AUCTION BRIDGE.

Matamata Record, Volume XIII, Issue 1108, 24 March 1930, Page 2

AUCTION BRIDGE.

EASY LESSONS. i (Special for the Record). No. 6. Lesson No. 5 dealt with the prob- ! able trick values of Blank Suits, Singletons, Doubletons, and the cards ' of partner’s suit for raising a suit I bid. To value the high cards in the other suits, it is necessary to know ! the Quick Trick values given in Lesson No. 3. \ To arrive at the probable trick value of the high cards, double the quick trick value of certain cards. The Ace, 1 quick trick, becomes 2 probable tricks; A.K., 2 quick tricks, 4 probable tricks; A.Q., 14 quick tricks, 2 A probable tricks; K.Q., 1 quick trick, 2 probable tricks; K.X., A quick trick, 1 probable trick. Q.J.10 etc., and all other high cards are not counted. When you make a bid of one, you contract to take seven tricks, but you rarely have seven tricks in your hand. An initial bid of one tells partner you have two quick tricks and four or more., probable tricks. Assume" you bid 1 Spade on A.K.Q.J., and nothing else of value. If Spades are trumps you will take 4 tricks. Again, say you bid on A.K.X.X.X. and nothing else, the suit is valued at 4 probable tricks, because as a general rule, playing three rounds of a suit will clear it. Playing the Ace, King and then a small one will exhaust your opponents’ trumps nearly every time if partner has normal support. If you only have 4 probable tricks out Of the 13" “possible tricks,” you can reasonably assume that the other nine tricks are evenly divided between your partner and opponents, therefore, partner must have over 3 probable tricks before raising your first bid. Every time you raise your own bid without assistance, your partner requires one probable trick less to raise once. To raise the first bid from one to two, partner requires four probable tricks, but if you raise your own bid to thfee, partner only requires two . probable tricks to raise to four. You must not raise your own bid because partner has assisted, bid on your own hand only. I know, the foregoing is difficult, but once mastered, you will not have any difficulties with bidding- and assisting. Now sort out the cards given below. Example.—South, dealer, bids 1 Spade, holding S. A.K.8.7.3, 4 prob-* able tricks; H. 10.7.3; D. A. 5.4, 1 probable trick; C. 3.2; total, 5 probable tricks. N., South’s partner, holds S. Q. 10.6.2, Queen, 1 probable trick; H. 3 Singleton, 11 probable tricks; D. K. 8.7.2, King, 1 probable trick; C. A.K.Q.5, A.K., 4 probable tricks; total, 7A probable tricks. Note.—Half a probable trick is not counted i& the total. North could raise partner’s bid of 1 to 5, and South, having 5 probable tricks, could raise once more, so the combined hands could bid and take 12 tricks. To save time, have a pack of cards with each suit separate. The cards for the examples can then be selected quickly. Your partner, South, bids 1 Heart. How many times could vou assist with the following hands?* S. 9.7., H. Q. 5.4, D. K.Q.J.10, C. A. 7.5.2. ’ S. None, H. 10.7.5.4., D. A.J.10.3, C. K. 7.6.4.2. 543 5 ’ H ' 5A ' 2 ’ D ' A - K -Q- 8 - 7 - 3 > C. S. A. 7.3.2, 11. 9.6, D. A. 5.3. C 7.3.4.2. (Copyright by S. N. Lythgo, Box 401, G.P.Ch, Melbourne).