Bridge

Preface

While this little volume contains a fairly comprehensive description of the forms of Bridge and the rules of the game corrected by the latest usage, it has not been designed as a book of instruction for beginners. Rather it is intended to elucidate the theory of play and to enforce certain doctrines and conventions which have proved their value.

BRIDGE

THE PRELIMINARIES

Bridge is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, and by four persons, two as partners against the others. Ordinarily the four who play do so by mutual agreement, but in the clubs all present who wish to play, draw cards from a full pack, spread face down. Those drawing the four lowest cards compose the table. The ace is low in cutting. Partners are also selected by drawing, the two cutting the lowest cards playing against the other two. In case of a tie those tieing draw again.

The one who cuts the lowest card has the first deal. After the pack has been shuffled by the adversary at his left, and then by the dealer if he desires, it is cut by the adversary at the right. The dealer then distributes the cards, one by one, beginning at his left, till all are dealt. No card must be faced, for if an honor is exposed a new deal is obligatory, and if any lower card is exposed the adversaries have the right to a new

COUNTING deal, if they claim it. Such claim must be made before the hands are looked at. The dealer does not lose the deal.

The dealer now looks at his hand and decides which suit shall be trump, or if he has sufficient high cards, makes it "no trump." If for any reason he does not wish to make the trump, he passes the decision to his partner by saying: "I pass," or "I bridge," or "You make it, partner." The dealer's partner, whose hand is called the dummy, must then make the declaration. There must be no other conversation during the make.

THE COUNT

A game at bridge consists of thirty points made by tricks. As there are thirteen tricks in each hand, there must necessarily be at least one odd trick, over six. Each trick over six, counts for the partners who win it. Each trick has value in accordance with the trump made. If trumps are spades each trick counts 2; if clubs, 4; diamonds, 6; hearts, 8; no trump, 12.

The trump being decided, the adversary at the left of the dealer leads. But first, he has a right to double the value of the tricks. If he deems his hand sufficiently strong to win at least the one odd trick, he says: "I double." But if he does not wish to double, he asks his partner: **May I play?" To this the partner replies: * * Yes, " or " Please do ; " or, if his cards are sufficiently strong, he says: '* No, I double." If either of the adversaries thus doubles, the maker of the trump has the right to double again. If he does not wish to redouble, he says: " I 'm satisfied." His partner now has a right to redouble, and he either does so, or says: I 'm satisfied." In other words, in case of a double the game does not proceed till each player has an opportunity to express himself. But each must speak in the proper order, and when the value of each trick is settled, the elder hand must make the opening lead. As soon as this lead is made the dealer's partner spreads the dummy hand face upward on the table. It is customary to assort the cards into suits and lay them down in alternating color's, with the trump suit at the dealer's left. After exposing the cards the dealer's partner has nothing further to do with the play of the hand, except that it is his duty to see that the dealer does not revoke from his own hand. If the dealer does not follow suit, dummy should ask: " Failing, partner?" or, "Having no , partner?"

HONORS

There are five honors in each trump suit, the ace, king, queen, jack and ten. When no trump is made the aces count as honors. The honors count to the partners holding them, and their value is as follows:

When no trump is declared:

Three aces in one or both hands count 30

Four aces in both hands count . 40

Four aces in one hand count 100

When trumps are declared:

*

Double chicane (no trumps in two hands).

And in either event:

Little Slam (taking 12 tricks) adds. . 20

Slam (taking 13 tricks) adds 40

Doubling does not affect the value of the honors.

THE RUBBER

The best of three games constitute the rubber. If partners win the first and second games, the third is not played. To the score of those who

SCORING win the rubber is added loo points. The aggregate of the losing score is then deducted from the aggregate of the winning score, and the net result is the number of points won on the rubber. Each player wins or loses this aumber of points.

SCORING

The game is won with points made by tricks, but the honors are also counted. There are two methods of keeping score. The simplest and usual form is this:

A&B lOO

30 4 30 16

8 2

48 262 140 122

Y& Z

30 24

I St game

2d game 3d game lO SCORING

Another form much in use is this:

A 8 i B

Y & Z

Game

Honors

Game

Honors

12 18

24 30

82 80

262 140

The only advantage of this form is that it shows the honors held on each deal, which is advantageous if the score be questioned.

The most convenient method of keeping the score is to use pads ruled like the one opposite. It is customary after each rubber to cut anew for partners, or to pivot around one player, and on each sheet of this pad may be kept the score of three rubbers and the net points won or lost by each player.

SCORING

—

-f

—

—

A

B

Y

Z

THE PLAY

The first and a very important duty of the dealer is to make the trump or pass the decision to his partner. The great importance of a proper make has been too little insisted upon. The correct play of the cards has, of course, much influence upon the result; but, after all is said, mistakes in play will ordinarily make a difference of but one or two tricks in a hand. This is not at all true of the trump make. With an ordinary hand a wrong decision means that the game is saved or lost. The dealer must, therefore, have a keen appreciation of the value of the hand, and bear constantly in mind the purpose in view, the making thirty by tricks, or the making of enough to go game, whatever the score may be. One of the first details to be learned is that the state of the score must not be forgotten. If you forget the score and make the trump regardless of it you will not be popular with your partners.

Since a trick at no trump counts 12 and it takes but three odd tricks to make game even when nothing has been scored, the no trump make must always be first considered. It is my belief that no trump is not called as often as it should be. Whenever the hands of the dealer and

NO TRUMP MAKING his partner contain a preponderance of the high cards no trump can usually be made with safety. And all good players will doubtless agree that the play of a no trump make is much more enjoyable than that of any other call. The opportunities are greater in almost every direction, especially in the use of the finesse, and to make a final three or a four good for a trick by clever play gives a much keener delight than does the slugging of your adversaries with aces and kings of trumps. But since the chances of loss are also proportionately greater in this call, you must be reasonably sure of the odd when first you decide on the make.

THE ORIGINAL NO TRUMP MAKE

Since the pack contains four aces, four kings, and four of each other rank, it is obvious that if the hands were equal in strength each would contain one ace, one king and so on. The hand of average value is therefore considered to possess five honors. If the dealer's hand has in it seven honors it is quite above the average, and especially so if two of the honors are aces. In a long suit no cards are to be despised, least of all an eight, or nine, or ten. With an established suit all such cards are sure tricks. But it is a safe generalization

NO TRUMP MAKING that the Strength of a hand in honor cards determines for or against the no trump make. The many treatises on bridge give various rules for determining the no trump make, but there is no other general rule safer than this:

If the hand has seven honors^ of which two are aces^ it is a no trump declaration.

It is readily conceivable that a hand like this might be arranged as follows:

¥ A K lo 3

This would be perhaps the weakest combination of seven honors and would be a weak no trump make, two suits being almost entirely undefended; and yet in the great majority of cases it will be sure of the odd trick and might readily go game. Consider the law of averages. There are twenty honors in the four hands. If the dealer has seven, thirteen remain in the other three hands. Now the chance is that one-third of these, or a fraction more than four, are in partner's hand. Add to the hand given above any four average honors and the odd trick will be won. Of course there will be times when partner will not hold the four honors, and then the

NO TRUMP MAKING odd and possibly more, will be lost; but there will be just as many times when partner will hold five or six or more, and then the dealer is sure of game and possibly little slam.

It is not to be understood that in all hands with seven honors the no trump make is best. When there is a great preponderance of one of the red suits, that suit might be indicated. Take the following hand:

♦ 9 6 2

♦ 87

If the dealer here declare no trump he will probably secure the odd trick. But if he declare diamonds he gains 48 for the honor score, and is almost certain of two or three odd tricks. The diamond declaration is therefore preferable.

There are also many hands without seven honors in which the no trump declaration is advisable. Four aces, without other honors, should of course be thus declared, because even if the adversaries obtain one or two odd tricks the honor score alone would make the declaration obligatory. Many players also declare no trump with three ' aces, even with no other honors. Their reason is this, that of the seventeen honors i6

NO TRUMP MAKING in the other hands partner will hold six, and it is contended that nine honors including three aces, ordinarily constitute a more powerful combination than eleven honors with only one or no ace.

Many players also declare no trump when holding four kings and two other honors, all the suits being properly guarded. Whether such a declaration will win the odd trick is, I believe, in grave doubt, but such hands afford interesting play, and the ensuing fight for the odd trick is enjoyable.

The theory upon which the no trump call is based is that the two hands containing eleven or more honors of average value ought to win the odd trick or more. In the long run this will surely happen. But in special instances the rule is modified by the value of the honors held, and also by the length* of any established suit. As an example take the following hand:

f A

♦ A

♦ A

Here we have but six honors. Yet it is immaterial whether the partner assist with an honor or what the adversaries lead, — the hand will surely take all the tricks and make a big slam. Of

SUIT MAKING course a hand like this, or one approaching it in strength, is unusual. But a study of it only enforces this question, which the dealer must always ask himself before calling no trump:

Have I a long suit established pr which can be established ?

If the dealer has such a suit and sufficient guarded honors in the other suits so that he can prevent the adversaries from establishing a long suit against him, then the no trump call is usually proper.

Writers upon Bridge give the following hands as those from which, as a general thing, the dealer should declare no trump:

1 — Four aces.

2 — Three aces.

3 — -Two aces and a guarded suit of a king, queen with three, or king, jack, ten, with two.

4 — One ace, with guarded kings in the other three suits or with exceptionally strong cards in each of the other suits.

SUIT DECLARATIONS

When the dealer feels he cannot safely declare no trump he is forced to consider the plain suits. Of these, other things being equal, he will of course prefer hearts, because each odd trick counts eight, and next in order, diamonds, when i8

SUIT MAKING each odd trick is six. But to safely make a trump in suit it is requisite that the hand contain a large proportion of the trumps, or at least more than the average strength in trumps, and some tricks in other suits.

The dealer cannot expect as much help from dummy in a plain suit as in no trump, and it consequently follows that while it usually is safe to declare no trump with four sure tricks in the hand, the dealer should have five tricks in order to declare hearts or diamonds. And of these five tricks, four ought to be in trumps. For example, if the dealer holds in the trump suit the ace, king, lo, 5, 3, he can consider that he has the four tricks, because if he lead his ace and then the king he will have exhausted all the trumps outside of his hand, save two, and a lead of the 3 should bring out those. His remaining trumps are then good for tricks. If, instead of holding the ace, king and three small, he holds the king, queen and three small, it is readily seen that the hand is a trick short, and it would then require that there be two tricks in it in the plain suits in order to make good the deficiency. If the dealer hold king, queen, jack and two small, he may safely consider that he has the four tricks.

All calculations have to be based on the ordinary run of cards, and once in a while the

THE HEART DECLARATION 19

dealer may hold the requisite trumps and what seem to be sure tricks in a plain suit, only to find, in the play, that one of the opponents has an equally long suit of trumps and is able to ruff his plain suit. If this happen the dealer must get along as best he can. Even in such circumstances he has as good a chance as his opponent.

Holding six of a red suit it is usually right to declare trumps, although even with six it depends somewhat on the score. If your score is 20 or above you should not hesitate to make the trump, even if the six are all small, without an honor, because you will probably win the one or two odd tricks you need to make game. But with the score love all, to make on six small, without an honor, is not always wise, since more may be lost by honors than is gained by tricks.

THE HEART DECLARATION

All that has been said above applies to the heart declaration especially, but there are some hands with only four trumps that are heart makes. With four honors in his hand the dealer should declare hearts, even with very little support in any other suit. This because he is likely to get support enough from dummy to win the odd, and because the four honors are worth 64 on

20 THE HEART DECLARATION

the honor score. The only exceptions to this rule are when :

1 — The hand also contains four aces.

2 — The score is 24 all or 26 all and there is a sure odd trick if diamonds or clubs be declared. As an example take the following hand:

• With the score 26 all in the rubber game clubs is the proper declaration. It is essential to make the odd trick, and while the heart declaration might win the odd, the club declaration is almost absolutely sure to do so.

In general the dealer should declare hearts when holding:

1 — Four or five honors in hearts.

2 — Six hearts with one honor.

3 — Six small hearts with some support in other suits.

4 — Five hearts, including ace and king.

5 — Five hearts, including three honors.

6 — Five hearts, including two honors, with good support in other suits.

Many good players also declare hearts when holding four, including three honors, with very

THE DIAMOND DECLARATION

Strong protection in the other suits. But such a declaration is very doubtful, and only to be re* sorted to in exceptional conditions. When the hand is strong enough in other suits to warrant a heart declaration from four, including three honors, the hand ought to be a no trumper.

THE DIAMOND DECLARATION

One of the commonest remarks made by the ordinary or garden variety of bridge players is this: "Oh, I do so hate to make it diamonds. Whenever diamonds are trumps I have such hard luck." It is not to be denied that there is a popular prejudice against the diamond make. This unquestionably arises from two causes. It is difficult to make thirty by tricks with diamonds. It takes five odd. And it is disappointing to the average player to start out with eight or ten trumps in both hands, together with fair support in other suits, and to finish with only two or three odd tricks to his credit, counting 12 or 18. And the second reason is that many players are not careful to have sufficiently good cards when calling diamonds. They seem to regard the diamond call as of minor importance, and so "take a chance" they would not risk in hearts. The result of such a make is quite likely to be disastrous.

THE DIAMOND DECLARATION

As a matter of fact the diamond make is one to be carefully considered. When a no trump or heart call is not possible, instead of calling spades, taking two points and passing the deal, the diamond make should be carefully regarded. Six points, or twelve or eighteen, make a good start in the game. With but six points to one's credit, on the next deal it takes one fewer tricks in either hearts or no trumps to go game. Every player must have noticed the large number of games when the score stands 24 all, or when six points are needed to go game on one side or the other. It is in such a condition that there is a deep and earnest desire on the dealer's part for about six or seven of the erstwhile despised diamonds. It is certainly the part of wisdom to take these six points right at the beginning of the game, if you have the chance, and can get no more. The dealer should therefore declare diamonds holding:

1 — Six diamonds with two honors.

2 — Six small diamonds with fair protection in

the other suits.

3 — Five diamonds, including ace, king or

king, queen, jack, with good protection in the other suits, especially when holding two honors in hearts.

4 — Four honors in diamonds, with or without

good cards in the other suits.

THE CLUB MAKE

All the writers on Bridge ar^ unanimous in saying- that a club make on the part of a dealer is not permissible. They say, and certainly the argument sounds good, that the dummy has a chance at three better declarations and there is only one worse, so the make should be left to dummy. This is all very well. But if anyone will watch four bridge enthusiasts through an evening's play, he need not be surprised to hear an occasional club call by the dealer. Almost all of these original declarations are when the dealer is making to the score. And certainly such makes are wise. If your score is 22 or 24 and your hand indicates two certain odd tricks in clubs, then that is the right declaration. Because the purpose of the make is to win the game.

But in addition to these declarations to score conditions do arise — not often, but once in a while — when clubs should be declared. All old players are convinced, because experience proves it, that there is such a thing as luck at cards. Suppose now that your partner has been having a run of bad luck, so that he is compelled to call spades on nearly every hand you pass to him, and

THE SPADE DECLARATION the following or some similar hand comes to you:

If you pass to dummy and he makes it a red suit he must have seven sure tricks in his hand or you lose the odd. If he declares no trump your hand is of no possible help. If his hand is weak and he declares spades, then the opponents double and make from three to five odd trick9. In either event they have a fine start on the game and the next deal.

In such circumstances the proper declaration is clubs. If dummy's hand is strong you win 12 or 16 points with which to begin the game. If his hand is weak there will be an interesting struggle for the odd trick, with the chance in your favor.

THE SPADE DECLARATION

The custom on the part of the dealer of making the trump spades when his hand is entirely useless has now become well settled. A few old timers still hold out against what they term "the pernicious innovation." They say: This commercializes the game. It lessens the legitimate

THE SPADE DECLARATION chance for gain or loss in the play of the cards, which is and ought to be the chief charm of Bridge. The answer to this is: So does each convention played. That is the effect of an agreed on system of discarding. The object of the dealer is to win the game himself or to keep the opponent from winning it. It is just as legitimate to make the trump spades for this purpose as to make it spades to the score when the dealer needs two sure points for the game.

But, whatever the argument, it has now become the custom among careful players to make the trump spades when the hand has not a trick in it, and especially if the dealer is having a run of bad luck. This does not happen often. In an evening's play there should not be many such makes. But there ought to be some. Yet the chief advantage in the custom is the confidence in his partner it gives to dummy. If the dealer believes in the original spade make, then dummy knows that the dealer will not pass a worthless hand to him. If the trump comes to him to make he knows his partner has some tricks in the hand and governs himself accordingly.

Of course when one hand is entirely worthless this means that all the high cards are in the other three hands. Dummy should have, in these circumstances, a better hand than the average, and

PASSING THE MAKE the immediate result of such a make is to hear dummy express some dissatisfaction and to show a hand with five or six fairly sure tricks. But when he reflects that in his own hand he should have at least seven sure tricks to win the odd he usually agrees that the declaration is wise.

PASSING THE MAKE

When the dealer finds that he cannot make a satisfactory declaration from his hand he must pass the make to dummy. This should ordinarily be done, unless the dealer can call no trump or a red suit, as has been previously remarked. There is also one consideration the dealer should not overlook, and this is, that dummy is just as likely to have strong cards in his hand as is the dealer himself. Dummy has the same interest in the game as the dealer, should know the score as accurately, and, on the whole, is likelier to make a safe declaration.

As a general proposition, therefore, the wise dealer is conservative in his declaration. While he will not pass when he can make a safe call he will not force a weak hand and take chances which may result in disaster. When the dealer holds a hand containing good supporting cards, especially when these are divided among the four suits, it is often wise to give dummy a

PASSING THE MAKE chance. For example, if the dealer has cards something like this:

♦ K Q 5

This is a hand somewhat above the average. It has six honors and might be classed as a speculative no trumper, because in ordinary play it would have all the suits stopped. But if dummy is a safe player it would be wise to pass the make. The hand will furnish support for any declaration that dummy may make. If dummy is strong enough to declare a red suit, even if he lack the conventional strength desired, the combined strength may give the dealer tricks enough for game. And if dummy is so weak that he must call spades, the adversaries will not go far if they double.

In other words, if the dealer has a good defensive hand, and the score does not force a declaration, he should pass the make to dummy.

When the dealer passes the make it is dummy's duty to declare the trump. Unless dummy knows his partner's style of play this duty is somewhat puzzling. Of course the mere fact that the dealer passes is a declaration that his hand is not a strong one and, therefore, dummy should act conservatively. But if the dealer is accustomed to make it spades originally when his cards indicate that declaration, dummy may safely assume that the dealer's hand has fair strength, perhaps below the average, but yet capable of giving assistance in the battle to follow. It is certainly unfair to dummy for the dealer to pass the make when holding cards that are useless or nearly so.

Having confidence then that his partner has not "thrown him down," dummy should proceed to declare trumps by the same rules that have been set forth above for the guidance of the dealer, taking care to see that his cards are quite up to the required value and avoiding speculative makes.

One consideration must appeal to dummy. He will reflect that any very strong suit in the dealer's hand must necessarily be black. If it were red the dealer would have declared it. If tempted then to declare no trump, he must see to it that his strong suits are red, or at least he must have the red suits thoroughly stopped. The first lead, when the make is a passed no trumper, is pretty likely to be hearts. It is quite true that he may find the dealer with the ace, king or two honors in hearts, and with a stopper in diamonds, but it is not safe to depend upon this. It is, on the other hand, reasonable to assume that the dealer has some strength in black suits, Therefore, with control of both red suits, it is ordinarily safe for dummy to call no trumps, even without any stoppers in black. This is not a make to be commended w^hen the score is something like 20 to 20 in the rubber game, and when conservative play is desired, but it is a good speculative make at the beginning of a game.

If dummy has one long suit in black, either clubs or spades, say ace, king, queen with three more, and the ace of hearts, with a stopper in diamonds, it is ordinarily a safer no trump call for him than for the dealer, because the elder hand will probably lead a red card to a passed no trump make. The dealer will accordingly get in with the ace of hearts and make six more tricks with his long suit before the adversaries can take advantage of the weakness shown in dummy's exposed hand. This fact, that his hand must be laid down, should restrain dummy from speculative makes. The dealer may originally try many speculations that would be unsafe for dummy.

It very frequently becomes dummy's duty to declare a black suit for safety. If the dealer has passed the make, showing a weak hand, and dummy has himself a weak hand, there is nothing left for him to do but to get out of the trouble as cheaply as possible. To do this he must declare the suit in which he thinks the adversaries can make the fewest points. Accordingly his first choice, other things being equal, will be spades, next clubs, then diamonds. The occasions for using diamonds as defensive are not common, but with such a hand as this: