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Show I I EASY LESSONS IN j $ AUCTION BRIDGE ? f I Br PAUL H. SEYMOUR I J Author ot HijhMxhu 00 Auction Bridga J " 0 " 1 9--7 . j Copyright by Hojle, Jr. Article Six. Original No Trump Bids (Continued.) TN CONSIDERING a no trnmp bid 1 there are a few restrictions which should be mentioned: Frequently a hand will meet all of the requirements of a no trump bid and also contain a five-card suit with ample support for a bid of that suit Either a no trnmp or a suit bid may be made; which shall it be? All of the rules of Auction have been determined from the mathematical mathemat-ical law of averages by trying a large number of experiments, and it has been found that a good five-card suit bid is much safer than a no trump, especially when the hand contains a worthless doubleton. Therefore,- if all bids had equal game-going possibilities possibili-ties the suit always would be chosen, but because of the various counts the no trump has the greatest game-going possibility. It requires but three odd tricks to make game in no trump while four odd are necessary in a major suit and five odd in a minor. Taking these differences into consideration con-sideration it has been found that most hands of the above-mentioned type will produce game oftener at no trump if the long suit is a minor, but that the chances for game are better bet-ter with the suit as trnmp if that suit Is a major. Therefore, we obtain the simple rule that when holding-a hand from which a bid of a suit or of no trnmp may be made, to bid the suit If it is a major but to bid no trump if the strong suit is a minor. Another matter of importance in a no trump declaration is the distribution distribu-tion of the cards in the various suits. The most favorable distributions for a no trump bid are 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 and 5-3-3-2; while 5-4-2-2, 5-4-3-1, 5-5-2-1 and 5 110 are increasingly more dangerous. In other words, two doubletons are very undesirable unless un-less both are protected suits ; a singleton single-ton is decidedly objectionable; and being void of a suit prohibits a no trump bid. The reasons for this are easy to see. If the bidder Is very short of a suit some one at the table is probably very long In that suit, and if the opponents open it and dummy does not have it stopped the opponents are quite sure to take five or six tricks In It before the declarer can get the lead. It is not wise to abandon a good no trump because of holding a singleton Ace or King, since even if that suit Is led, the declarer could expect to stop it by taking the first trick. However, How-ever, if the hand has a worthless singleton much more heed should be given to it A major worthless singleton single-ton is not nearly so dangerous as a minor, because if second hand holds a powerful major suit he is quite sure to bid it while he would invariably pass when holding an equally strong minor suit A hand which contains two suits of at least five cards, either of which is strong enough for an original bid, Is called a "two-suiter" and is considered con-sidered the strongest possible' hand at Auction when played with that suit for trump which best fits the partner's hand. A no trump should not be bid when holding a two-suiter. We find a slight difference between an original bid by third hand and one by dealer or second hand because be-cause third hand's partner, by passing, has Informed him thnt he does not hold four sure tricks. Therefore, third hand should have 2Ms quick tricks in order to make an original bid of one. When we reach fourth hand this same condition exists, but there is another reason why fourth hand should have added strength before making an original bid. After three players have passed, unless fourth hand has an especially strong holding hold-ing the indications ore that the cards are very evenly divided, and that fourth hand could not mnke game, which should be the goal aimed at by every bid. If fourth 'hand passes, the hand is not played, but if he bids, it opens up a new round of bidding and the opponents may start a secondary bid upon wb'ch they may be able to help each other sufficiently to go game. Therefore, unless fourth hand has at least one quick trick more than the requirements for an oriilnal I bid by dealer or second hand, he j should pass and throw down the hand. |