Good bridge; a classification and analysis of the best plays as played to-day by the best players

Introduction

Seven years ago the author published a small and concise treatise called Bridge Up To Date. This treatise he still believes to be the best practical book for the beginner, the early student of the game. But now there seems to be an unsatisfied demand for a book on more advanced lines, one w^hich, while covering partly the same ground covered by Bridge Up To Date, does it in a new way ; which contains all that is best and latest in the game as played to-day, and withal is not a book of such appalling size or complex arrangement as to daunt the student or be relegated to the library table — in short, a simple, clear, helpful manual. Such the authof has tried to write and now offers in the present volume of Good Bridge. Much of an elementary character has been left out, but an effort has been made to explain and illustrate those constantly recurring plays which are vital to the game, and spell success.

d

CHAPTER I THE MAKE page Value of the Make i

Principle of the Make 2

No-Trump Makes 3

First Exceptional No-Trumper 3

Second Exceptional No-Trumper 4

Third Exceptional No-Trumper 5

Additional Hints about No-Trumpers 6

What is meant by Protection 6

Declared Trump Makes 7 Examples of Declared Trump Makes Adding

to 8 8

Heart Makes 9

Hearts rather than No-Trump g

Examples of Hearts rather than No-Trump 9

Four-card Heart Makes 10

Hearts rather than Diamonds 10

Examples of Hearts rather than Diamonds 10

Diamond Makes 11

When to declare Diamonds originally 12

Passed Diamond Makes 13

Original Four-card Diamond Makes 13

General Hints on Diamond Makes 13

Club Makes, original 14

Passed Club Makes 15

Spade Makes, original 15

Passed Spade Makes 15

Spades rather than Clubs 16

Makes to the Score 17

CONTENTS

Chapter II Doubling

Doubling No-Trump The Heart Convention The Short Suit Convention Doubling Hearts, Diamonds or Clubs Doubling Spades Declared by Dummy Doubling Original Spades Examples of Good Doubles in Spades Caution in Doubling Redoubling

PAGE

19 20 21 22 23 24 24 25 25

Chapter III The Opening Leads

Opening Lead at No-Trump 27

List of Leads when Holding Three Honours 28

List of Leads without Three Honours 28

Complete List of High Opening Leads at No- Trump 29

The Lead of the Fourth-best 31

Short Suit Opening at No-Trump 31

The Lead of the Lowest Card rather than the

Fourth-best 33

Opening Leads in Declared Trump Hands 34 Opening Leads when not Holding Trump

Strength 35

The Seven Good Leads in Declared Trump

Hands when Weak in Trumps 36

Notes on the Above Seven Leads 37

Harmless Leads and Bad Leads 39

A Trump Lead 40

Opening Leads when Holding Trump Strength 41

iJeading after Partner has Doubled 42

CONTENTS xi

CHAPTER IV SECOND HAND PLAY page

Rule for Second Hand Play, from Dummy, in No-Trump 45

List of Second Hand Plays, from Dummy, in No-Trump 45

Four Peculiar Cases of Second Hand Play 55

Playing Second Hand from Dummy in a Declared Trump Hand 57

Dealer's Second Hand Play in No-Trump 58

Dealer's Second Hand Play in a Declared Trump Hand 59

Second Hand with Dummy on Your Left in No-Trump 60

Second Hand with Dummy on Your Left in Declared Trump Hands 61

Second Hand with Dummy on Your Right in No-Trump 61

Second Hand with Dummy on Your Right in Declared Trump Hands 62

Chapter V Third Hand Play

Third Hand in No-Trump 63

Examples of Finesses in No-Trump Playing

Third in Hand 63

Third Hand on a Strengthening Lead 65

Unblocking Third Hand in No-Trump 65

Rules for Unblocking in No-Trump Third

Hand 66 Examples of Various Third Hand Plays in No- Trump when not Playing to Win the Trick 67 Third Hand in Declared Trump Hands 67 Showing Down 67 Encouragement and Discouragement Cards 69

Xll

CONTENTS

Examples of Encouragement and Discouragement Cards

Remarks on Encouragement and Discouragement Cards

PAGE

Chapter VI Dummy Play In No-trump

Choice of Suit 72

The Division of Cards 73

Finesse 74

Examples of Finesse 74

When to Finesse 76

Finessing to Throw the Lead 76

Holding up Aces -^ 78

, When not to Hold up an Ace 79

When to Hold up an Ace 80

The Entry 81

Entry in the Adversary's Suit 82 Entering on a Small Card of a Suit in which

you have eight or more in both hands 85 Building up an Entry • 87

Taking a Chance for an Entry 88

Losing the First Trick to Enter Later 88

Chapter VII Dummy Play In Declared Trump Hands

Examples of Estimating Hands 92

Rules for the Play of Declared Trump Hands 95

Examples of the Play in Declared Trump Hands 96

Entering on the Last Round of Trumps 98

Double Ruff 103

Leading for the Last Trump 105

Doubling up the Trumps 106

CONTENTS xiii

Chapter VIII Side Play Page

Side Play in No-Trump Hands 107

Considerations Governing the Leader's Play After Seeing Dummy 108

Analysis of the Above Four Considerations log

Considerations Governing the Play of Third Hand iii

Analysis of the Above Four Considerations 112

Holding up Winning Cards 114

Side Play in Declared Trump Hands 115

Analysis of the Above Four Common Plays in Declared Trump Hands 115

Chapter IX The Discard

Rules for Discard 121

Chapter I The Make

Value of the Make

At least sixty per cent, of the game of Bridge lies in the make. A poor player loses tricks, and often the game and rubber, by his play, but so many hands occur in which there is really no play, that such losses are comparatively unimportant compared with the havoc wrought by an injudicious maker. For constantly his decision is invoked when the safety of the game or its success lies in his judgment of the value of his hand. To choose between hearts or diamonds and no-trumps ; to select clubs rather than spades ; to know when a five-card suit is unsafe and when one of four cards should be chosen; above all to keep an unrelaxing attention upon the state of the score with its shifting demands — all these are the sterling qualities of a good maker. Once sensible that you are lacking in any such respect, you will find your game appreciably strengthened by attention and study.

Don't be led astray by the spice of danger in a weak no-trumper when a more conservative suit make will probably win out; don't rebel at making spades either because they count so little or because you dislike to lose your deal. Many hands are either spades or no-trump ; the ability to decide which should be your aim. Some hands are pure guesses, but learn to guess intelligently, and constantly correct and revise your ideas through your experience.

Principle of the Make

There is one great, underlying, primary principle upon which the whole structure of the make is founded — a principle so often overlooked that it is here submitted. Four persons at the table are playing for thirteen tricks. With an equal division of the cards each person should take three, leaving one over. Here then appears the great principle: The thirteenth trick should be in the hand of the player who selects any make except spades. In short, you should have four probable tricks in your hand, else you are asking your partner to take more tricks than you will take, towards winning not the game, but only the odd card ! Always bear this in mind and you will find that many a make, hitherto unhesitatingly declared, will take on a new and tenuous aspect, while possibly also you will meet with fewer disasters. Of course sometimes the score demands a chance shot which at other times would be absurd. But realize that it is a chance shot, that it is not sound, and that facing one loss you deliberately risk a greater, in the hope that some peculiar combination of cards will save the day.

No-Trump Makes

There are three requisites for a no-trump make :

1. Ability to take four tricks probably.

2. Protection in three suits.

3. At least one ace, much better two. There are three exceptional no-trumpers in

each of which, in turn, one of these three requisites may be absent.

First Exceptional No-Trumper

Holding three aces but no other trick. Every, three-ace hand is not necessarily a no-trumper. Many are hearts, or diamonds, owing to the honours, or to the length of the trump suit, or to the weakness or absence of another suit.

But every three-ace hand which has no other trick in it is a no-trumper, no matter whether it is original or passed, whether the aces are red or black. The power of an ace is enormous, and even if the make results badly due to your partner's having a weak hand, you have always the consolation of thirty in the honour column, a credit not to be lightly despised.

But if three aces and no other trick barely create a no-trumper, largely due to the advantage in honours, the much-cherished rule of making it no-trump with two aces and a third suit protected becomes nonsense. Your honours — your excuse for the make — have vanished, and one of your already too scarce tricks is in peril. If your protected suit offers you a chance for two tricks, or if one of your ace suits holds out possibilities of another trick, with four tricks probable, your make is sound. But players addicted to making it no-trump with two aces and a single guarded king or queen must lose oftener than they win. They persist because it is so much more agreeable to recall success than defeat.

Second Exceptional No-Trumper

One long solid black suit and another ace. The rule demands protection in three suits, but with a long solid black suit like A K Q J, or AKQxx(x = a low card), or A K x x x x x, and another ace, red or black, original or passed, you should declare no-trump, even if the other suits are absolutely worthless, or if one of them is lacking. To the novice this make appears dangerous, but it is really much more likely to win than to lose. The objection is often offered that the adversaries can run off the other two suits, and indeed they may do so. But your partner is apt to protect one if not both of them. If he has nothing you may lose the odd, even the game, but the chances are nearly two to one in your favour. In declaring this make, you offset the lack of protection in the third suit, by the number of probable tricks you can make when you once enter.

Third Exceptional No-Trumper

A hand strong in every suit but without an ace. If )^ou have a very strong hand, two honours in each suit, or all suits protected and one long strong black suit, you will probably succeed with a no-trump make. But this occasion is rare, and there is such serious danger from an adverse honour score that any victory you achieve may be almost equal to a defeat.

Additional Hints about No-Trumpcrs

A one-ace no-trump is usually precarious, and is good only with a very strong hand where all four suits are protected, or where there is some long suit which can be readily established.

Many players are timid about making a passed no-trump with no protection in hearts, or when void of that suit. It is always more than an even chance that your partner can protect the suit you lack, and many a hand not strong enough to declare hearts has good hearts in it, such as A K X, A Q X, K Q X X, or Q J lo X.

In poor no-trumpers, strong hearts or good protection in hearts is almost a necessity, but in good ones it can be disregarded.

What is Meant by Protection

By protection in any suit is meant the probable chance of keeping the adversaries from making that entire suit, and also the probable chance of making a trick in it yourself. Suits are absolutely protected with an A, or K Q, or Q J lo, or even J lo 9 x, but the lower your best card is, the less chance it has of ultimately winning a trick. K J x, K 10 x, Q J x, Q 10 x, J 10 X X, are all considered as protection, but may all fail. The minimum is K x, Q x x,

J X X X, which are all so dangerous as to presage failure nearly as often as success, and yet must often be chanced. Suits containing a lone K or Q X or J X X are not really protected, although often such cards win.

Declared Trump Makes

In declared trump hands, just as in no-trumpers, you must see the probable chance for four tricks before you declare the trump.

A simple test of all trump makes is to take the number of your trumps, which should be as many as five at least, add in the trump honours a second time (thus each honour in trumps counts double), add in also your probable outside tricks, and if the total makes eight, the make will probably succeed ; if it makes seven or less it v/ill probably fail. This is due to the fact that an extra trump, another honour in trumps and an outside trick all strengthen a hand about equally. By an outside trick is meant not only an ace, but a king or a queen sufficiently guarded.

Examples of Declared Trump Makes Adding

to Eight

NUMBER OF TRUMPS

TRUMP HONOURS

OUTSIDE TRICKS

No empirical rule can be laid down. This method of counting is advanced rather as a help to test a decision already reached. There are exceptional cases where a hand that counts up to eight will probably fail. Q J lo x x in trumps with no outside trick counts up to eight, yet would not be a good heart make : so too with J 10 X X X and a guarded Q for an outside trick. But if the weakest eight-count hands are poor, it can easily be seen that almost all sevencount hands are destined to fail.

Remember that when you hold only one honour, or no honour, in trumps there is always the danger of the adversaries making a large honour s-core.

Heart Makes

Guided by the suggestion just given, you will find that the average heart make presents few difficulties.

Hearts rather than No-Trump

Many hands containing three aces should be made hearts rather than no-trump, especially with any of the following combinations:

1. Four honours in hearts.

2. A strong heart suit, a second long and strong suit, the ace alone of the third suit, and no trick possible in the fourth.

3. A very long heart suit of six or seven, with some other suit very short or missing.

But unless your heart suit contains simple honours or great length, the make of no-trump should be given the preference.

Examples of Hearts rather than No-Trump

HEARTS

DIAMONDS

CLUBS

SPADES

A

A

A 2

96 84 9 8

Four-card Heart Makes

Four-card heart makes are good only when you have three honours in trumps, two of them being the A, K or Q, together with several tricks outside, or another strong suit. They should really add up to nine rather than eight, by the method outlined on page 7. Such hands as original makes are often overlooked and yet are very valuable. They may not win the game, but they often secure for you a good start for the next deal.

Hearts rather than Diamonds

Occasionally a hand occurs wherein it is difficult to choose between hearts and diamonds. But, putting aside the question of honours, you should always be guided by the fact that it takes one less trick to win the game in hearts than in diamonds, and that the longer suit, even if not made the trump, may be equally good as a side suit.

Examples of Hearts rather than

Diamonds

HEARTS

DIAMONDS

CLUBS

SPADES

AKQ42 KQ J 84 AKQ43

A K 10 6 5 3 AKQ 42 AKQ J

4 6

GOOD BRIDGE ii

In the first example of these hands, with a heart make you can afford to lose a diamond while clearing the suit, besides the club and the spade, and still win the game. While if diamonds were trumps the loss of three tricks would prevent your going out.

In the second example with hearts as trumps your chance of exhausting the trumps and making the diamond suit is just as good as if they were transposed, and you can afford to lose one more trick.

In the third example, while the honours in diamonds are attractive, the surer path to the game lies in having the heart suit for the trumps. You are nearly certain to be forced on the spades and with hearts as trumps you can survive a force which might ruin a diamond hand.

Diamond Makes

The current prejudice against diamond makes is a mystery. From a zero score it is difficult to go out at diamonds, but it is certainly better to reach as far as 24 or 18 or even 12 with a fair diamond make than to chance a spade make from your partner. It is said you should not declare diamonds because there are two makes better, either of which your partner may have. Granted, but there are also two makes worse, one of which you will probably not be allowed to play, or which will be doubled to your loss. Every hand cannot be hearts or no-trumps, and only a small percentage of games are won in a single deal. It is an enormous advantage on your second deal to have already gained a start of 6 or more. With such a start of only 6, good average diamond makes become compulsory. It takes no more tricks to go out from a score of 6 at diamonds than from zero at hearts, and yet many a player, foolishly biassed, passes a good diamond make with a score of 6, when had that identical make been transposed to hearts and the score zero, he would have considered the hand very good and would have gleefully made it hearts.

When to Declare Diamonds Originally

1. When holding four honours (unless hearts or no-trump seems stronger).

2. When playing to the score, 6 or more.

3; When your hand is a little stronger than it would have to be to declare hearts (adding to 9 or more. See page 9).

4. With a very long (even if not strong) suit of diamonds, with hearts weak or missing, and a generally poor hand. This is a safety make, as your hand cannot probably help any make your partner might declare, and if his hand were not very strong, you might lose disastrously.

Passed Diamond Makes

A passed diamond make falls exactly into the rule for all makes and should be treated exactly as if it were hearts.

Original Four-Card Diamond Makes

Four-card diamond makes should be declared originally only when holding four honours in trumps, or when playing to the score, and holding three high honours and several other tricks.

General Hints on Diamond Makes

You should remember that when you hold nine red cards, your partner will probably have to declare a black make.

It is better to declare diamonds when holding one ace in your hand than with none, as, in the latter case, your partner has more chance for a no-trumper.

Try to be consistent in practising your diamond makes, and you will win sometimes. If you keep changing your ideas, influenced by one failure or by several, you will probably always choose the wrong time.

Above all, unless your partner is a thoroughly good player, don't heed his criticism, which is valueless, being invariably based on result. When he has nothing he will commend your diamond make, as he would have had to declare spades. On the other hand, when he has a hundred aces, or four honours in hearts, he will probably score you roundly for not passing the make, yet your hand would be the same in either case.

Original Club Makes

An original club make is sound in three cases only:

1. When the score is 14 or more, and you have a strong club hand with two or three tricks outside.

2. When you have four honours and the score is in a safe position, as in the early part of the first game, or in the second, when you have won the first. But not in the rubber game, nor in the second game when you have lost the first.

3. In a badly balanced hand which is very long in clubs and is void of one red suit, or is weak in both red suits. Here it becomes a safety make. If you pass the make with such a hand, your partner is most likely to declare your missing suit, or one of your weak suits, and, while his make might be perfectly just, it would probably result in ruin.

Passed Club Makes

The general rule which applies to hearts and diamonds also applies to clubs. Any hand which adds to eight can be declared clubs.

Original Spade Makes

Unless the score is in desperate straits it is unwise to pass a hand that has not a possible trick in it. Therefore, in any game, when the score of that game is not greatly adverse, an original spade make is justifiable if you hold a blank hand. But not if you hold an ace, or a king, or a queen guarded, even though they are in the spade suit.

The accurate analysis of over one thousand hands shows that only one in twenty-five is strong enough to take the odd card unassisted. By making it spades originally, with hands containing no tricks, you will once in a while interfere with a good make on the part of your partner, you will sometimes lose a good honour score, but you will constantly save games and rubbers.

Passed Spade Makes

One great distinguishing mark of a good player is his willingness to declare spades ; to realise that his hand is a losing hand, and not i6 GOOD BRIDGE

to grasp futilely at what does not exist. You must learn to accept the situation ; the deal was a mistake ; your partner couldn't declare a trump, you cannot. Be resigned to your loss, and don't try to press forward, hoping that this time you will make a lucky hit.

Indeed, in one way, you should deem yourself lucky to have such a bad hand when it is your deal. If the adversaries could have the declaration, an enormous game for them would probably result, while, as it is, all they can score is 4 a trick on doubled spades.

Spades rather than Clubs

An insidious doctrine has lately crept forth and been exploited to the effect that weak club makes in the passed hand are preferable to spades when the spades are very weak or very short. The excuse alleged is that your partner may have a strong black suit, and the chances are equal that it is clubs. But the fact is overlooked that if you have four or five poor clubs, of the nine or eight remaining your partner is not likely to have many, while, on the other hand, if you have only one spade or none, that is probably his suit.

Make it clubs when your make is justified, when your hand adds to eight, when you think vou have a fair chance to take four tricks. But don't make it clubs on four to the king, jack, because you have only one spade and are afraid of the adversaries' doubling. If your spade make is doubled the loss is rarely overwhelming, but a weak club make doubled may give the adversaries the game. Unless the club make you are considering looks strong enough for four tricks, abandon all idea of it, be content with the more modest spade, and await your next deal.

Makes to the Score

When you have won the first game your position is fairly safe, so it is wise to be a little conservative and make only according to the best rules and the soundest principles. It is no time to take a risk. The adversaries must win two games in succession to defeat you, and the odds are against them.

But when the score is adverse, when you have lost the first game, or when the adversaries are well along in the rubber game, it is often practically compulsory to make a declaration that at safer times would be inexcusable. Unnaturally light no-trumpers, apparently weak heart makes, or even admittedly insufficient diamonds might meet with success and should be tried. Any possible chance should be taken when ruin impends; it really matters little if i8 the adversaries' score is made a bit larger, and you might save a huge loss.

When your score is 22 or more and your partner passes the make, he practically asks you for your best suit. Here four-card makes with two honours, such as K Q x x, K J x x, K 10 X X, and even Q 10 x x, are often successful if you have a trick or two outside. Your partner many times passes a moderately good hand, able to support any make, but not strong enough for a make itself.

Chapter II Doubling

Except in rare cases where the doubler has a wonderful hand which is worth seven fairly sure tricks, all doubling is a matter of the score. A double which at one point in the score would be wise, at another is absurd.

Double only when the value of the trick so increased will benefit you more than it will the adversaries.

Always consider the possibility of a redouble, and the effect of that on the score.

Doubling No-Trump

When you are the leader you can double no-trump when holding seven fairly sure tricks in your own hand, such as:

1. AKQ Jxxx.

2. A K Q J X X and another ace, or a king

and queen.

3. A K Q X X X X.

4. A K Q X X X and another ace or a king and

queen.

5. AKxxxxx would be very doubtful. With fewer than seven tricks you should double only when the score demands it. If the adversaries are i8 and you are i6, you can double with six tricks, or a very good general hand. One trick takes them out anyhow, and one trick unless doubled will not win you the game. But if they are i6 and you are i8, your double would aid their side much more than it would yours, and should not be tried. Again at 12 or i6 apiece in the rubber game it would be silly to double, as the odd trick would then let them out; even if your combined hands prove strong in such a case, and you win the odd, you have by no means lost your chance, as you now have the deal at 24 or 28. As for the childish superstition about winning a game from a score of 28, it is only because it is so remarkable that neither you nor your partner can make a declaration to carry you out, that the fact is remembered.

The Heart Convention

By the heart convention is meant the agreement that, if third hand doubles, the leader should lead his best heart regardless of number. More tricks are lost than are won from the misunderstanding resulting from the lead of a low heart when the leader has a long heart suit. By doubling, your partner assumes control, and demands absolutely one thing, your best heart; to lead him aught else is to mislead him temporarily, perhaps to the downfall of the hand.

For you to double third hand, playing this customary convention, means that you want and expect such a lead. Therefore you must have 'a strong heart suit (which is always probable, as the maker would have chosen hearts rather than no-trump, if long and strong in hearts), or another solid suit with the ace of hearts, or a hand consisting of great general strength, which appears good enough to defeat the maker, with average aid from your partner. You have a much better chance with a generally strong hand if the maker is on your right ; when he is on your left it is very dangerous, as some of the high cards you have counted upon as tricks may be led through and captured.

If you as leader have no heart, you should open your best suit as you would have done otherwise, except that holding an A K suit you should lead the king first to view the dummy and try to determine how best to help your partner by your next lead.

The Short Suit Convention

Many players, especially in England, prefer not to use the heart convention, but to have more latitude, to double with any good long suit, it being understood beforehand that partner is to lead his shortest suit. But this scheme of play is false in theory and dangerous in practice, for several reasons. First, it encourages too much doubling and constantly tempts sanguine players to destruction. Second, it is most uncertain, as partner may have two suits equally short and may choose the v^rong one. Third, the maker may have made it no-trump, also with one great long suit. Should that happen to be the leader's short suit, which is quite likely, the result is hardly profitable. A doubled no-trumper is too expensive, too delicate to trifle with. It is best to be sure that when such a great risk has been assumed, a certain definite result will ensue.

Doubling Hearts, Diamonds or Clubs