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Show 0-4 . . -0 l EASY LESSONS IN i AUCTION BRIDGE I 1 J, I By PAUL H. SEYMOUR i i Author o( "Highlights on Auction Bridge" . . . - . 6 (Copyright, by Hoyle. Jr.) Article Thirty-Five. Inferences and Deductions THE average player thinks that when it comes to these subjects we are getting out of his class and into that of the experts, and just because he thinks it must be tremendously difficult dif-ficult he does not try to develop his powers along these lines. As a matter of fact, however, there are a great many very simple inferences infer-ences and deductions and one who has never used them will be surprised how much valuable information may be i obtained thus. For instance, in playing a no trump, senior leads the deuce of spades. Declarer De-clarer wins the first trick and starts clubs, and senior plays a small diamond dia-mond on the second club lead. What can be deducted by declarer regarding regard-ing senior's hand? That he originally held four hearts, four clubs, four spades and one diamond. His original lead of the deuce must have been from a four-card suit it always indicates indi-cates that because it is the fourth best and he cannot have any lower and' if he opens a four-card suit It must be because he has none of five cards. If he has no five-card suit and has a singleton he must have three four-card suits. This information must help declarer to place the remaining re-maining cards and to visualize junior's hand also. If senior leads a four-spot In a no trump, dummy has the Jack and six and declarer has the King, eight and five, dummy's Jack is played and Junior plays the seven-spot, what can declarer deduce? First: That senior has a six-card suit. Second: That junior has but one more of that suit and that must be the nine or ten. Third : That for the remainder of the hand it will not be serious to let senior get in the lead because he could take but one trick in that suit; but to let Junior get in the lead would be ruinous, as it would mean five straight tricks. The first deduction follows from failing to see the three or the two. If junior had either one he would have played it; therefore, senior must have them both. The second deduction deduc-tion follows from counting the cards and knowing that junior would have taken the first trick "if possible. The third deduction follows from the first two and the fact that declarer now holds King and one which would be a stopper if led up to, but would be worthless if led through. Again, suppose that senior leads a seven-spot in a declared trump, dum-ny dum-ny exposes the eight, nine and Jack and declarer holds the Ace, Queen and others. Declarer applies the rule of eleven and finds that senior is not leading fourth best ; therefore, it is probably a singleton. Hence, all the unseen cards of that suit must be held by junior and senior cannot hold three trumps to the Queen, two to the King, or four to the Jack because if he had any of these holdings he would not lead a singleton. In trying to read the adversaries' hands during the play declarer should keep in mind the bidding and figure what each one must have in order to have made the bid or bids that he did. Then, after each succeeding trick shows the fall of certain cards, he is able to cheek or correct his deductions and come nearer and nearer to forming form-ing a correct picture of the two hands. When the bidding is in progress a player should try to visualize each hand from which a bid or pass is made. Each bidding hand must hold the minimum requirements for that bid in quick tricks, and each pass indicates in-dicates a lack of such strength. Suppose Sup-pose dealer bids one spade and obtains ob-tains the declaration ; when dummy Is spread it is found to contain the Ace of spades and junior holds the King-can King-can junior deduce any Information of value regarding declarer's hand? Yes, declarer must hold Queen, Jack, ten and two or more smnll spades and two outside quick tricks otherwise his bid could not have been sound. With this information, together with seeing dummy and his own hand, junior should be able to visualize declarer's hand very correctly. Again, suppose that senior leads a seven spot to a no trump, dummy exposes ex-poses the Queen, eight and several small ones and declarer has the Ace and several small ones. Where is the King? Shall dummy's Queen be played? Inasmuch as dummy has the Queen and eight and declarer the Ace there are only four other cards higher than the seven namely, King, Jack, ten and nine and senior must have three of them because he led the seven as his fourth best. If senior had lipid Jack, ten, nine and seven he would have led the Jack, the top of a sequence; se-quence; therefore, he must have the King. Therefore the Queen should be played second hand as it Is sure to take the trick and allow declarer to retain his Ace. I |