The complete auction player

Preface

At last, the great game of Auction seems to have " settled' ' and the time for a Complete Auction handbook has come. After years of experiment, of insistence on personal opinions, and of consequent chaotic confusion, a standard game has been reached.

With one regrettable exception the present laws are international. The American laws of 19 1 5, being modelled on the composite English laws of one year earlier, followed them in nearly every respect. The consensus of expert opinion is that the exception is a blot on the American laws. However, in the interest of a uniform national game, it has been accepted even by those who regret it.

The Auction field is a large one. I have endeavoured, in this book, to teach as concisely as possible all the essentials of a highgrade game, as well as to prepare a path for the feet of beginners.

F.I.

in

Contents

CHAPTER

II.- III.- IV-

VI.-

CHAPTER I {Specially recommended to beginners)

Two packs of cards are necessary, though only one of them is used in each hand.

The four players cut for partners. Those cutting the lowest two cards play together. Those cutting the highest two cards are partners against them.

Ace is low in cutting, and the suit-values are reversed. In playing, spades are the highest suit; in cutting, they are the lowest. If two cards of the same denomination be cut, the spade would be the lowest, the heart next, the diamond next, and the club the highest.

The partners who cut low have the choice of cards and seats. The lowest card cut marks the first dealer.

Partners are always retained throughout a rubber. A rubber is two games won by the same partners. The games may be consecutive, or otherwise.

In a sitting of more than one rubber there are three ways of determining subsequent partners. These are:

1st. Playing the same.

2nd. Pivoting.

3rd. Cutting in.

11 Playing the same" is retaining the same partners throughout an entire sitting.

11 Pivoting' ' is changing partners after every rubber and according to fixed routine. The player who sits on the left of the last dealer of the just-completed game, is the first dealer for the new game. That player sits still. The others change so that all four players are re-paired in regular order ; each player plays with each other player, and against each two other players, an equal number of times and in the same rotation. This form of pairing is in particular favour at card parties where prizes are given.

11 Cutting in" is repeating, after each rubber, the original process for pairing.

Former partners may cut with, or against, each other. The deal may be lost, or retained, by that player who would be the next dealer in order. Choice of cards and seats is again given to the players cutting the low cards. This form of pairing is by far the " sportiest. "

Every pack of cards, before being dealt, must be "made" (i. e., shuffled) by the adversary on the left and cut by the adversary on the right.

"Cut to the right, deal to the left."

To "deal" is to take the pack of cards and give them out, one at a time, beginning with the card on the top of the pack and the player on the dealer's left. The last card should come to the dealer and each player should have thirteen cards. Every player should assure himself that he has his proper number before the business of the hand begins.

The cards should never be touched b any player other than the dealer, until the deal is completed.

The dealer of a hand is not necessarily its player.

The Deal

The deal in Auction goes around the table regularly, but the play of the hand may be anywhere, i. e., the hand may be played by the dealer, his partner, or either of his adversaries; whoever makes the winning bid plays the hand. This sometimes makes confusion in the next deal; every one can remember who played the last hand, but not who dealt it.

This trouble should be obviated by the position of the " still" pack (the pack of cards not in use).

When the dealer is dealing, his partner should "make" the still pack and put it down at his own right hand. It would be bad form to reach across the adversary who is to deal next and place it at his right hand. So it is placed on the right hand of the maker, and when it becomes time for a new deal, the player who finds the still pack at his left hand is the new dealer. He should pick up the pack, pass it to the previous dealer — i. e.j the player on his right — to cut, and should then proceed to deal, while his partner "makes" the other pack and lays it at his own right hand.

The still pack should never be trifled with, never touched except for the business of the game. Strict attention to this detail will obviate all trouble as to the deal, and will do away with stupid questions, such as, " Whose deal is it?" "You dealt last, didn't you?" and so forth. The game will progress smoothly, and one of the marks which distinguish good Auction from " ragged' ' Auction will be obliterated.

The Suit-Values and the Honours

The suits in Auction rank and count thus :

Clubs 6

Diamonds 7

Hearts 8

Spades 9

No-trumps io

In any declared trump (that is, anything other than no-trumps), the honours are the ace, the king, the queen, the jack, and the ten of that suit. Honours in suits other than the trump-suit, do not count. Honours in the trump-suit are scored as held, not as gathered. If certain honours are dealt you, they score for you, even though your adversary may gather them into his pile of tricks.

11 Simple honours11 are any three out of the five honours, — the larger half of five. They count just the same whether held all

6 Complete -/Vuction Player

in one hand, or divided between the hands of two partners. And their value is always twice the value of a trick. Simple honours in clubs would be worth twice six, — or twelve, — because clubs are worth six a trick. Simple honours in hearts are worth sixteen. And so on.

It is merely the balance of the honours that is valuable. The smaller portion counts for nothing. If one pair of partners holds three honours, and the other pair holds two, only the first pair is entitled to an honour-score.

Four honours divided between two partners count four times the value of a trick. Held all in one hand, they are just twice as valuable. Four honours in one hand are worth eight times the value of a trick.

Five honours divided between two partners are worth five times the value of a trick. Five honours in one hand are twice as valuable, thus being worth ten times the value of a trick.

Four honours in one hand with the fifth in partner's are worth nine times the value of a trick, — just halfway between eight and ten.

In no-trumps, the honours are the aces. Three aces are worth thirty, whether held all in one hand or divided between partners. Four aces, divided, count forty. Four aces in one hand count a hundred. They are spoken of as " a hundred aces." When the aces are evenly divided, they are called "easy aces" and do not count at all. Another way of describing easy aces is to say "aces are off."

The Score

The score, in Auction, is divided into "points" and "penalties." There is a cross-line on most Auction score-pads, and the common way of designating the score is "below the line" and "above the line. "

"Below the line" are placed all the points scored on the tricks taken by the person who is playing the hand. No one can score below the line except the person who is playing the hand and his partner (the dummy) ; and they9 only if they make all that they bid, or more. The partners who are playing against the make are known as "the adversaries" or the "opposition." They can score above the line only, if at all.

The points below the line go towards making game, and two games make a rubber. Games are won below the line, exclusively.

This makes it valuable to play the hand and to score below the line. Nevertheless, players must remember that it is often more expensive to play a hand than to yield it. You can win the first two games and lose money on them, at that; because your adversaries, though behind you in the score below the line, have piled up so much above the line as to exceed your winnings. The rubber is over when one side has won two games. But the real winners of the rubber are not necessarily the partners who win those two games. They are the partners whose total score is the higher when the rubber is over. By the laws of 191 5, it is specially provided that these partners shall be known as the winners of the rubber.

The game is thirty or more trick points, below the line.

When two games have been won, in addition to the trick points a bonus of 250 points is given, above the line, for the mere winning of the rubber. It is this bonus that makes the rubber valuable, and that gives all players the desire to play the hands and win the games.

Above the line are kept the honour-score, the rubber-value, the record of all penalties, of all bonuses, and of all defeats. It is a huge field, and a singularly neglected one.

The honour-score and the rubber-value have already been defined.

Penalties are punishments meted to players for certain faults. They always take the form of a lump-sum added to the adverse score, above the line. Because of them, the entire above-the-line score has come to be known as the " penalty-column.' '

A bonus is a reward for a certain achievement. It is always scored above the line, and can be gained only by the person who is playing the hand.

Defeats are scored when the person playing the hand fails to keep his contract, or to make as many tricks as he has bid. They are always scored above the line, always by the adversaries, and always at fifty a trick regardless of suit.

This explains the meaning of the saying, " There is rank below the line, but not above it." When you play the hand, you play it at some chosen suit which is worth from six to ten a trick. When you defeat the hand, you score fifty a trick for every trick you steal from the contract, and regardless of suit.

io Complete -Auction Player

It is worth just as much to beat clubs as to beat no-trumps.

Therefore do I say that the craze for playing the hand is too great, and the penalty-field is too neglected. By playing the best suit there is, you can make but ten a trick, and you have all the work and the worry. By defeating the hand, you make fifty a trick, regardless of suit, and the other man has all the work and the worry.

Would you rather work like a slave for ten cents, or have some one make you a present of half-a-dollar ?

Still, it must be remembered that rubbers can never be won by defeaters, — only by those who play the hand. But the rubber-value, enticing as it is, may be entirely discounted by adverse penalties. No one ever needs urging to remember the advantages of playing the hand. I have yet to see a person who didn't need urging to remember the advantages of defeating the hand.

Scoring when Playing for Stakes

When playing for stakes, a "plus-andminus" score is kept. At the end of each rubber, the entire gross score is added for each pair of partners separately; all their

THe Routine of tHe Game II

points, honours, and penalties are added and to this score is affixed the rubber-value (for that pair that has won it). The dividing cross-line on the score-card no longer makes any difference. For each pair, the points 11 above the lineM and " below* ' it are all added together.

The smaller of these totals is then deducted from the larger, and the difference is entered as "plus" for the winners and as " minus* ' for the losers. At the end, each individual player's plus-scores are added, as well as his minus-scores. The result will show how many points he has lost or won.

Stakes vary according to the players. The smallest stake I have ever known was a tenth-of-a-cent a point. That, though small, is really a very common stake. It would be impossible to mark the other limit. An eighth, a quarter, a cent, two cents, five, ten, twenty-five, fifty, a dollar, and two dollars, are all well-known stakes. I have heard of twenty -five dollars a point, but have never seen it played.

Scoring when Playing without Stakes

When playing without stakes, an individual gross score is kept. There is no deducting, and no minus-score. There are simply various plus-scores and the largest of these is the winning score.

At parties where prizes are given there is sometimes a prize for every table. In such a case, the highest score at each table wins a prize. There may be higher scores in the room that do not take prizes, however.

When there is not a prize for each table, the highest scores in the room win. There are as many winners as prizes.

Also, at such parties, it is usual to set a "time-limit." All players stop playing at a certain time, even though a rubber, or a game, be not finished. Simply the hand in progress is completed, provided the actual play of it has begun. The gross score is then added for each side and an additional 125 is given to the winners of every completed game.

The Book

The first six tricks that the player takes do not score and do not count towards his bid. They simply form his "book." Over and above them, he must take at least as many tricks as he has bid, or else be defeated.

If he takes more tricks than he bid, he can score all that he takes, even over his bid. If, for instance, he gets the bid at " two, " and takes four (his book and four more tricks, — ten tricks in all) , he scores all those four tricks. He makes 24, if he is playing clubs (four tricks at six each), 28 if the trump be diamonds, 32 in hearts, 36 in spades, or 40 in no-trumps.

If, on the other hand, he takes less than he bid, he may score nothing, — not even for those tricks that he takes. If he bids "four" and takes two, he cannot score those two. He does not score at all, and his adversaries score 50 for each of the two tricks of his failure.

If you under-bid your hand, you may score everything that you take in excess of your bid. If you over-bid your hand, you may not even score that which you take. The adversary scores, not you.

It follows that it is the part of wisdom, generally speaking, to get every contract as cheaply as possible. This is not a new idea; it is as useful in life at large as at the Auctiontable.

By the word "Player," or "Declarant,'" I shall henceforth designate that person who has secured the play of the hand. His partner is always the "Dummy." And the two persons who, in partnership, are playing against them, are the "Adversaries."

Now, as I have shown, the "book" for the declarant is always six tricks, and he is obliged to take, in addition, at least as many tricks as he has bid, or to be defeated.

But the "book" for the adversaries is not always six tricks. It is not always any set number of tricks. It varies. It is the number of tricks that the declarant can safely lose, — that is, that he can lose without defeat. It is all that he dares let them take.

The book for the adversaries is always the difference between the bid and seven. Let the adversaries deduct the number of tricks bid, from seven. The remainder is the number of tricks in their book. Let them close their book when it is complete. If they gather any further trick or tricks, their value will be 50 apiece, and the declarant positively cannot score on that hand. He is defeated.

The Double

If either adversary thinks he can beat the declarant and can take more tricks than his book, he doubles. That means : " Go on and play your hand at your own suit. I'll play against your bid and / bet I can beat it.19

Then, if the adversaries do defeat the bid, their tricks (over their book) are worth 100 apiece instead of 50.

But if they have miscalculated and if the declarant makes his bid, his tricks are doubled in value, each trick (over the book) being worth 12 apiece if clubs are trumps, 14 if diamonds are trumps, 16 if hearts are trumps, 18 if spades are trumps, and 20 if the hand is played at no-trumps. In addition to this, a bonus of 50 above the line, is given the declarant for keeping his contract in spite of a double. And, again in addition, if he makes any tricks over his contract, each over-trick is worth twice its value below the line and an additional 50 above.

It will easily be seen that loose doubling is the most expensive of pastimes.

Remember, there is no bonus for keeping a contract unless there has been doubling. If you announce your ability to take " three hearts, " and every one thinks you probably can, there is no credit to you in taking them and taking more. But if the adversary thinks you cannot, and announces this by doubling, and if, on top of this, you prove that you can, then you get your tricks at a doubled value (sixteen apiece), and you also get a " bonus' ' of fifty above the line as a reward for keeping your contract in spite of his double And if you make any tricks over your contract, each one is worth its doubled value below the line, and an extra fifty above.

For instance, you bid " three hearts"; you are doubled and yet succeed in taking five hearts (i. e., eleven tricks in all). They are worth 1 6 apiece below the line (80), you get a bonus of 50 above the line for the mere keeping of your contract in spite of a double, and you also get 50 above the line for each of the two tricks you took in excess of your contract, — making a total of 80 points below the line and 150 above, plus your honours.

Doubling can take place between adversaries only. No one may double his partner.

Redoubling

The first double is always made by the adversaries. Now the declarant (or dummy, his partner) is at liberty to double that double, or to re-double.

Then, if the declarant makes his bid, his tricks are worth four times their normal value,

XKe Routine of tKe Game 17

his bonus is raised to 100, and each trick over the bid is worth four times its normal value below the line and an extra 100 above the line.

If, however, the declarant is defeated on his redouble, the adversaries score 200 for each trick that they steal from his contract.

Doubling stops at redoubling — that is, each side is allowed one double and no more. And there can be no bonus when there has been no doubling.

Honours are not affected by doubling.

The principles of bidding will be described in a later chapter. They are too complex and important for a cursory mention. But the routine of bidding is here given. Let it be understood that when a player bids, he means that, with his partner's help, he hopes to be able to take as many tricks as he mentions, over and above the first six tricks that go to make his book.

The Routine of the Bid

Any player is privileged to bid or to pass.

Three successive passes close the bidding, after each player has once had a chance to bid. On the first round, if the first three players pass, the fourth has still a first-round right to his bid. Should he pass, the bidding is closed, the hand abandoned, and there is a new deal by the next dealer. But with this sole exception of giving fourth hand his first-round chance, three successive passes close the bidding. Should the dealer bid and the three other players pass, the bid is closed.

Doubling is not passing. A double reopens the bidding as much as does a bid.

The number of rounds of bidding is unlimited. Until three successive passes have been voiced, the bidding continues to go round.

Any player may pass on the first round and enter the bidding on a later round.

Any player may change the suit in which he is bidding, as often as he chooses, as long as the bidding is open. He may bid in a suit, drop it, hear it bid by the adversary, and finally return to it, if he so choose. To bid a suit is not necessarily to stick to it. To leave it is not necessarily permanent.

To make a higher bid in a suit that one's partner has already named, is to raise the bid.

To make a higher bid in a suit that one's adversary has already bid, is to out-bid him.

Any player is privileged to bid the suit that has already been bid by his adversary.

Between two partners, the hand is played by the one who first named the suit that stands as final. Between two adversaries, the hand is played by the one who last named the suit that stands as final.

The only bidding stipulation is that each successive bid shall contain a higher number of tricks than the preceding bid; or that, containing the same number, its total shall exceed the previous bid. Thus ' ' two hearts " (16) will beat "two clubs" (12), but will give place to "two no-trumps' ' (20). ■

Any player who makes an " insufficient' ' bid is bound to raise it to sufficiency, and in the suit named, provided the error be mentioned by either adversary before the insufficient bid is "covered" by the next player's bid, double, or pass. For instance, a player says "three spades." Another player unthinkingly "covers" with "three hearts," — which is not enough. He is

1 In America alone does this bidding principle hold. In all other countries, the highest total takes precedence. "Four no-trumps" (40) beats "five clubs" (30), as it should. What does 40 mean, if not that it is higher than 30?

bound (if detected in time) to say "four hearts, " — he may not change the suit. Moreover, if the following adversary passes, the partner of the faulty bidder is deprived of the privilege of bidding. But should the adversary do anything other than pass, the partner of the faulty bidder is no longer penalized. He is free to bid, double, or pass.

The Declarant, the Leader, the Dummy

When the bidding has been closed by three successive * 'passes," the declarant (i. e. the Player of that hand) has been determined. He is that player who has made the highest bid, unless he has made it in a suit that was originally named by his partner. In that case, the highest bidder is merely the raiser, and the partner who first named the winning suit is the declarant.

The partner of the declarant is always the dummy.

The adversary on the left of the declarant is the leader.

No one should tell, and no one should ask, <l whose lead it is." If anyone at that table knows, everyone should know. All have had the same chance to know. Everyone should sit still till someone leads a card. If it is the proper leader, well and good. If it is not, the declarant is privileged to take a penalty from the adversaries for an improper lead. To rob him of this privilege, by asking or giving information, is to play a dishonest game. It is the commonest of all Auction errors; it is practically universal; but it is, nevertheless, an offence against the decency of the game.

After the first lead is out, the partner of the declarant lays his hand on the board and becomes the dummy. Dummy should be a silent witness of the hand except for those privileges accorded him under Law 60 (see end of volume).

The declarant plays his own hand and dummy's in conjunction and in proper turn. Whenever he wins a trick, he must lead from that hand in which the trick was won.

Etiquette

Certain faults are provided with penalties which enable the suffering adversary to ' ' get back at" you. Other faults are merely forbidden, but no penalties are laid on their committal. To fall into them, is to be guilty of an offence against etiquette. If you must do your adversary a bad turn, do it in that direction that provides him with an offset.

Every bid should be made distinctly. Anyone who fails to understand the bid may ask to have it repeated at the time, but never after it is once covered. And when the final bid is allowed to stand, and three players have passed in succession, no one may ask information as to any previous bid. The final bid, however, may be asked at any stage of the game.

Every one should bid in as few words as possible. If he does not wish to bid he says, "No," "Pass," or "By." And remember that every bid must be made audibly. Some players have a habit of striking the table with their fingers to show that they pass. This is contrary to rule, and gives too much chance for a system of rap-signalling.

Before passing to the discussion of the principles, rules, and laws of the game, I will append a short glossary of terms which must make sense to the reader who wishes to understand my pages.

GLOSSARY

Adversaries: the partners who play against the make.

Blind lead: the original lead, before dummy goes down.

Call-off: to bid against one's partner, in another suit, when the intervening adversary has passed.

Carry: to pay a player's losses, or pocket his winnings.

Chicane: not holding a single trump amongst your thirteen cards. This is no longer worth anything; formerly there was a score allowed for it.

Command: to hold the highest unplayed card of a suit.

Cross-ruff: to trump one suit in one hand and another in the other.

Declarant: the person who plays the hand.

Dummy: the partner of the declarant.

False-card: to play a purposely misleading card. Only the declarant can afford to do this, for he, alone, has no partner to deceive.

Finesse: to take a chance on a lower card winning the suit when you also hold the higher one.

Force: to make a person bid, or play, higher. To push him up.

Fourchette: a combination formed by holding the card next higher, and that next lower, than the one held by your right-hand adversary. To hold a fourchette over him, is to have his card between the two prongs of your fork.

Game-all: each side having won a game.

Game-in: one side having won a game.

Game-in-the-hand: to make 30 or more trickpoints on one hand, from a clean score.

Gather: to take in the tricks. This is usually done by that adversary whose partner's card has won the first trick. The declarant gathers his own tricks; dummy should never touch them.

Go game: to win the game.

Guarded suit: a suit that holds a stopper (see Stopper).

Long trumps: the trumps that remain in any one hand after all the other hands are exhausted.

Major-suits: hearts, spades, and no-trumps.

Master-card: the highest unplayed card of a suit.

Minor-suits: diamonds and clubs.

"Over" and "under": If you sit on a player's left, you play after him and are "over" him. It is a desirable position. If you sit on his right, you play before him and are "under" him.

Over-call: a call-off.

Player: when spelled with a capital, this means the declarant.

Preemptive bid: an unnecessarily high bid. These used to be called "shut-out bids" until I coined the term "preemptive" which is now used exclusively and universally.

Revoke: to refuse to follow suit when holding a card of the suit led. I beg my readers never to use the slang term of "renig. " It is hideous.

Ruff: to trump in.

Side-suit: any suit other than trumps.

Slam: to take all, or all but one, of the tricks is to make a slam. The former is called a grand slam, and is worth 100 above the line. The latter is called a small slam, and is worth

Still pack: the pack of cards not in use; the one that is to be used for the next hand.

Stopper: a sure trick in a suit. An ace is always a stopper. A king, to be a stopper, needs at least one small card to " guard' ' it (that is, to fall on the ace and make the king high); a queen needs two; a jack three; and so on.