AUCTION BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 162, 11 July 1930, Page 6

AUCTION BRIDGE.

CALLED CARDS

(By A. E. MANNING FOSTER.) Arising out of exposed cards is the question of cards liable to be called. A point on which there is constant misunderstanding is declarer's rights. He cannot forbid the lead or play of an exposed card. For example, A lias exposed the Ace of Spades, and Z (declarer) leads a Spade. He may or may not choose to call A's Ace of Spades, but he cannot prevent A playing it if he does not call it. Nor if it is A's lead can lie prevent A leading it. An exposed card may be played by the player at the first opportunity. It is not necessary to wait for it to be called. The only advantage the declarer possesses is that he can order it to be played when it suits him. But he cannot prevent it being played at any time. Thus B (fourth in hand) has exposed the King of Hearts. The Ace and Queen are in Dummy. Declarer may lead a Heart, put up Dummy's Ace and call B's King, which must be played. But should he play Dummy's Queen he cannot forbid B to play the King. Declarer cannot make an opponent revoke, but he can continue to call a card that is exposed on the table. Thus B exposes the Ace of Diamonds. Z leads a Heart and A puts up the Ace of Hearts; Z may say to B, "If you have not got a Heart, play the Ace of Diamonds." The calling of an exposed card can be repeated until it is played. On the other hand, its owner is always at liberty to play it without waiting to have it called. This situation must not be confused with calling a lead. At the beginning of play B leads a! card when it is A's turn. Z may require A to, lead a particular suit, in which case B picks up the card he has exposed in error. But if Z asks A to lead a suit of which he holds none, A can lead what he likes. In what circumstances can a player call the highest or lowest card of the suit? (1) If an adversary fails to follow suit, and discovers his error in time to save a, revoke, the declarer can call upon him to play the highest or lowest card of the suit in which he has renounced. (2) If declarer fails to follow suit and discovers his error in time to save a revoke, the adversary on his left can call upon him to play the highest or lowest card of the suit. But a penalty cannot be exacted when the declarer is fourth in hand. (3) If a player who is called upon to play his highest or lowest fails to do so he incurs the penalty of the revoke. Thus Hearts are led, and B, who has failed to follow suit, finds he can do so in time to save a revoke, Z calls upon him to play his highest Heart. He holds* the Jack and 10 of Hearts and plays the in. He I* l =s fovo'-vi <•••* Z can clairr. a penalty of 100 points against him.