Show rA o Various Declarations Drawn Inferences From to the Be 0 cx cx o o cx AUCTION A bridge even oon more than its predecessors sors whist and bridge is a game of inferences infer infer- and every player must be constantly on the qui vive to pain gain the proper information positive and negative from the bid of the dealer and the tho overbids overbids overbids over over- bids which follow after Beginning with tho the lowest lowest lowest low low- est bid of all one spade the bidders bidder's partner may SAY to himself f My Mj partner has not any anyone one strong suit whatever strength his hand band contains must be divi divided ed throughout his bis hand band for if f he had any suit ho lie would show it to me me and if he lie had sufficient scattered strength he would say one no trump If the dealer says sas one opo club he shows strength in in that suit and a hand which would be of assistance at a trump no make otherwise he would have said one spade No a auction ucHon pla player er ever says sa's one club simply because his clubs are stronger than his spades A bid of two in either black suit snit or in in the diamond suit is a direct invitation to the partner to say Ie one ne no trump It shows moreover that the suit snit named can be he taken care of There is no such thing in good auction as ns a call for no trumps on general strength because the dealer would then make that bid himself It requires less strength at auction to make an initial one no trump bid than it does to say say no no trump at nt bridge As a general rule a It two two diamond bid shows greater strength than thim a bid of two clubs and a bid of two clubs shows greater cater strength than a bid of two spades After th the opposition has laas made a n It one one no trump bid of or an advancing bid of two in hearts or diamonds shows absolute protection in the suit which is being bid or if a player bids two in in red after the adversary has said one no trump you ma may safely infer that the red bidder can take care of that suit without interference from the ene ene- ene my It i is rather rare for a player to bi hh three red rea over a two no trump declaration It is not often that this overbid is successful an and generally is the outcome of a too optimistic view of the holding When the second bidder doubles an original black bid it must be taken for granted that he has no idea of such a bid being allowed to stand He makes the offer only for the purpose of g giving ging ing in information information in- in information formation to his partner who may make use of it itin itin itin in any manner he lie sees secs fit For instance the thc dealer deal deal- er ci says Two TWO clubs j second hand band says I double two clubs He does docs this so that his partner may know that ho lie can stop the club suit sUllo Third hand nothing and fourth hand the doublers doubler's says partner partner part part- ner ncr can now either cither allow the cl club b double to stal stand d dor or he can name an any other suit stilt he lie p Ho lie knows that the dealer has invited a no trump from his partner and that Hlat his partner has failed to respond re re respond spond and it il may be that t the he fourth hand only needs the very information given by his partners partner's having doubled the dealers dealer's club to be tho the one to say H one one no trump Generally there are not more than two strong hands at auction and these are either placed as partners or in opposition ion to each other At other times the strength will be lie found to be pretty evenly divided around the table therefore there there- fore if the thc dealer should bid either black suit and b second hand has strength in th that t suit it is his obvious obvious ob ob- ob- ob ious duty to double so that his partner may not ani only be encouraged to name one no trump but also so that the dealers dealer's partner may be e prevented prevent preen ed cd from doing so if pos possible ible When the dealer has bas slid said u one ori spade and second second second sec sec- i ond hand passes second hand band pu have no noer very er long longor or strong trong suit stilt If he lie has clubs he hc would say sar so as he would lose his opportunity of showing showing- black strength after the first round and he would certainly certainly certainly say one in either red nd suit if he be held a ace and king with others Sometimes it may happen that second hand will after having passed the first time make a red declaration on the second round of the bidding when this happens it shows LENGTH rather than STRENGTH in the declared suit If the dealer after having originally said tone U t. one spade makes a red b bid d it shows the same thing Generally it pays pas to let the partners partner's no trump declaration stand stand unless you have a n strong heart suit that you can assume all responsibility t of the change of declaration inn If your partner has however bid no trump over ocr y your YOUl fl own heart declaration this bid hill indicates great grent weakness in inthe in inthe inthe the heart suit a fear that that suit cannot safely ly be played as ns trump The change also assures absolute absolute absolute ab ab- ab- ab solute protection in the three other suits When your partner fails to support your bi bid yon must infer that he Ilc hns has a hand worth less three tricks For instance you yon have ha offered one no trump Second hand says two hearts hearth Third hand your partner passes He tells yon you that he lie has not an ace king combination of either cither of the thre e remaining suits or else he lie is satisfied with nth the heart and intends to defeat it it- Nothing is indicative of greater weakness in iii the tho heart suit than having haYing your partner but bill t two t two diamonds diamonds dia dia- hamonds ha- ha monds over o your our one heart This plainly tells that your partner cannot give you Jou the slight slightest cst a as assistance assistance as- as in iii the suit snit that you have named and di directs h- h rech your our attention to t he lie one in which he can be bo of or substantial assistance with diamonds as trump Moreover if two diamonds will put you OU out and he is doubtful if ii you yu can take the tho odd Old at hearts itis it itis is s your duty duly to bow how to his judgment or allow his bid to stand A great many players have hac the very obnoxious ious habit of upon upon playing every ery possible possible possible pos pos- sible hand whether it is a prudent thing to do or not They will outbid their own partner chiefly le because it gives gi them pleasure to play the exposed etl band hand even if they are arc taking a considerable risk in so doing This is one of the greatest enemies of successful auction An inference which ma may mahe be he of the greatest use to the non dealers is when lien the de healers dealers ers er's partner re refuses refuses refuses re- re fuses to bid one one no iio trump when the dealer aler has said two C two spades or ono ono one club This should give She encouragement to the opponents opponent of the dealer to be forward in their bidding for by his passi passing at such a n time timo the healers dealers I partner has indicated great weakness If you yon ou have ha bid one otie no trump and none having overbid your Jour partner says two hearts he ought to have e either cither a great number of honors in hearts four or five fic or else the hand would be be worthless if played as any other ther than a aheart aheart heart make Jf If your partner has bid It one one spa spade e eyou you must be careful how you you say one no trump He has told 1011 you yon OU plainly that ho lie has no suit snit protected protected protected pro pro- that he lie cannot presumably take as many ninny as three tricks and therefore YOU must have bae a hand hanel far and away ay above the thc a average arne rne to entitle you ou to promise to take seven tricks or 01 under lInder happy circumstances six out of your own hand If your partner bids one spade your our bid hid should be con con- It is all the more dangerous to keep on bidding if your partner after haing s one one spa spade e continues to pass when both of the lie adversaries ad adversaries ad- ad keep on bidding This shows that you rou have two strong hands pitted against- against your our own weak one and you wm had better let the contract of the adversaries stand Sometimes mes all for four 1 will ivill be either bidding or each supporting his own partners partner's bid This is an indication that the strength is evenly divided di around the t table l e. e Un Under Under Un- Un Jn- Jn der such uch circumstances it would be s sto to hid bid more than two odd at the most mst safer r to force the adversary up to three e il dou dou- ble hIe Nine tricks s are arc a great n ninny many t to th t fake ke if the declarant fin finds s any considerable number of high cards held beld adversely In Inn na n a recen recent game the dealer made it tt one one club Wh which h second hand hanel doubles third hand baud hay hav- 4 no with which to come cometo to to the rescue passed and fourth bidder made mache it no trump Tho ho inferences in- in here were very plain and yet third hand the dealers dealer's partner managed to make a misplay He lie took the first firt trick in the deal by going goin in with I king once guarded hand in the spade suit It was then his lead an and ho lie deliberately led his partner part part- ncr ner er a club in spite of the fact that t he the king jack sack ten of clubs in dummy's chummy's hand on the tahl table His I partner has the ace C queen Jl J nine and of course W was lS obliged either sacrifice the queen or put up UI the theace t ac ace thus the king This I j was an error for which no excuse could be made and and even if the ten tell had hind not been plainly in iii view the on-the table a shrewd partner partner- would have o t to lead up a n baud hand which J hal had fd op openly shown t that hat it could put Jut UI up a strong defense against the bringing i j in of the partners partner's declared declare suit Sometimes when a n I player can do llo nothing better he ma may throw tho the lead head wh where rc it will do hO the I least damage to his partner 1 |