Show CULBERTSON on CONTRACT by Ely C son Worlds World's Champion Pla Player r and Greatest test Card Analyst TIlE THE EFFECT OF BEING EING YUI VULNERABLE LESSON NO 26 This Is the twenty sixth of ot a series of articles in response to reQuests requests requests re re- re- re quests from numerous readers designed to explain the elementary elementary elementary elemen elemen- tary principles of or contract bridge One of these will appear each week weel In them Mr Culbertson will write especially for the benefit benefit benefit bene bene- fit of or those who have never played contract and md who ma may even cven be unfamiliar with the methods of or playing it The articles will vill cover coyer cov coy er the game from its basic clements elements ele dc- ments to the higher phases of contract contract contract con con- tract bridge The series in its entirety will wm comprise a complete course in How to Play Contract When your side has won one game toward a contract rubber you arc are said to be vulnerable The name is apt for a moments moment's study of the scoring scoring scoring ing values will show you Jou that the penalties penalties pen pen- for defeat of your contract are much greater and mount up for each additional much more rapidly rapidly rap rap- idly than when your side is not vulnerable that that is when you have not won a game toward the rubber The reason for the heavy penalties is that having won a game you Jou are that much nearer than your opponents to winning the rubber rubber rubber-if if you OU win a second second sec see ond game before your opponents score a game your rubber premium is points as against only points when you win the rubber after alter the opponents have also won von one game Since the penalties for going down being defeated defeated are are greater it is prudent to bid your Jour hands more carefully carefully care care- fully when your side is vulnerable Your opponents will vill be much more likely to play for penalties by inducing inducing ing tog your side to contract for more tricks than you can make or by passing passing passing pass pass- ing when thc the defeat of your contract seems certain Opening suit bids of one when vulnerable vulnerable should not be made on just 2 2 1 honor tricks and a minimum biddable biddable bid bid- dable suit of only four cards The hand should be a queen stronger than the minimum or the trump suit suil should contain at least five cards If II the opponents are arc not vulnerable and andI I have a n score part you should avoid opening the bidding in m the position lof of fourth hand with just 3 honor tricks for by doing so you ou may give the opponents an opportunity to make a defensive overcall which will vill enable enable en en- able them to make up their score part-score to a game total If there is no hood of ot making game or score part-score fourth hand with barely barcly three honor tricks the opponents having a part part- score not vulnerable should pass by the opening hand when partner docs does not raise when vulnerable vulnerable able should not be made unless the trump suit promises at least four tricks with at least two extra playing tricks elsewhere in the hand six hand six playing tricks in all The safety margin margin mar mar- I gin of or tricks that may many maybe be developed in partners partner's hand must be reduced from fromI I three tricks when not vulnerable to only two tricks when vulnerable J If it it is reasonably certain that the opponents opponents opponents cannot score a game or if the bidding clearly indicates that partner may hold a hand the safety I margin must be reduced to one trick when vulnerable or two tricks when not vulnerable If the opponents seem likely to score a n game a slightly slight slight- ly greater risk can be taken even when vulnerable in in order to keep leep the opponents from scoring game at their bid Opening no trump bids of one when I vulnerable should not be made b by dealer or second hand unless holdin holding at least three honor tricks instead o of 2 2 1 honor tricks when not vulnerable vulnerable able A shaded biddable suit should be bid in preference to no trump cs es- es- es lUy when vulnerable since a suit sui bid always has an expectancy of more tricks than a no trump bid bid except except with very balanced distribution and md plenty plent of o honor trick strength If the opponents opponent have ha a score part-score you should not bid one no trump on just three honor tricks even in the post post- tion of first or second hand when vulnerable Forcing bids are in general not af affected affected af- af by vulnerability since they should always be made only on sufficient to promise a strength practical practical practical certainty of game at some bid For the same reason opening bids o of three in a major suit or four in a minor minor mi ml- nor suit since they are definitely strength-showing strength bids are arc not affected affect affect- ed cd by vulnerability Opening game ram a suit tit require ire usually one more playing trick when v. v hen v vulnerable than when not vulnerable Defensive overcalls should be made on at least 1 2 1 honor tricks when vulnerable and not simply on about 1 2 1 honor tricks as is often permissible permissible sible when not vulnerable The biddable biddable biddable bid bid- dable suit should be of fair strength When overcalling with a bid of two- two odd odel vulnerable the biddable suit should be a strong five-card five or longer suit uit containing at least four sure trump rump tricks with at least two honor tricks ricks and a total o of six playing tricks in n the hand When overcalling with witha a i bid of three odd provided of course the he opening bid is not a l forcing two- two lid bid there should be at least seven playing tricks in the hand of which about five ive are trump tricks The requirements for a takeout double double double dou dou- I ble ara arc not affected by vulnerability except that the doubler should see sec that hat his hand is well shaded with strong intermediate cards or that he helas has las a n good suit to escape into if his partners partner's response is a bad misfit The Thc requirements for jump overcalls overcalls overcalls over- over calls remain the same when vulnerable able When doubling for penalties however one should bear in mind the increased values of extra tricks to the declarer as well as the trick score together with the increased penalties for when the doubled side is vulnerable TODA TODAY'S YS Y'S POINTER is a term used in COntract contract contract con COn- tract brid bridge e to describe the side or sides which have won a game Inasmuch Inasmuch Inas- Inas much nuch as thereby the possible penalties penal penal- penal penal-I ties tics for overbidding are arc doubled a greater degree of caution Is wise but players should not permit vulnerability vulnerability ability to prevent them from bidding the full fun value of the cards they hold held QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Question A very interesting and much discussed situation arose as a result of ot the following hand WEST Spades Spades Spades-A A J 10 2 Hearts Hearts 10 2 Diamonds K K Q 2 Clubs Clubs Clubs-A Clubs A K Q 3 EAST Spades Q Spades Q 3 Hearts Hearts K Hearts K Q 9 8 D Diamonds Diamonds-A amon s-A s A 5 4 3 Clubs Clubs lO 10 7 6 Both sides were vulnerable West dealer bid one one club North holding A J x x of hearts and K x o of spades bid one heart East and South passed West doubled North realizing ng his position quickly redoubled East and South passed We would appreciate your opinion on what West should do doand doand doand and nn any other comment on the hand up to this point Answer 1 East is much too strong to pass He should have doubled the theone theone theone one heart bid for business 2 The redouble by North was a avery avery avery very clever psychological bid although although although al al- al- al though I cannot see that it was altogether altogether altogether alto alto- gether justified by the circumstances as he has no reason to suppose the thc double will be left in by East 3 Unless West thoroughly understood understood understood under under- stood that they were playing the convention convention convention con con- that a pass of ot a redouble means that the redouble contract can be defeated he is now no helpless and must rescue with one spade Cop Copyright right 1932 Im-E Im Ely y Culbertson |