The odds explained by the experts

Press, 13 January 1987, Page 16

The odds explained by the experts

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

“Master the Odds in Bridge” by Terence Reese and Roger Trezel is the latest in the Master Class Series, published by Gollancz. As the introduction says, the play of the cards at bridge is a very big subject, about which many volumes could be written. Some years ago Trezel, one of the greatest of all French players and in his day an automatic choice for the French national team, had the idea of breaking up the game into several books of easily digestible length, each dealing with one or other form of technique. This has appeal both for comparative beginners, who can learn the game by stages, and for more experienced players wishing to work on their knowledge of a particular branch of play.

Terence Reese, who has equal claims to be one of the all-time-great experts and possibly the best writer on bridge, has now collaborated with Trezel to produce an English version of the original series.

In “Master the Odds,” they devote, the first part of the book to a theoretical explanation of the percentages and mathematics which inevitably govern the play of the cards. Then follows a series of 31 example hands. Let me say first, that at a retail price of $14.29 for 79 pages, which in fact is 68 pages of actual text, the paperback cannot be described as cheap. More-

over, as a dedicated nonmathematician of many years standing, I found the calculations rather confusing.

On the other hand, the example deals are both good and interesting. Here is one particularly instructive deal: N ♦ 1087 V J 3 ♦ A 7432 ♦ 96 2 w o E Y 2 ♦ AK9B TQJ®! 54 ♦ KJ96 ♦ Q lOB ♦ JlOB +KQ73 S ♦ AKQJ643 ♦ 72 ♦ 5 ♦ A 54 Against South’s final contract of four spades, West cashes the ace and king of hearts before switching to the jack of clubs. The declarer has nine tricks on top, seven in spades and two side aces, with . the only hope of making a tenth being to establish the fifth round of diamonds. To do this four entries are required to dummy, and some care is needed. After winning the third trick with the ace of clubs,

South crosses to the ace of diamonds and ruffs a diamond with the jack of spades. He continues with the three of spades from hand and, when West follows suit with the five, plays the seven from dummy

This finesse against the nine of spades is a 50 per cent chance, a far better proposition than attempting to drop a singleton nine in the East hand. When the seven holds, a diamond is ruffed high, a spade to the 10 draws the last trump, and a fourth diamond is again ruffed high. Now a carefully preserved low spade is led to dummy’s eight, and the established last diamond allows the declarer to discard a losing club.

He concedes a club at the end, but has made his contract with seven tricks in spades, two aces, and the long diamond. All in all, explain the authors, he started with a 31 per cent chance of success, but he still had to play well to take advantage of the favourable lie of the cards.

Of course, they continue, West’s defence was not the best. With strong holdings in both red suits, he should switch at trick two or trick three to a trump. This removes an entry from dummy before the declarer is ready to use it, and he is then unable both to establish and enjoy the last diamond. On balance, this is a book for good players who are keen to improve and prepared to look deeply into the possibilities of the hands to do so.