times about making a declaration which will more easily win the game for your adversaries than for you.

Abandoning Spade Hands

A custom that is rapidly growing in favour is that of not playing an undoubled spade make unless the dealer is 20 or more on the game. If the hand is not to be played, the dealer scores two points for the odd trick and the honours are credited to the side that holds them.

All Bridge players have objected at times to the tediousness of spade hands, and this may be the cause of the increasing popularity of this innovation in the more prominent clubs. When Bridge is played for a stake, the result is reached in a much shorter time by throwing spade hands, but there is no reason why other players should not find as much interest in a spade hand as in a stronger declaration.

The rule of abandoning spade hands unless the dealer is 20 or more is unsound. If this custom is to stand the test of time, it must be equitable. It should read: “If either side is 20 or more the hand should be played.” It is an obvious injustice to the adversaries not to play a spade hand when the dealer is, say, 14 and the adversaries 28; for, if the opponents do not double, they have no chance to win the game on that hand; while if they do double, a redouble might follow, which would give the dealer an excellent chance to win the game.

Doubling

With any kind of fair strength the novice at Bridge is invariably anxious to double; but a few experiences with an adversary glad to embrace the opportunity to redouble, will turn the course of his anxiety to a desire to conceal such strength as he may hold.

Ordinarily be satisfied to win at all on the opponent’s make. By doubling you not only place the strength and thus enable the dealer to finesse successfully, but your double is a warning to the dealer to be cautious in leading trumps, and therefore, lessens your chances of winning tricks.

To increase safely the value of the tricks it is essential that you consider the state of the score, the possibility of a redouble, and your position in regard to the maker.

The score is a most important factor, and even, at times, justifies a double with only a fair hand. For instance, suppose the odd trick wins the game for your adversaries, and does not win it for you; if you double and secure the odd trick, the additional count may enable you to win the game on that deal or the next.

It is bad play to double when you need only an odd trick to win the game. If you double you lessen your chance of winning the trick, and by opening the way to a redouble perhaps give the adversaries the game.

Doubling on the rubber game is dangerous. The increased value of the tricks may enable your adversaries to win the rubber on that hand, when, otherwise, you might go out on the next deal.

Your position in regard to the maker claims equal consideration. If the trump has been made at your right, you play after the strong hand, and are, therefore, in a good position to make your high trump cards; but, if you double when this arrangement is reversed, and the maker is over you, the dealer has this advantage.

As spades are made for safety, occasions for doubling the spade declaration obviously arise more frequently than any other; yet players are prone to go to extremes in doubling spade hands, for, while it does not require much strength to double a defensive spade declaration, there is always a possibility of great trump strength in the adversaries’ hands.

Do not double the make of hearts, diamonds, or clubs without some strength in the trump suit; as high cards, particularly if the suits are long, may be trumped, strength in the side suits alone is unreliable. Spades, however, may be doubled with but little strength in the trump suit.

Be particularly conservative in doubling a “no-trump” make; for but rarely does it pay to double with a hand containing general strength. Remember that while you are in the dark as to your partner’s hand, the dealer has the enormous advantage of seeing and combining his own hand and the dummy; that he knows what suit to avoid, and what suit to establish; and that your doubling will place him in a still more advantageous position by enabling him to locate honours and make successful finesses. Be cautious, also, when you hold fair strength in three suits and are weak in the remaining one. The maker is apt to hold a very long suit and you will not find it easy to discard, and at the same time protect your hand.

Usually it is not safe to double a “no-trump” make unless you hold a suit that you are reasonably sure is established. It is a gamble to double with a six-card suit headed by ace, king, and queen with no other trick in the hand. You depend on your partner to take one trick, which he may not be able to do; and, should you find your long suit protected in the adversaries’ hands, you run the risk of being very badly beaten. If the odd trick wins the game for the adversaries and does not win it for you, such a double may be justifiable; still you cannot hope to win more than 24 points by doubling, and you risk losing three or four odd tricks with a possibility of a redouble. While such a double will often succeed it can hardly be classed as sound.

As the younger hand, it may be wise to double a “no-trump” make in order to prevent great loss or to save the game. In other words, it may pay to show your partner by a double that you have strength in a particular suit. There are at present two methods used by Bridge players to indicate this strength, one known as the Heart Convention and the other as the Weak Suit Convention.

Redoubling

Although the score may sometimes warrant a redouble without extraordinary strength, a redouble practically avows the ability to take six, and probably, seven tricks. In estimating your hand consider the possibility of finding all the remaining trumps in one hand, and do not value honours in the side suits too highly, for if he holds great trump strength the maker is probably short in the other suits. A redouble at “no-trump” indicates protection in every suit.

The dealer should often redouble, not so much on the strength of his hand, but to the score; knowing that should the adversaries win the odd trick the game is lost, and that his redouble will equalise the situation and make it possible for the odd trick to win the game for either side.

Estimating The Value Of A Hand

In considering your probable tricks those in the trump suit are of course most certain.

On the right side of the maker three trumps with a single honour, ace, king, or queen, may be estimated as being worth but one trick.

Do not count on ruffing with a single trump.

Should you hold three trumps with two honours, headed by the ace king, the king queen, or even the king jack, you are reasonably sure of two tricks in the trump suit--as can also be said of four trumps with two high honours. Indeed in the last combination, with the third best card an eight or better, there are probably three trump tricks.

With four trumps including three, or five trumps including two honours, provided the suit is headed by the ace or king, you can reasonably expect to secure three tricks in the trump suit.

Aces and kings in the side suits are usually good for a trick each; but allow for the length of the suit, the shorter it is the less probability that your honours will be trumped. It is not safe to count on making your queens; they may be classed as doubtful tricks.

Spades may be doubled with four tricks. To double hearts, diamonds, or clubs you should be sure of five tricks.

The Lead When Partner Has Doubled

A double by your partner indicates some strength in trumps as well as in the side suits. It does not necessarily imply a desire to get the trumps out, nor should you invariably lead trumps when your partner has doubled; your play must be influenced by the general character of your own hand.

If you hold a short suit it is obviously a better lead than trumps. You may be able to ruff with your small trumps.

It is also bad play to lead trumps up to the maker. This would place your partner’s high cards in a position to be easily captured by the dealer.

When dummy is the maker, the trump lead from weakness through the strong hand gives your partner the advantage of position; but it is safer play to win the first trick, if possible, and decide on your subsequent play after seeing the dummy hand.

Avoid leading trumps to your partner if you hold the ace, the king, or the queen of trumps guarded; your partner may have doubled on high suit cards with but little strength in trumps.

In leading trumps from weakness always lead the highest card, so that your partner can discover the distribution of the suit, and place the dealer’s trumps.

As a doubled spade make does not of necessity show strength in trumps, it is not as a rule the custom of good players to lead spades, except from strength, before seeing the dummy hand. If you hold trump strength your partner has probably doubled on his suit cards, and your trump lead will insure the safety of his high cards. Should you hold a strong suit hand, your partner’s double is presumably an indication of trump strength, and the trump opening would be advisable.

With only fair strength in the side suits and weak trumps, especially where you hold a short suit, do not be tempted to lead the trump originally. Wait until you learn more of the position of the cards.

The Heart Convention

When you have the first lead and your partner has doubled a “no-trump” make, you are expected to lead your highest heart.

Under this system the younger hand does not double “no-trumps” unless he is willing that a heart should be led; and although the doubling power of the younger hand is reduced, it makes your lead, unless you have the misfortune to hold no heart, a practical certainty.

Should you hold an established suit and the ace of hearts you must, of course, double to have the heart led. When you hold an established suit of hearts, or a long suit of hearts that can be established in one lead and a sure card of re-entry, a double may save the game.

The Weak Suit Convention

In England and in some parts of this country, if the younger hand doubles it is a signal for his partner to lead the highest card of his weakest suit; trusting that this weak suit and the doubler’s long one will prove identical.

As this convention justifies a double with any established suit, it multiplies the opportunities to double; but, on the other hand, since the leader may have to choose between two weak suits, there is no certainty that he will make the desired lead; he may instead strike the dealer’s long suit with a disastrous result.

The Non-Dealer’S Play Against A Declared Trump

Remember that in playing against a trump declaration, unless it be spades, you are sure to find trump strength, probably five or more, with the maker. If you are weak in the trump suit, and your partner does not show strength by doubling, your best defence is an endeavour to save the game by making high cards early in the hand.

In playing against a red declaration, be on the defensive from the start. The only time that you can afford to be aggressive is when it is evident that the dealer is trying to establish a “cross-ruff,” or a “ruff” in the weak trump hand.

It is an advantage to win the first trick, as this enables you to see the thirteen cards in dummy. The scheme of play of a hand may be changed after the dummy is seen; therefore, it is not possible to state what should be done after the opening lead; but, as a general principle, it is safe either to continue the suit led originally or to endeavour to help your partner’s hand by leading through strength. You should be careful at all times neither to establish a suit for the adversary, nor to give the dealer an opportunity to discard his worthless cards.

When there is an established suit against you, unless you can stop the dealer’s lead of trumps, make all possible tricks before you give up the lead. If the dealer once obtains the lead, he may exhaust the trumps, and make the established suit.

As the dealer sees the dummy hand and his own, and therefore knows the cards that are against him, give your partner correct information regarding the cards you hold. While this may be valuable to the dealer in placing the cards, the knowledge will be of greater benefit to your partner and yourself.

The Opening Lead

When trumps are against you, unless you lead your high cards early in the hand you may lose them. The dealer may be able to exhaust trumps, and make some one suit on which to discard his losing cards. When your hand is strong in each suit, there is not this danger; there can be no established suit against you.

No doubt the best opening that can be made against a trump declaration is from a combination containing both ace and king. The lead of the king from this combination gives you an opportunity to see the dummy and does not clear the suit for the adversary. While the king lead should usually be followed by the ace, in some cases, where it is apparent that the dealer’s weak hand can trump on the second round, or that the lead may clear the suit for the dealer or dummy, the suit should not be continued. It is rarely wrong to lead from a sequence, especially from one of three high cards. If you hold no sequence of three, perhaps those containing two honours in sequence, such as king queen, queen jack, or even jack ten, may be classed as good openings. Often when you hold no high card sequence, the lead is a disadvantage; experience shows that you make more tricks in a suit if it is led to you; for that reason it is often advisable to refrain from opening tenace suits or suits with a single honour.

The following are given as examples of combinations from which it is not advisable to lead:

A Q x x A J x x K J x x K x x x

In opening a suit headed by the ace, avoid the lead of a low card. The dealer may win the first round and find means to discard his remaining losing cards in that suit.

No objection can be raised to the lead of an ace with four or more other cards in the suit, but with less than five it is better play to avoid leading that suit. If the lead comes up to you, the ace may kill some high cards in the adversary’s hand and promote the value of the cards held by your partner; whereas if you lead the ace presumably only small cards will fall, making high ones good for the dealer.

If your hand is hopelessly weak in trumps and in side suits, even with but three cards in the suit, an ace should be led in order to save a grand slam.

If you are forced to open a suit containing a single honour, or a suit with two honours not in sequence, not including suits headed by the ace, the fourth best card should be led.

The following are given as examples of combinations from which the fourth best card should be led:

K J x x K 10 x x K x x x Q x x x Q 10 x x J x x x 10 x x x

With a long weak suit it is better play to lead the fourth best card. Any irregular lead may suggest a short suit to your partner, and loss may result from his incorrect interpretation of the lead.

Examples Of Opening Leads

The Underlined Card Indicates The Lead.

(_Hearts_) TRUMP DECLARED BY DEALER.

+---------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | The underlines have been replaced with square brackets. | | For example [K]. | +---------------------------------------------------------+

_Holding the Lead._ +--------------+----------------+---------------+--------------+ | ♥ | ♠ | ♦ | ♣ | +--------------+----------------+---------------+--------------+ | J 8 2 | K J 7 6 | A [K] Q 5 3 |7 | | 8 |[A] Q 6 5 4 2 | Q 8 4 | 9 8 | | J 10 | 10 8 4 | K J 9 |[A] 8 7 4 3 | | 6 4 |[A] Q J 10 9 | 7 3 2 | 9 6 4 | | 10 4 | A 6 |[A] J 7 5 3 2 | 8 7 5 | | 9 7 | A [K] 4 | A 8 6 4 3 | 7 6 3 | | 6 5 3 | 8 6 5 2 | K J 5 3 |[A] K | | J 6 5 | 9 6 4 2 |[A] 10 | 9 7 4 3 | | 9 5 3 |[A] 6 | K 9 5 2 | A Q 5 4 | | 8 6 5 | 9 6 3 |[A] J 9 4 | 10 5 3 | +--------------+----------------+---------------+--------------+

_Leading from a Sequence._ +--------------+----------------+---------------+--------------+ | ♥ | ♠ | ♦ | ♣ | +--------------+----------------+---------------+--------------+ | 8 6 | A 5 | A J 5 |[K] Q J 7 6 4 | | 9 8 6 4 | 7 | A 8 5 3 |[K] Q J 10 | | K 8 5 | 8 5 4 | 10 6 5 3 |[Q] J 10 | | K 10 5 | K 6 3 |[K] Q 8 5 | A 7 3 | | A J 6 | K 6 4 | 8 6 4 3 |[K] Q J | | Q 7 5 |[Q] J 10 6 | A 8 5 | A Q 7 | | J 6 4 | 10 |[K] Q J 9 7 5 | Q 7 3 | +--------------+----------------+---------------+--------------+

_Leading from Long Suits._ +--------------+----------------+---------------+--------------+ | ♥ | ♠ | ♦ | ♣ | +--------------+----------------+---------------+--------------+ | Q J 7 4 | K 10 8 [4] | A 7 | J 9 5 | | K 6 |[Q] J 9 6 4 | 9 8 6 | 6 5 2 | | 8 5 | A J 6 | K J [10] 8 5 | K 7 4 | | J 10 | Q J 7 [3] | A Q 6 3 | A J 8 | | A J 7 5 | 4 3 | 10 8 7 [4] 2 | Q 5 | | J 8 5 3 | K 10 7 [5] 3 | A 8 6 | 8 | | 8 6 4 | 9 5 2 | 8 6 3 | Q 9 6 [4] | | 10 6 | K 10 8 [3] | 10 7 6 2 | A J 5 | | K 10 7 | A J 8 | 10 7 5 [4] | Q 9 2 | | A J | J 6 4 | Q 10 8 [6] 2 | 8 5 3 | +--------------+----------------+-------------+----------------+

Inferences From High Card Leads

It is not easy to determine from the lead of a high card how many cards are held in the suit. You can only assume the length from the number of cards you hold and the number in dummy. The fall of the cards may give the information, but you cannot rely altogether on the dealer’s play; it is his object to make it difficult for you to place the cards.

=The lead of an ace= denies the king. If the king is neither in dummy nor in your own hand, it should be placed with the dealer. Should your partner, however, lead an ace and follow with the king, the lead indicates that he holds no other card of that suit, and should enable you to locate the queen.

Among the better players the lead of an ace also denies the queen, since if the suit is led up to the ace, queen, tenace, two tricks may be made. This inference, however, should not be too rigidly drawn, because great length in the suit might justify an opening from an ace-queen combination.

The lead of an ace followed by the queen indicates the jack.

The lead of an ace followed by the jack indicates the ten, or no other card in the suit.

If it develops that your partner has led the ace from ace and two small cards, it indicates either a very weak hand or a tenace in some other suit.

=The lead of a king= indicates the ace, the queen, or both. Should the king win the first trick, you should infer that your partner holds the ace. If the king is taken by the ace, the queen is marked in your partner’s hand. If the king is followed by the ace, it denies the queen.

{ A K Q { A K J =The king should be led from= { A K x { K Q J { K Q x

=The lead of a queen= denies the ace and the king, consequently the lead places both of these high cards.

If a queen is led by your partner, you should infer that the lead is from jack ten; perhaps it would be better to say that the lead shows the jack. If you find the jack is either on the table or in your own hand, the lead was evidently from a short suit; queen and one or a singleton.

{Q J 10 {Q J 9 {Q J x =The queen should be led from= {Q J {Q x {Q

=The lead of a jack= denies the ace, the king, and the queen; consequently your partner holds no higher card of the suit; against a declared trump, it usually indicates a short suit.

There is some difference of opinion among Bridge players as to this lead; the jack is sometimes led from king queen jack, from king jack ten, and even from ace jack ten. The lead of a jack as the top card does away with the confusion that is caused by numerous interior leads. It simplifies the lead and facilitates the placing of higher cards.

{J 10 9 {J 10 =The jack should be led from= {J x {J

=The lead of the ten= indicates the king jack and ten and denies both ace and queen. If either the king or the jack is in your hand or in dummy, the ten lead denies any higher card, and is probably the top of a short suit.

{ K J 10 x { 10 9 x =The ten should be led from= { 10 9 { 10 x { 10

=The lead of a nine= denies all higher cards of the suit; it is led only as a top card, and usually indicates a short suit.

{ 9 8 x =The nine should be led from= { 9 x { 9

Inferences From Low Card Leads

An application of the Rule of Eleven will materially assist you to draw correct inferences from the lead of a small card. It will indicate whether the lead is from a short or a long suit.

If you see more high cards than the Rule of Eleven would allow, you can mark the lead, not as fourth best, but as the top of a short suit. If the lead indicates a long suit, you can often determine the exact combination of cards from which it has been made.

=The Rule of Eleven=

Deduct the size of the card led from eleven, and the difference will show how many cards higher than the one led are held _outside_ the leader’s hand.

The lead of an eight or a seven (except at no-trumps) is more apt to be from a short than from a long suit; combinations in which these cards would be fourth best are seldom opened by good players.

It will be easier for your partner to read your lead, if with long weak suits, headed by jack, ten, or nine, you lead the fourth best card. These cards can be led to indicate a short suit.

You can determine the length of your partner’s suit by noticing the fall of the low cards.

When it is evident that your partner has led the lowest card of his suit, his lead indicates exactly four cards. If your partner is leading from a long suit and plays down on the second round, he holds more than four cards.

Examples Of Inference From Opening Leads

A is the leader, Y the dummy, Z the dealer.

7♠ 3♠ x-------x | Y | A♠ | A B | 8♠ 5♠ 4♠ | Z | x-------x

A’s lead of the ace denies the king and probably the queen; both of these cards should be placed in the dealer’s hand.

8♠ 7♠ 4♠ x-------x | Y | Q♠ | A B | A♠ 9♠ 3♠ | Z | x-------x

Third hand should play ace on queen; king is in the dealer’s hand. A has probably led from queen jack ten.

9♠ 5♠ 4♠ x-------x | Y | J♠ | A B | K♠ 6♠ 3♠ | Z | x-------x

B should play the three; his partner’s lead indicates the top card, and also shows that both ace and queen are in the dealer’s hand.

J♠ 8♠ 5♠ x-------x | Y | 10♠ | A B | A♠ 6♠ 4♠ | Z | x-------x

A’s lead of ten with jack on the table indicates the top of a short suit. King and queen should be placed in the dealer’s hand.

8♠ 7♠ 4♠ x-------x | Y | 9♠ | A B | A♠ 10♠ 3♠ | Z | x-------x

The lead indicates the top, probably, of a short suit. King, queen, and jack are all marked in the dealer’s hand.

Original Trump Openings

If a trump has been declared by the dealer it is not, as a rule, good play to lead trumps up to his strong hand; this lead would necessarily place any high trump cards that your partner may hold in a bad position. If, however, you hold a sequence in trumps and strength in the side suits consisting of combinations from which you do not wish to lead, a trump lead is admissible.

The following are given as examples of hands from which the trump should be led when the dealer is the maker. In these cases hearts are trumps.

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ | ♥ | ♦ | ♣ | ♠ | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ | [K] Q J | A Q x x | K x | K J x x | | [K] Q | K J x x | A Q x | K x x x | | [Q] J 10 | A J x x | A Q x | K x x | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ The underlined card indicates the lead.

+---------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | The underlines have been replaced with square brackets. | | For example [K]. | +---------------------------------------------------------+

When dummy is the maker of the trump, there are many hands from which the trump should be led as an initial opening. If you hold tenace suits, or suit containing single honours, and the adversary or your partner leads to you, you are in a better position to make your high cards, hence a trump opening in order to throw the lead.

If, however, you hold a sequence in any one suit, the trump lead is not necessary. Leading from a sequence is always good play, and rarely results in loss.

The following hands are given as examples of original trump openings when dummy is the maker.

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ | ♥ | ♦ | ♣ | ♠ | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ | [J] 10 | A Q x | K J x x |A Q x x | | [9] x | A J x x | A x x x |K x x x | | [7] 3 | A Q x | K x x x |K J x x | | [8] 5 | A Q x x x | A J x |K Q x | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ The underlined card indicates the lead.

+---------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | The underlines have been replaced with square brackets. | | For example [K]. | +---------------------------------------------------------+

Original Trump Openings From Strength

It is advisable to lead trumps from strength in comparatively few hands, for the reason that the lead indicates to the dealer the position of the trump strength held against him. If, however, you hold four or five trumps without an honour, and combinations in the plain suits from which you do not wish to lead, the trump may be led through the strong hand. This is especially true of a four-trump hand, which contains three cards of each of the other suits.

Avoid opening the trump from strength when you hold a single honour, or even two honours. You will gain, by waiting for the lead to come to you.

The Trump Lead Against A Spade Make

As a rule, the aggressive spirit that should characterise the non-dealer’s play of a spade hand is lacking. While a spade is not necessarily made from weakness, the declaration in itself shows sufficient weakness in the side suits to embolden the adversaries’ play. With a hand containing five trumps (spades) the initial opening should be the trump. Your partner must hold suit strength which your trump lead will protect.

If your five trumps contain a tenace and you can advantageously lead from another suit, it may be advisable to wait for your partner to lead to your tenace, particularly if by doubling you have indicated trump strength.

If you have been redoubled and your hand contains four trumps and strength in the side suits, the trump lead requires more careful consideration.

Unless your partner has doubled the spade declaration it is impossible for you to place the trump strength, and you should be cautious about leading originally from a short trump suit.

How To Play To Partner’S Trump Opening

Any trump opening from your partner is an indication of strength, usually of strength in the side suits. It does not necessarily follow that your partner wants the trumps out, but _it is_ an indication that he is anxious to have his suits led to. If you win the first trick in the trump suit, look to see if dummy offers you an advantageous lead. If you hold fair strength in the side suits with no protected honour in trumps and no short suit, there can be no objection to the return of the trump lead; but if you hold a tenace over dummy’s strength in trumps, or a high card that is protected, it would be a bad play to return the trump lead. Wait until your partner or the adversary leads up to you. Do not return the trump lead if you hold a short suit. Lead the short suit. You may be given an opportunity to make one of your trumps.

Leading Trumps To Prevent A Ruff In The Weak Trump Hand

When the dealer seems backward about leading trumps, the inference is that he is trying to establish a ruff in the weak trump hand, and you should be on the alert to prevent this by leading trumps (through the strength). It may be necessary for you to lead the trump after your initial lead. It may be advisable to stop leading a suit, which would help to establish a ruff in the weak hand; or it may be essential that you try to place your partner in the lead, so that he can lead the trumps through the strong hand. If you are weak in dummy’s long suit, it is always more or less dangerous to lead trumps. When this is the case, your lead might help the dealer to exhaust trumps and make this long suit.

Short Suit Openings

In Bridge the term short suit implies a singleton or a two-card suit, although, strictly speaking, any suit of fewer than four cards is short. With a very weak hand (no high cards in any suit) it is evident that the only possible way of making tricks is by a short lead, which may enable you to ruff the suit on the second or third round. With a hand that contains tenace suits or suits with a single honour, it is often advisable to lead short; this opening gives you a double advantage; you may have an opportunity to ruff, and you throw the lead with the purpose of having your honour suits led up to.

With most players the desire to make a small trump is very strong, and often leads to thoroughly unsound openings. It is always wrong to open a short suit when you hold an ace king suit. Why play in the dark, when by leading the king of your ace king suit, you are in a position to hold the lead until you have seen dummy and can judge as to the advisability of the weak lead? A suit headed by king queen is also a safer opening than a short lead, which may establish the suit for the dealer; although, if you hold an honour that will stop the adversaries’ trump lead, say an ace or a guarded king, you are almost certain to be in the lead before the dealer has an opportunity to discard worthless cards on his established suit. Any short lead may establish a suit for the dealer or dummy; in fact, the chances are that it will. If you are weak in trumps and have little or no strength in the side suits, you have not much to lose by the short lead. The dealer will establish and make his suit with or without help. On the other hand, if you are strong in trumps, you may be able to make it most difficult for the dealer to exhaust the trumps and make a suit unless, by your weak lead, you establish it for him.

With strength in trumps the short opening is unsound, particularly with four trumps is it apt to ruin your hand. One force given your hand makes it easy for the dealer to exhaust your trumps and to make the suit that you, by your short lead, have established.

With four trumps open your long suit. The maker probably holds five trumps, and when one force is given to his hand, you have an equal number. Even though your trumps are small the dealer must exhaust his own to draw them, and a card of re-entry in your hand or that of your partner will probably enable you to make your suit. At any rate, you have made it difficult for the dealer to establish his suit, or retrieve any subsequent error in his play.

With five trumps and any good suit the latter should be opened. When the make has been passed, should you hold no long suit, choose preferably a short red suit. In other words lead up to the dealer’s supposed weakness.

With six trumps little or no objection can be raised to the short lead. When the trump situation is known you may be forced to lead them to the maker, so that you should early in the hand try to take as many trump tricks as possible.

At all times select the highest card of a short suit for the lead. This is done to give requisite information to your partner. Unless he can see, in his hand or dummy, great strength in the suit, the lead of a very low card is most difficult to read as short.

The following are given as examples of hands from which a short suit may be led. The trump (hearts) declared by the dealer. The card underlined indicates the lead.

+---------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | The underlines have been replaced with square brackets. | | For example [K]. | +---------------------------------------------------------+

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ | ♥ | ♣ | ♦ | ♠ | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+ | K 5 2 | A J 6 4 |[10] 9 | A Q 5 3 | | A 9 3 |[8] 6 | 9 7 4 2 | Q 8 6 4 | | A Q 8 | K J 6 3 |[J] 10 | K 8 4 2 | | A 9 3 |[Q] | K 8 6 4 2 | J 8 5 3 | | Q 5 2 |[J] 10 4 | K 8 4 | K 5 4 2 | | J 7 3 | A Q 9 6 |[K] Q | K J 4 2 | | 8 6 2 |[9] | J 8 6 4 2 | 10 8 4 | | 7 5 | Q 6 4 3 |[9] 8 | 10 6 5 3 2 | +-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Leading Through Strength

The fundamental idea of leading through strength is to help your partner to make his high cards by allowing him to play after the exposed hand. “Leading through” means to make a person play second hand to the trick. You always lead through your left hand adversary.

Should your partner hold K J x with A Q x in dummy, it is obvious that if you lead through the suit, your partner may win two tricks, whereas if he is forced to lead up to the strength, one trick at least would be lost. Players will often say, “How can I know that my partner has any high cards in that suit?” Perhaps you cannot be certain of the distribution of the high cards; in leading through strength you hope that your partner holds the missing honours, realising that if all the strength is with the dealer, nothing is lost. “Leading through strength” is simply looking ahead and foreseeing what may happen. In other words, not placing your partner in a position whereby he may be forced to lead up to the strength in dummy.

When To Lead Through Strength

After taking the first trick, study the dummy carefully in order to see which suit may be led through advantageously. If there are two suits to choose from, select the suit in which you are short, hoping it may afford you an opportunity to make a small trump.

The fall of the cards will often indicate that your partner can trump the second or third round of the suit you are leading. Before giving him the ruff, consider that he will be compelled to lead, and if there is no suit in dummy that he can lead to advantageously, it is better for you to lead through the strength on the table than to force your partner to lead up to the strong hand. Of course, if it is necessary to save the game by all means give your partner the ruff, but if, on the other hand, you hold the ace or guarded king of trumps, _i.e._ a high card that will stop the adversary’s trump lead, it is preferable to lead through dummy’s strength. Later you can stop the trump lead and give your partner the ruff.

Choice Of Suits To Lead Through

In leading through strength, certain suits are preferable to others. A guarded king in the dummy is an ideal suit to lead through when you hold the queen, jack, ten of the same suit. By leading the queen, if your partner holds the ace, you can prevent dummy’s king from making.

In leading through strength, avoid a suit in which you yourself hold a protected honour. For instance, holding king, jack, small, it would be bad play to lead through ace, queen, ten, as this would give the dummy an opportunity to make three tricks in the suit.

The following may be classed as good combinations from which to lead through strength in dummy:

=Holding= =Lead through=

J 10 9 } 10 9 x } A Q x in Dummy x x x }

x x x A J x or A x x in Dummy

10 9 x } K J x in Dummy x x x }

Q J 10 } Q J x } Q x } K x x in Dummy J 10 x } 10 9 x } x x x }

J 10 9 } J 10 x } Q x x in Dummy x x x }

In leading through any of these combinations, the top card of a sequence should be led. In fact, with three cards or fewer in a suit, it is almost an invariable rule to lead the highest card.

The following are combinations which should be led through only as a last resort:

=Holding= =Avoid leading through=

{ A J x Q x x { A 10 x in Dummy { K J x { K 10 x

{ A Q x { A J x K x x { A x x in Dummy { Q J x { Q x x { Q x

J x x x { A 10 x { K 10 x in Dummy

Suggestions For Third Hand Play

When you are trying to win the trick, play high third in hand; but if your cards, or your cards combined with those in the dummy are in sequence, play the lowest card of the sequence.

Do not finesse against your partner; help his hand at the sacrifice of your high card. If, however, you hold ace, jack, small,--with king or queen in dummy,--the play of the jack is permissible; your partner’s lead practically shows one of these honours.

When you hold the ace and your partner leads a jack through a guarded king or queen in dummy, it is often good play to pass the first trick. By playing the ace you will probably establish two high cards for the dealer.

If your partner’s lead clearly indicates a short suit, with the ace marked in the dealer’s hand, do not sacrifice a king. Allow the dealer to win the trick cheaply, if necessary, but keep your king guarded. By playing a low card you may deceive an unwary dealer, and at any rate you will put the dealer to some trouble to catch your king.

At “no-trump,” provided the dummy holds an honour, you should finesse deeply in your partner’s suit. The application of the Eleven Rule will materially help you in finessing. When there is a guarded queen in the dummy and you hold the king, ten, small, or ace, ten, small, to finesse is sound play. If dummy holds a twice guarded king and you hold the ace, jack, small, it often pays not to take the finesse, for should you abandon the suit to wait until your partner can again lead through the king, you may take out the only re-entry card in his hand.

Unless your partner holds two re-entries, you gain nothing by the finesse.

Inferences From Third-Hand Play

It is very important for the leader, especially in a “no-trump” hand, to be in a position to determine whether his suit should be continued or abandoned. Careful notice of the card your partner plays to the first trick will often enable you to place the high cards in that suit, and in this way suggest your subsequent play.

The following are given as illustrations of inferences to be drawn by the leader from third-hand play:

A and B are partners, and the underlined card in each example indicates A’s lead; Y’s cards are exposed.

+---------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | The underlines have been replaced with square brackets. | | For example [K]. | +---------------------------------------------------------+ 8♠ 7♠ x-------x | Y | K♠ 10♠ 6♠ [5♠] | A B | Q♠ | Z | x-------x A♠

B’s play of queen denies the jack, which should therefore be marked in the dealer’s hand. The small cards cannot be placed.

6♠ 3♠ x-------x | Y | A♠ J♠ 7♠ [5♠] | A B | 9♠ | Z | x-------x K♠

B’s play of the nine denies the eight and the queen. Both of these cards must be in the dealer’s hand. The ten should be placed with B. The leader, in order to catch the dealer’s queen, must await a return of the suit.

7♠ 3♠ x-------x | Y | Q♠ 9♠ 6♠ [5♠] | A B | J♠ | Z | x-------x A♠

The play of the jack denies the ten and the king; both of these cards are marked in the dealer’s hand. Should A continue this suit, it would allow the dealer to make tricks with both ten and king. The suit must be abandoned until the lead can come from B’s hand.

J♠ 8♠ x-------x | Y | K♠ 9♠ 7♠ [6♠] | A B | Q♠ | Z | x-------x A♠

B’s play of the queen with the jack exposed on the table denies the ten, which must be in the dealer’s hand.

10♠ 7♠ 5♠ x-------x | Y | J♠ 9♠ 8♠ [6♠] | A B | K♠ | Z | x-------x A♠

B’s play of the king denies the queen. To continue the suit might allow the dealer to make two tricks. A should abandon the suit until B can return it through the dealer’s hand.

J♠ 7♠ 2♠ x-------x | Y | 10♠ 9♠ 6♠ [4♠] | A B | Q♠ | Z | x-------x A♠

It is impossible to tell whether the king is held by the dealer or by B. The suit, however, may be continued with the ten. If B holds the king this may shut out the jack. If the dealer holds the king probably nothing will be lost.

8♠ 7♠ 5♠ x-------x | Y | [Q♠] J♠ 10♠ 9♠ | A B | A♠ | Z | x-------x

B’s play of the ace denies the king, which should be placed with the dealer.

K♠ 6♠ 5♠ x-------x | Y | Q♠ 8♠ 7♠ [2♠] | A B | A♠ | Z | x-------x

It is customary holding the ace and jack with the king or queen in dummy to finesse the jack third in hand. B’s play of ace would, therefore, deny the jack, which is marked with the dealer. Avoid continuing the suit.

K♠ 6♠ 4♠ x-------x | Y | Q♠ 7♠ 5♠ [3♠] | A B | 10♠ | Z | x-------x 8♠

As the dealer does not take the ten, the ace and jack are presumably in B’s hand. B’s play of ten denies the nine, which should be placed with the dealer.

6♠ 4♠ 2♠ x-------x | Y | J♠ 8♠ 7♠ [5♠] | A B | A♠ K♠ | Z | x-------x

B plays ace to the first trick, and returns the king; this indicates no more cards in the suit, and marks the queen in the dealer’s hand.

Leading Up To Dummy

With dummy on your right, you should invariably lead up to the weak suit. This is especially important when you hold no high cards in the suit, for in this case the strength lies between your partner and the dealer. By leading through the dealer’s hand you give your partner the advantage of position; otherwise he may be forced to lead up to the dealer’s strength.

In leading up to weakness, the general rule of leading the highest card of a sequence should be followed. It is often good play, when dummy holds no honour in the suit, to lead a card higher than dummy’s best. This permits your partner, if the lead is not covered, to pass the trick.

If dummy’s weakness is in the trump suit, your best play will often be to lead trumps through the dealer’s strong hand, rather than to lead up to the high cards in dummy. If you hold a guarded king and dummy a guarded queen, do not be tempted to lead up to this honour.

It would be obviously wrong to lead up to a king if you hold the ace. You must wait until this suit is led by the adversary or your partner. Do not lead up to an ace in dummy if you hold the king. You are reasonably sure to make a trick with this card if you wait until the suit is led by the dealer or your partner. If you hold a sequence headed by the queen or jack, little or no objection can be raised to your leading up to an ace or king, and on each occasion the highest card of the sequence should be led.

Should you lead a low card up to dummy’s strong suit, your lead would indicate a singleton and a desire to “ruff.”

The Echo

In Whist the play to a lead of a high and then a lower card is a signal for a lead of trumps, and is necessarily an indication of strength in trumps.

In Bridge this convention is used to show control of the third round of the suit led. Some players use this echo or signal to show that they can trump the third round of the suit, while with others it implies control of the third round either with the high card or by a “ruff.”

This signal should not be used except on your partner’s lead of king, as otherwise it would give information to the dealer. To use it on the adversary’s lead would help the dealer to make successful finesses, and to mark the distribution of the suits. Be careful when you use this signal not to echo with an honour. If you hold Q x, J x, 10 x, do not play the honour to the first trick; not only is your partner apt to think you have no more of the suit, but these honours are too valuable to throw away.

Forcing

To force is to make a player trump. This will, of course, reduce his trump strength and weaken his hand. It is as a rule good play to force the adversary’s strong trump hand. It will often prevent his exhausting the trumps, and hinder his bringing in an established suit.

The beginner hesitates to force the strong trump hand. He feels that he is wasting a high card and allowing the adversary to make a small trump, not realising that no card of this suit can make, unless the trumps are exhausted.

If no force be given to the strong hand, it is, ordinarily, an easy matter for the dealer to exhaust trumps and make a suit; unless there is unusual length in trumps, judicious forcing will do more than anything else to break down a strong trump hand.

Do not lead a suit with the intention of forcing the strong hand unless you hold the commanding card or can mark this card with your partner; you may give the dealer an opportunity to win the trick and to discard a worthless card.

You should hesitate to force when by doing so you establish the remaining cards of the suit for your opponent.

You should not attempt to force the strong hand when there is an established suit against you, particularly when it can be inferred that the dealer has all the high cards in the trump suit. At this time, make what you can in the remaining suit before you give up the lead.

It is wrong to force the weak hand. You lose one of your high cards, and the maker’s trumps are still intact. Do not continue a suit when it is shown that the weak hand can “ruff.”

In playing against the make, if you infer that your partner is weak in trumps and also short in a side suit, it is usually advisable to allow him to make small trumps by forcing him. This should always be done when a short suit has been led by your partner. His lead practically asks for the “ruff.”

If, however, your partner has doubled, be more careful about forcing him. By reducing his trump strength you may severely injure his hand.

It is bad play to lead a suit that both the dealer and the dummy can trump. It allows the dealer to trump in one hand and to discard a worthless card in the other.

Returning Partner’S Lead

Ordinarily it is not possible to establish a suit against the dealer’s strong trump hand, and this does away with the usual argument in favour of returning your partner’s original lead. On the contrary, it is probably the last thing that should be done. Your play is to make any high cards you may hold, and then to search for a weak suit in the dummy hand. If you lead up to this weakness, the dealer cannot place the strength in the suit, and your partner is in a very good position to win a trick cheaply.

After making your high cards, should there be no weak suit in dummy to lead up to, return your partner’s lead.

Second-Hand Play

When opposed to the dealer the question of correct second-hand play is relative to your position at the table. That is whether you play before the dummy or before the dealer. In other words, whether the dummy is at your left or whether the dealer is at your left.

If you will try to infer why the dealer is leading that suit, it will assist you to decide on the correct second-hand play. It is, of course, reasonable to suppose that he has some strength in the suit. What this strength may be you must judge from the cards that you hold and those that you see on the table.

When You Play Before The Dummy

It is evident that when dummy is weak the second-hand play is greatly simplified. You either play higher than dummy’s best, or pass the trick to your partner. Should dummy hold strength or a high card in the suit, it is usually better to play higher than any card dummy holds. For instance, if you hold K x x, with the queen and others on the table, your second-hand play would be the king; otherwise the queen in dummy may win the trick. In this position, however, there are times when a low card should be played. For instance, dummy holds K with others, and you hold A J x; the second-hand play is low; for should the adversary take the trick with the king and return the same suit you win two tricks instead of one. If you hold ace and one or two small cards with king and jack in dummy, the second-hand play should be a low card. Should the dealer finesse the jack, your partner may win the trick.

Should dummy hold over you in a position to overtake any card you may play, unless you hold two honours in sequence, always play your lowest card. For instance, when you hold K J x, and dummy holds A Q x, it is useless to play any card but the lowest. Dummy is sure to win two tricks in the suit.

If you hold K Q x with A J x in dummy, your two honours are in sequence and the lower honour should be played.

Should you hold A Q x with K J x in dummy, the ace is the best second-hand play. If a low card be played, the dealer, by finessing the jack, can place the ace and the queen in your hand, and of course he will not continue the suit; while if the ace is played, the queen, not being so clearly marked, may win the third round.

Usually cover an honour with an honour even though you know that your high card will be lost. Do so whenever you hold a fourchette; whenever you hold the ten of the same suit, which you may eventually make good; or whenever, by covering, you can reasonably hope to make a card good in partner’s hand. It is not, however, advisable to cover a queen led holding K x x x unless one of the small cards be a nine or better; the adversary will find it difficult to catch a king that is three times protected. On the other hand, a king that is once or even twice guarded can be easily captured, and for that reason, and with the object of promoting a card in your partner’s hand, it is usually good play to cover the lead of a jack or queen.

Do not give the dealer an indication of the cards that you hold by hesitating in your play. Decide on and play a card quickly. If there is a doubt as to your play, play your lowest, remembering that the dealer must guess the position of missing honours.

When You Play Before The Dealer

When the dummy is weak and you play before the dealer, it is with the assurance that the missing strength in the suit is over you. This strength may be held by the dealer or by your partner. As he is leading the suit, the chances are that the balance of strength is with the dealer; therefore, unless you know that you can win the trick, do not play a high card.

With ace and others in a suit, if you do not play the ace second in hand, the dealer may win the trick and discard his worthless cards in that suit. The second-hand play of an ace is particularly necessary later in the hand, and when the trumps are against you.

When you play before the dealer follow the same general rules as to covering an honour, and as to playing the lower of two honours in sequence. If dummy holds an ace and others of a suit, and you hold K J x play the king second hand. With small cards of a suit in dummy and ace queen and others in your own hand, the ace should be played second in hand.

Inferences

There is no subject in Whist or Bridge so interesting as that of inferences. Each card that is played carries with it some information that will often render valuable aid to the play of the hand.

To be able to read the cards correctly, and to draw the proper inferences, requires not only experience, but a certain amount of inherent card genius. The beginner marvels at the amount of information obtained by the expert, wondering how it can possibly be secured. To the average person who sits down to watch a game of Bridge there is nothing more demoralising than to see how readily the good player finds out the location of most of the high cards, and, in many cases, even the distribution of the various suits.

Strange as it may seem, writers on Bridge and Whist have, as a rule, devoted little space to this almost inexhaustible subject. A good-sized book could be written entirely on inferences; and let no one be discouraged at his lack of skill in this direction, for, even among the good players, errors are very common. The best Bridge players, however, are undoubtedly those who can draw inferences quickly and correctly.

The Value Of Information

When playing against the dealer, give your partner all possible information. Any deception or play of false cards, any irregular lead that is not conventional, will often react to the benefit of the dealer.

Information may be given by leading correctly, by taking a trick as cheaply as possible, by discarding properly, by correct second-hand play, and by returning or not returning your partner’s lead.

At times the information that you give your partner may benefit the dealer by enabling him to mark the distribution of a suit, but more often is it of greater value to your partner. The dealer knows from the start the exact cards that are held against him; while your partner needs all the information you can give to combine with you in defending the dealer’s attack.

There are players who claim that you should not lead the fourth best card against a trump declaration, asserting that the information it gives may benefit the dealer, and that, should a card lower than the one led be played, your partner may think it a short lead. These players make the distinction of leading their lowest card against a declared trump, and the fourth best only against a “no-trump” declaration. This may appeal to those who neither count cards nor apply the useful Eleven Rule, but it does not satisfy the clever player, who wishes to count his partner’s suit, and to determine the exact combination of cards it contains.

If you deprive your partner of the information to which he is entitled, you rob Bridge of much of its intellectual pleasure. How can he know when the weak hand can “ruff” your suit? How can he tell whether a lead will force the strong hand or give it a discard? How can he count your hand or the dealer’s? How can he make correct end plays without knowing the position of the cards?

Without this help to partnership play you are in no position to combat the dealer. It is not difficult to win tricks from adversaries who neither give, nor make use of information.

How To Draw Inferences

Bridge is in this respect a much easier game than Whist. In Bridge the declaration and the exposed dummy hand, both absent in Whist, lend enormous assistance in locating the cards.

The beginner invariably becomes interested in his own cards, or those of the dummy, and plays without paying any particular attention to the card that is led or to the one that wins the first trick; in other words he knows nothing about the location of the cards in that particular suit, and his disregard of the fall of the cards continues throughout the entire hand.

A notice which nothing escapes, the ability to count cards, and absolute confidence in your partner’s play, is the _sine qua non_ of correct inferences.

Notice particularly the card that your partner leads; if it be a high card, understand what it indicates; and, if it be a low card, ascertain whether it is led from a long or a short suit.

Watch the cards as they fall, the adversaries’ as well as your partner’s, with unceasing attention, and make a mental interpretation of each play, with due allowance for the dealer’s false cards.

Don’t jump at a conclusion which masses the remaining cards of a suit, but count each suit accurately, with a certainty of the particular cards that must be held by the dealer and your partner.

Much of the intellectual enjoyment of Bridge is derived from playing your hand in conjunction with your partner’s. Credit your partner with playing for the common interest of the hands and place absolute confidence in the information he gives you. A trust in your partner’s Bridge ability will overcome many an obstacle in the way of drawing inferences.

Inferences Regarding The Make

In many hands the declaration and the cards in dummy will show you the dealer’s probable strength; and will also suggest the number of trumps held by your partner.

For instance, should you hold three trumps with three in the dummy, you cannot expect your partner to hold more than two trumps, allowing for at least five in the dealer’s hand.

Should you hold four trumps, with three on the table, your partner cannot have more than one; he may have none.

Although at times you can place high cards in the trump suit, it is difficult to locate honours in a “no-trump” hand. However, keeping the general rules for the make in view, you can form some idea of the adversary’s strength.

When the dealer has passed the make you can often infer from his subsequent play the absence of certain cards. For instance, should the dealer, having passed the make, play two aces, he probably does not hold much strength in the other two suits.

General Inferences

When your partner makes what appears to be an unusual play, do not condemn it, but ask yourself why the play was made. For instance, Why does your partner not lead through the strength in dummy? It may be that he has an honour in that suit, and is waiting for the adversary to lead.

Why does your partner lead up to dummy’s strong suit, instead of to the weak one? He is probably leading a singleton, or he may be very long in that suit and hopes that you will trump.

Why does the dealer not lead trumps? He may be trying to establish a “ruff” in the weak hand; he may be trying to arrange the lead so that his trumps can be led advantageously from the weak hand; or it may be because the balance of trump strength is against him.

Why does your partner abandon his long suit against a “no-trump” make? It is because his card of re-entry has been taken out, because the suit is hopelessly against him, or because he is waiting for you to lead through the dealer’s hand.

Why does your partner refuse to return your lead in a “no-trump” hand? It is either because he has no more of your suit, or because he considers that his suit is stronger.

Why does your partner immediately return your lead against a declared trump, instead of showing his own suit, or leading up to dummy’s weakness? He is evidently anxious to trump the third round of your suit.

With a “no-trump” hand, why does the dealer part with the ace of his adversaries’ suit on the first round? It is because he has that suit protected, because he can see enough tricks to win the game, or because he is afraid that some other suit may be made against him.

After you have led up to the weak suit in dummy, and your partner has taken the trick cheaply, why is it that he does not return that suit? He is evidently waiting for you to lead through the dealer’s hand.

If, against a “no-trump” declaration, you are in doubt as to the location of the winning card in your own suit, notice the card that your partner plays in returning your lead, and remember that he will return his highest card. This will enable you to tell what higher cards are in dealer’s hand.

If you lead a high card, against a “no-trump” make, notice the card that your partner plays to the trick. If he has four or more of that suit, he will not play his lowest.

If the dealer takes out the commanding trump, he is either trying to make you lead up to high cards in his hand, or some long suit is established against you. If it is for the latter reason, be cautious about forcing him. Make what you can in the remaining suit. It may be dangerous to lose the lead.

If the dealer continues to lead trumps after the trumps in the other hands are exhausted, you should be careful not to give information that will be of use to the dealer in locating successful finesses.

The Non-Dealer’S Play Of A “No-Trump” Hand

Usually lead from your longest suit, against a “no-trump” declaration, trusting that it will prove to be the weak spot in the maker’s hand, or that you may be able to take out any high cards held against you and eventually establish the suit. To make an established suit, it may be necessary to have a card of re-entry. Therefore, be careful not to lead aces and kings in order to see dummy. These cards should be reserved as re-entry cards, and will no doubt be found most useful later in the hand.

As leader infer from the fall of the cards, relying on your partner’s correct third-hand play, the position of the remaining cards of your long suit. Correct inferences will assist you to decide whether to continue or to abandon the suit. If you find the cards so placed that an advantageous lead of the suit must come from your partner, plan carefully how best to put him in the lead.

If you know that the adversary has two high cards of your long suit, especially when your card of re-entry has been taken out, abandon your suit, and endeavour to help your partner by leading the suit which you infer must be his. This may be your only chance to save the game.

If the dummy has a long suit, and no card of re-entry, do not be in a hurry to part with the commanding card of that suit. Wait until the suit is exhausted in the dealer’s hand, so that he cannot lead it to dummy. If, however, dummy has a sure card of re-entry there is little reason for holding up your high card. It is better play to take the first trick and hope that your partner holds a card that will stop the suit.

When a high card of dummy’s long suit is marked in your partner’s hand, it is well to take out dummy’s re-entry card before the suit is established.

Notice carefully your partner’s discards in order to determine his strong suit, as well as to be able to infer what high cards he is endeavouring to protect. This will help you to discard correctly. Avoid playing a selfish game, and do not feel indignant if your partner, instead of returning your lead, attempts to play for his own suit. His hand may fully justify the change of lead. By changing the lead he shows not only a good suit, but also a card of re-entry.

The Original Lead

The long suit is the best opening lead against a “no-trump” declaration. While the declaration is, in itself, an indication of general strength, in the majority of makes by the dealer one suit is left to the dummy to protect, and your long suit may be the weak spot in the dealer’s hand.

The leads against a “no-trump” declaration differ from those that are in use against a trump declaration, for the reason that high cards cannot be ruffed. With great length or considerable strength in your long suit a high card should be led, but unless you can reasonably expect to catch all of the remaining cards, your partner should be given an opportunity to win the first trick in the suit.

If you hold no card of re-entry, except perhaps a high card in your own long suit, you should be careful not to take out of your partner’s hand the only card that he may have to return your lead, for if you have no card of re-entry, and your partner has none of your suit to return, your suit, even though established, is useless.

As unblocking is a very important feature of the play against a “no-trump” declaration, it is necessary that you show your partner from what combination of cards you are leading. The failure to unblock is largely due to a lack of confidence in partner’s lead.

Those who are not familiar with the correct leads at “no-trump” would do well to remember that the lead of a high card indicates three honours or seven cards in the suit.

Frequently in opening a hand you will have two suits of equal length to choose from. It is then advisable to keep the suit headed by the higher card, for re-entry. For instance, holding two suits, one headed by an ace and the other by the jack or queen, open the weaker of the two, saving the ace as re-entry. This principle is sound; in practice it may sometimes be found that your partner is strong in the suit you do not open. Nevertheless, this lead from the weaker of two suits, if consistently followed, will gain in the long run. If you hold a red and a black suit, of equal length, especially if the “no-trump” declaration has been made by the dummy, give the preference to the red suit, inferring that the dealer is weak in red cards.

When you are opening from a long weak suit, and especially when you hold no re-entry card, endeavour to inform your partner that your long suit is weak. Don’t encourage your partner to return your lead unless there is a fair chance to establish and make your suit. From each of the following combinations it is best to lead the highest card:

10 9 7 6 9 8 6 4 8 7 5 3

When the top cards are not in sequence the lead of the highest may lose a trick, and it is, therefore, safer to lead the second best. As with

10 [8] 7 5 2 9 [7] 6 4 3 The underlined card should be led.

+--------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | The underlines have been replaced with square brackets.| | For example [K]. | +--------------------------------------------------------+

If, however, you hold a long weak suit, and, say, two or more possible re-entry cards, do not hesitate to encourage a return of the lead by opening a low card.

The Original Lead At “No-Trump”

+------------+---------------------------------------------------+ | LEAD | HOLDING | +------------+---------------------------------------------------+ | | Ace, Queen, Jack, and others with a re-entry | | | card. | | =Ace= | Ace, with 7 or more others. | | | Ace, Queen, with 5 others. | | | Ace, Jack, with 5 others. | +------------+---------------------------------------------------+ | | Ace, King, Queen and others. | | | Ace, King, Jack and others. | | | Ace, King, ten, and 3 others, with a re-entry | | =King= | card. | | | Ace, King and 5 or more others. | | | King, Queen, Jack and others. | | | King, Queen, ten and others. | | | King, Queen and 5 others. | +------------+---------------------------------------------------+ | | Queen, Jack, ten and others. | | =Queen= | Queen, Jack, nine and others. | | | Ace, Queen, Jack and others. No card of re-entry | +------------+---------------------------------------------------+ | =Jack= | Jack, ten, nine and others. | +------------+---------------------------------------------------+ | =Ten= | King, Jack, ten and others. | +------------+---------------------------------------------------+ | =4th Best= | From other combinations. | +------------+---------------------------------------------------+

Opening A Short Suit Against A “No-Trump” Declaration

If, as leader, your long suit is worthless, and your hand is generally weak, there is a chance that your short suit may prove to be your partner’s long one, and that the lead may help him to establish his suit. While the odds are two to one against the success of a short lead, in this case it may gain and certainly cannot lose much. If, however, you hold five or six cards in your suit, open it; there is always a chance that your partner may hold sufficient length in the same suit to help you establish and bring it in.

If your long suit contains but four cards headed by one honour, king, queen, or jack, with no other re-entry card in the hand, and you hold a good supporting short lead, like jack ten or nine (particularly if the make has been passed, and your short suit is a red one) the short opening admits of no criticism.

If you hold a three or four card suit headed by ace, king, and queen, no matter the length in other suits, the opening lead should be from the ace king queen combination. With three cards of re-entry you can certainly afford to lead one of them to determine whether conditions justify the long suit lead.

The dummy hand may discourage the lead of your long suit and make it advisable to try for your partner’s suit instead.

Unblocking

To be able to use proper judgment in ridding yourself of cards that you fear may block your partner’s suit, you should thoroughly understand the leads, and above all things, you should have perfect confidence that your partner has made the correct one. Remember that a high card led against a “no-trump” declaration indicates great strength or great length, and that you can rarely lose more than one trick by throwing your own high card on the one led by your partner; whereas a failure to unblock will often occasion the loss of several cards in your partner’s hand. If you hold four cards in the suit that your partner leads (provided of course the lead is high) save the lowest card, playing the third best to the first trick, and then play up. With five cards, play the fourth best to your partner’s high card lead, and then play up or down as the situation demands.

With length in the suit that your partner leads, especially as an original opening, it is often advisable to indicate your strength by playing first a high and then a lower card. This echo or signal encourages your partner to continue the suit.

With three cards in your partner’s suit two of which are honours, the lower of the honours should b