Street on auction; a conservative, practical and profitable method of playing the greatest of modern games

Front matter

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\i iiiii

TV

Preface

In this book it is presupposed that the student of Auction knows the principles and general rules of the game of Bridge. Therefore, to insert here chapters upon Second or Third Hand Play, Management of Trump Hands, Holding Up, Unblocking, etc., would be but an idle repetition. The author has covered all that ground in his last book on Bridge, entitled Good Bridge. The present volume is devoted to an exposition of the principles of Auction, and has been purposely delayed in the writing until the game, which for a long time has been chaotic, has at last crystallized into a reasonable and recognized system. This system as shown here is natural, conservative and reliable. It begets confidence between partners, and when followed by good players not only insures them a fair meed of success, but also, and above all, arms them against great and disproportionate loss. The author has no fads or fancies to advance; his sole aim has been to set forth in a clear and comprehensive way the best method of playing this most delicate and complex game.

The introduction and general adoption of the so-called new count, or new valuation for the suits (see page 108, paragraph 4), has necessitated the revision, and practically the rewriting, of a large part of this manual. The differences brought about are so many and so fundamental, the structure of the game is so changed, that the earnest student must reconstruct his ideas entirely in order to appreciate the possibilities now open to him for obtaining the full value from each hand. He must realize that no-trump makes occur less often; that royals and hearts are more often played in preference to no-trump; that unless playing to a score, both diamond and club bids are inf ormatory ; that the bid of two spades is more restricted, and that doubling is less a factor, as there are twice as many bids now for the player w^ho has been doubled to escape into. All these points can not merely be grafted upon the old game of Auction— they are inherent in the new game and their relative values must be studied and learned.

THE SCHEME OE AUCTION.

Chapter I. The Scheme Oe Auction

Most players, even those who have played a long time, have an entirely wrong idea of the game of Auction. They think that they must bid all the time, that it is somewhat of a disgrace to say nothing, that they must make a constant effort to show their partner something, and that they aren't having any excitement at all unless they bid up to two or three on some make and either get doubled or double some one else. And it is easy to see that if all four players play this same kind of game the hands are thrilling and the losses offset each other. But place a careful and conservative player at that table and with

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average cards his success is astounding, because the secret of success at Auction is to avoid large losses.

Your opponents simply cannot win a huge rubber unless you deliberately pile up a big score for them in their honor column. If you never say anything but "one spade'' and ''no'' they may win the rubber in two successive games, which, with the honors and the 250 points bonus, may run the total up to above 400. But rubbers of 800 or 1,000 are the fruits of sky-rocket bidding, either founded on false initial bids or carried to ridiculous heights by players who either cannot or will not count their hands.

Auction was evolved to prevent good hands being wasted and to allow any player having such a hand to play the dummy as if he had been the dealer at Bridge. And all bidding should be directed at finding out if you and your partner between you have a hand with which you can go game ; or if not, if you can prevent the adversaries from going game ;

the: scheme: 01^ AUCTION.

or if game is not possible for either side, if you can make a moderate score without taking chances for a disproportionate loss.

Most of the time there should be but little bidding. It is only when two good hands occur at the same time, or when the rubber is at some critical stage, that there is much competition. The idea of trying to outbid good hands with poor ones is suicidal. There never yet has been a game where poor cards will beat good ones if they have to be played out. The bluff is successful at poker only because the cards may be thrown down, but hands at Auction always come to a showdown. The good poker player never goes into nor tries to win every pot. He waits until he has a fair chance. In Auction you can't expect to play every hand or win every rubber. You can't take away every bid always; the opponents will hold and must play some good hands, and it is madness not to recognize that fact.

With good hands you can bid up to the limit of their possibilities, and even a trick

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beyond when the opponents' bid looks dangerous ; but moderate hands, hands a shade above the average, you should treat with extreme caution; while as for poor hands, it is well to recognize at the start that you have nothing to say and nothing to do.

What you should aim at is to win the game, taking as little risk as possible while you are waiting for the proper hand to do it with, and losing, if you must lose, only small rubbers.

Nearly all games at Auction are won, when they are won, in a single hand. All the 8's and 12's and 16's you make rarely help much toward a game. In a minute or two there comes along a big heart hand or a no-trumper, which alone wins the game. Not that small scores are to be despised. Every score you make above or below helps swell your profits or diminish your losses. But these small profits are not worth big risks.

Your first bid is usually a suggestion to your partner, after which the opponents venture some bid. Some one may hold a good

THE SCHEME OF AUCTION.

hand, or there may be two big hands out against each other, in which case the bidding may go on, becoming more and more dangerous each step that it advances. But often you can see that you can't go out and that probably the adversaries also cannot win, so that it ceases to be a question of the game for either side ; then let them play the hand unless your make is pretty sure. Let them take the chance to lose 50 or 100. What do you care if they do score 16, or even 24; your chance to go out next time is as good as theirs ; every deal is your deal in Auction.

High bids are nearly always bad risks. The player who bids three diamonds is trying for 21 points and taking chances to lose 50 or 100. The gain and the loss are not equivalent. Bear in mind that what you are after is the game, the game, first and last, the game, and shape all your bids to that end.

The history of Auction shows a persistent progress toward conservatism. Among good players there is much less bidding and very

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much less doubling than formerly. A loss of 300 or 400 is extremely rare, and when it occurs it is usually the result of some terribly adverse combination of circumstances.

the: INlTlAIv BID.

CHAPTER 11. the: initial bid.

The game of Auction is built on three foundation stones : these are a sound initial bid, a correct increase by partner, and a careful continuation by the original bidder. Let any one of these three elements be weak and your structure is liable to collapse.

The most important of the three is the initial bid. As dealer you have no choice ; you cannot pass as in Bridge, but must make some bid, bearing in mind the one salient fact that the declaration you make will probably not be the iiltimate one at which the hand will be played, unless you have unusually strong cards. More often than not it will be changed.

The idea of your initial bid is distinctively informatory and should show the character

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of your hand; it should tell not necessarily that you intend, or especially want, to play the hand at your declaration, but rather that at such a declaration your hand will work the best. Except for the defensive bid of one spade, your first bid generally should tell your partner where you can take tricks, no matter z^'Iiat the final bid may he at which the hand is played. Your bid must show high cards, winning cards, aces and kings. If you bid one no-trump you practically say that you have high cards scattered in three or four suits. If you bid one royal, one heart, one diamond or one club you say that you have high taking cards in that suit ; and, as bne spade is simply a passing hand, so the bid of two spades shows at least two tricks in a short spade suit with another trick outside. (AVith a long, strong spade suit a royal is a better bid.)

It has been repeatedly said that Auction is a game of aces and kings, and this from the very nature of the game must be true. Your

THE INITIAL BID.

bid, to be of any real worth, must show cards of permanent value, and these are aces and kings. There are eight aces and kings in the pack, and unless two fall together they are good for eight tricks, and all the queens, jacks and tens must skirmish for the remaining five. When you bid one diamond, holding ace, king and two others, you tell your partner you can take two tricks probably no matter what the final trump may be. But if you bid one diamond on six to the queen, jack, ten, you make a false bid, as you can take tricks only when diamonds are trumps, and, as has been said before, they probably won't remain trumps. In the first case, with your ace king suit, you give your partner precise, definite, valuable information; in the second, with your queen jack ten suit, you say what is not true, you lead your partner astray and you often bring about a cruel loss. Again, with your ace king suit you have two of the eight high cards, your average, but with only a queen jack ten suit you haven't a trick in

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your hand. Make this your test; when you sort your hand don't look for long suits, look for aces and kings. If you have three of these eight cards you are better than the average and may have a bid in your hand; if you have two, you have just your average and may possibly have a bid; but with only one your hand is below the average and probably contains no bid.

Remember that your success depends largely upon you and your partner arriving quickly at a good understanding. Auction is intensely a partnership game. If you and your partner could withdraw to the next room and show each other your hands you could quickly decide upon your best plan of action. But instead, all this must be arrived at speedily in the bidding. Don't for a moment lose sight of the fact that you should think more about your partner in your bidding than about your opponents. When your opponents outbid you, you have only to resign and usually no harm is done. But if you

THE INITIAL BID.

begin by giving false information to your partner, and he, always relying upon you for an available two tricks, goes ahead and bids up his hand or doubles the adversaries', you have involved both him and yourself in a coil which is purely your fault, and you are powerless to undo. And if this can happen with a sound and careful partner, just think to what disasters you may be swept by a partner who is obstinate, sanguine or hot-headed.

An ace king suit is the ideal one to bid on ; here are your tw^o probably assured tricks ready to support your partner in any bid he may attempt. In fact, the first thought that should enter your mind when your partner bids a royal, a heart, a diamond, or a club, is that he has an ace king suit. But as one unfortunately has not always such a suit, the natural query arises, ''What other combinations are valuable enough to show?'' And the answer is, "All that will stand the following test:'' As your partner counts upon you for the ace and the king of your suit, when you haven't

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them both you must have compensation elsewhere.

It is sound to bid on a suit of five to the ace king, but not on five to the ace queen, as if your bid is changed you may have but one trick. But it is all right to bid on five to the ace queen, if you have another trick outside like the ace of clubs or the king and queen of hearts. You have not what you advertise in your suit, but you oft^er an equivalent, a trick elsewhere. But that trick must be quickly available, an ace or a well-guarded king; nothing else counts, not even a queen jack ten combination; that is too far off and takes too long to materialize.

This then is the tale your initial bid tells : 'Tartner, I may have a hand I want to play at my declaration, or I may be trying to give you some information which will help you in a bid of your own; but whichever it is I have at least two quickly available tricks in my hand which will be good on either the first or the

THE INITIAL BID.

second round of the suit, no matter what may be the trump/'

There is, however, one class of sound declarations not covered by the foregoing, and that is long suits of six or more, headed by ace, by king and queen, or by king, jack and ten, not lower. These suits will be of no value unless they are trumps, they are not good to help other makes with, being especially dangerous in no-trump hands, and yet will probably win you the odd card if you are left in with the bid. Yet such suits, long as they are, are not particularly good unless there is some other possibility of a trick in the hand — some king or queen which, although not in itself of great value, may so combine with the dummy as to produce a trick. Also suits of six headed by queen jack ten can be bid when you have two sure tricks outside, like two aces, or another ace king suit, or an ace and a king queen suit. Any one of these bids naturally deceives your partner and may lead him to venture another declaration; but

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your defense is this, you must not let h:s ::d sta'iid, you must outbid him and change back to your suit. For example, you bid one heart and he bids one no-trump, counting on you for two tricks in heans or an equivalent elsewhere. If now you bid two hearts, you sound a note of warning : in fact, you really say this : "I have my two tricks, but they will be tricks only if Jiearfs are fy y ." In other v/ords. your hand is good enough to bid on and probably to win with, :ut it has not an adjustable value. The hearts are not the right kind of hearts to help a no-trimip. but as trimips. Vvdth the high cards in a no-trimiper for assistance, they v^nll probably v/in out.

Under the old count, such bids were good only in the red suits, but with the new count, Vvdiere it is possible to go out on any suit bid. they are equally good in all suits, though naturally better in royals and hearts, as fewer tricks are needed for the game.

With no other ace or king in the hand, no suit of diamonds or clubs should be shown

THE INITIAL BID.

originally unless headed by ace king, by ace queen jack, or by king queen jack. King jack ten suits are good only with an outside trick. Unless playing to the score all diamond and club bids must be considered as invitations to your partner to make some higher and more costly bid, usually no-trump, and are designed to coax him into some bid he would not otherwise make. If his hand is strong enough to bid on unaided, your bid is not necessary and it would be better to save your strength to help him with later if he should be outbid. If his hand is not strong enough for a bid you are simply tempting him on to some venture which may prove desperate. See to it, therefore, that the material you offer him is sound and serviceable.

It may seem reasonable at first glance to bid one on any suit of seven to the queen jack ten even with no other high cards, hut the bid will almost surely be changed, and if your partner bids one no-trump, counting on your suit, he probably won't take a trick in your

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hand unless he has ace, king and one small ; but if he has those cards, your bid was certainly useless, and in fact may prove disastrous, as he will say: ''My partner could not have bid on a queen-high suit without compensation elsewhere and therefore he bids his hand up and up, and if an expensive catastrophe occurs it is your fault.

Therefore, let your original bid be sound and accurate, showing high cards of value or long, strong suits which you mean to insist upon although your partner changes your bid.

Don't be led astray by the desire to shoiv your partner something when you haven't the right kind of cards to show. Fix it in your partner's mind that you can be depended upon. It is better far to have more than you have promised than to have less. You thereby become a more popular partner and a more respected antagonist. But don't carry this idea too far; don't lie in wait and make a weak make when you have a stronger one in your hand. That was the first idea of the game and

THE dealer's make.

has been thoroughly threshed out and found to be false.

Declare the strength of your hand at once. If you have a no-trumper don't begin with a club or a diamond and give the adversaries a chance to show their suits and combine to defeat your no-trumper when you later launch it. Bid it at once and put the onus on them of bidding two on some suit while still in the dark as to each other's cards.

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CHAPTER III. THE dealer's make

All bids, except the safety make of one spade or the invitation make of two spades, now fall naturally into three classes:

No-trumps, needing three tricks for game.

Royals or hearts, needing four tricks for game.

Diamonds or clubs, needing five tricks for game.

NO TRUMP.

With two exceptions (see sub-head 3, ''Two Aces/' below) all no-trump declarations which were good in Bridge are good in Auction. But now that you have against your no-trumps two such sterling bids as royals and hearts which need only a trick more apiece for the game, together with two other suit bids which

THE) dealer's make.

can possibly win the game, it is easy to see that no-trumps have shrunk in importance and are not played nearly so often as formerly. Bearing in mind, therefore, the lively competition that your no-trumps are likely to encounter, it is well to be a little more conservative than hitherto and eschew the airy, light informatory makes once so popular with many players. When you declare one no-trump you do not say necessarily that you have a fine no-trumper which you are anxious to play ; you simply say that at present that is the character of your hand; if your partner prefers to change to some other make you can assist him with some valuable cards. If your no-trumper is really good you can go back to it, but when it is not superlatively good, and especially when you can help the make your partner has announced, it is better to let his make stand.

All no-trumpers are properly estimated according to the number of aces they contain and are therefore here listed on that basis.

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1. FOUR ACES.

^^llile this is naturally an ideal and attractive make at the start, yet it often must be abandoned later in the face of a strong attack by the adversary, or a warning change by partner.

2. THREE ACES.

With three aces, no matter how bad the rest of the hand may be, you should always declare one no-trump unless the hand contains a good royal or heart make, or you are declaring to a score, in which case one diamond, or even one club, may be preferable.

3. TWO ACES.

To declare one no-trump with two aces you have to have not only one other trick, such as a guarded king, or a queen, jack and low, but also the possibility of a fourth trick in your hand.

There are two good two ace hands, however, in which it is better to declare a suit make rather than no-trump. The first is a solid suit and another ace. In Bridge this was a no-trumper, but in Auction it is unnecessary to take useless chances with two missing suits, in fact a no-trumper should always have three suits protected ; it is better to bid one on your suit at once. Then if your partner goes no-trump you can change back to your suit if it is royals or hearts, but can let the no-trump stand if your solid suit is diamonds or clubs. Also with tw^o ace king suits, again a Bridge make, it is better to declare that one of the suits first which is the higher, and have the other to come forward with if you are outbid, and thus give your partner a chance to make a no-trumper or to help you on whichever of the two makes suits his hand the best.

4. ONE ACE.

One ace no-trumpers are always dangerous. With three aces you at least have 30 to offset a possible loss; when you have but two aces

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your partner will have one ace two out of three times, w^hile even if he has none, the honors can never lie against you. But with only one ace your partner is not likely to have more than one, and sometimes will not have that, which of course makes your loss more probable, besides increasing it by 30. To venture upon a one ace no-trumper you must have extra strength in your hand. There are three cases where such a make is sound.

(a) You can make it no-trump with one ace when you have all suits protected. But they must be well protected, not all queen jack suits or jack ten suits. A good test for a doubtful hand is not to make it unless you hold a queen above the average. If you hold one ace, one king, one queen, one jack and one ten you have exactly an average hand. To make it worth a no-trump bid you should hold at least another queen. Such a bid will win more often than it wnll lose.

(b) You can make it no-trump with one ace when you also have another long suit that

THE dEai^Hr's make.

can readily be cleared and a third suit protected.

(c) You can make it no-trump with one ace and one unprotected suit when your hand is unusually strong in the other three suits ; except that here you must have a king above the average.

5. NO ACES.

A no-trumper without an ace should be made only when you have high honors in all the suits, with at least three kings. But remember unless you can stop twice the suit they open against you, you may have to ruin your hand by discarding.

EXAMPLES 0^ SOUND NO-TRUMP MAKES.

O A 7 2

Purely an informatory make; one that you don't care especially to play, but, if you are left in with it, will not lose much, as your part-

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ner must have some high cards, else the adversaries would have bid. You have a chance for a fourth trick in spades.

4 3

♦ Q J 2

Practically the same as number one, with a possible fourth trick in diamonds.

A good example of all suits protected in a one ace no-trumiper which contains a queen above the average.

A one ace no-trumper containing a good suit and a third suit protected. If the clubs were headed by the king ten, or the queen jack ten, the make would not be sound.

THE dealer's make.

CP 9 4

In spite of the weak hearts the rest of the hand is strong enough to make it a no-trumper.

A no-trumper without an ace, but holding three kings and three queens. Yet this hand may work very badly if your partner has a poor hand and you lose the king of hearts at once and have to discard while they make that suit.

EXAMPLES OF UNSOUND NO-TRUMP MAKES.

The jack ten suit certainly contains a possible trick, but it is too remote, while there is

KQJ 2

* K Q 3

♦ Q J 5

5 3

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no possibility of a fourth trick in the hand. Save your two aces to help any make your partner may have; if he has no make you won't go far at no-trump. Bid one spade.

Just an average hand ; one not worth a bid. Bid one spade.

* Q J 2

This is a bad no-trumper, as the suits are all too thin and there is no support. You would better save your kings for your partner's help. The spade suit is too poor even to venture a royal bid. Bid one spade.

4 A Q J 8 2 the: dkaldr's make:.

Although you have three aces you will probably do better at royals or hearts, as you are likely to lose the ace of diamonds at once and then will have to clear the hearts or spades. Bid one royal first and if outbid try two hearts.

Better here to bid two spades and have your diamond bid in reserve for the second round.

O A 6 5

A K Q J 7 4

4 6 4 2

Better here to bid one club. This will coax your partner into a no-trumper if he has a fair hand, and will not alarm greatly an adversary with a good no-trumper. Your bid of one club promises high cards and your continuation, if you are attacked, will show extra strength.

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Chapter IV. The Dealer S Make

ROYALS OR HEARTS.

One royal or heart should be bid with the following combinations :

1. AKxxx 1

AQ Jxx K Q J X X KQ lOxx

A O X X X K f lOxx AO Jx KQJx K 10 X A J X X X K O X X X

A 10 X X X K J X X X K lOxxx Q J 10 XX even though you hold

} no other aces or kings

I

J in the hand.

with one sure outside trick such as an ace, or > a king and queen together, or a king jack ten suit.

with two good outside tricks or with another five-card suit containing a good trick, but not when the rest of the hand is evenly divided.

r

THE dealer's make.

Any suit of six royals or hearts headed by ace, by king queen, or by king jack ten, should be declared originally if there is a possibility in the hand of another trick. This declaration you must continue with; if your partner goes to no-trump you must bid two in your suit.

An original bid of two royals or two hearts is rarely advantageous zi'ifh an established suit, as you might prefer to bring it in against an opponent's no-trumper. But such a bid is often profitable with a very long unestablished suit that would be good neither to assist a no-trumper by your partner nor to bring in against one by the enemy. But remember when you bid two you not only demand to play the hand, but you also promise to succeed in your contract, unaided, except rarely when bidding to a score, when you can count upon one trick from your partner.

EXAMPLES OF SOUND MAKES IN ROYALS OR HEARTS.

Note. — The bid here illustrated is always hearts, but it would be equally sound in royals were the suits reversed.

stre:et on auction.

♦ 543

4 3 2

^ K Q J 5

6 4

♦ 873

O K J 5 3 2

♦ A K 5

4 8 6 4 2

7 5

♦ 9

K Q

7 4 3

6 2

7 3

This last is a sound example of a twoheart bid.