AUCTION BRIDGE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 2 April 1930, Page 8

AUCTION BRIDGE

EASY LESSON No. 13. Bridge can bo divided into two parts -mechanical and reasoning. The prcvious lessons have dealt with most of the mechanical side of bridge, and although they may have bored you, then; is no hope for you ever being a good player until the mechanical portion has been mastered. When yon thoroughly understand bidding and loads, all your attention can be devoted to planning how to play, and unless you are a super genius you will make many mistakes. 'lhe 'play of each deal must lie divided into two parts—declarer's and the adversaries.' Dei hirer's play will first be dealt with. After the first lead has been made, the Dummy hand is placed on the fable.' It is a good plan to place the Trump suit on Dummy's right, with the cards correctly sorted, of course, and do not put two red or black suits together. When Dummy's cards are exposed, the three players should carefully examine the cards and see how they will affect the cards held. For example, if Dummy holds Ace and Queen of a suit, and the player on the left holds King and another, he can be reasonably sure to make the King. This is a simple illustration. You can see 26 cards; has the bidding or partner's lead helped you to place any of the other 26? Before touching a card in Dummy, Declarer should plan his campaign. Many a game has been lost because Declarer played a small card from Dummy as soon as exposed. Expert players always PAUSE, PLAN, THEN PLAY. The best method for a beginner is to count the losers. If you lack all four Aces, you are going to lose 4 tricks, unless you have an abundance of trumps. Holding an Ace and small cards only, means that you will lose 2 or 3 tricks in that suit unless you can trump from Dummy or your own hand. Double Dummy is excellent practice for counting the winners and losers. When you have decided how many tricks you must lose, then try and discover some moans of gaining some of those losing tricks by examining the two hands and answering the following questions: — 1. Can I make any of Dummy's trumps singly ? 2. Must I finesse? 3. Can I discard losing cards on winning ones? Those three questions cover Declarer's play for the great majority of bridge deals' Memorise them, and don't forget to PAUSE, PLAN, THEN PLAY. Plan the play in the following order: 1. Count your losers. 2. After 'answering the above three questions, decide if you can make your contract. 3. Contract assured, can you make game ? 4. Game certain, can you make a Little SlamV 5. Little Slam possible, can you make a Grand Slam?

Planning the play will take a little time, but with practice you will be able to value the hands in a- few seconds. All thinking must be done before a card is played from Dummy. Even if Dummy contains only rags of the suit led, do not play one until you have examined the two hands. If you play a card immediately Dummy is exposed, third hand follows, and you play from your own hand and usually continue without thinking ahead. Plan the play before playing Dummy's card, and you will not have to pause later on. To a good player, particularly when Dummy, nothing is more annoying than to see the Declarer pause and think after several rounds in an endeavour to get out of a mess. In most cases, a few seconds" thought would have prevented the trouble, and, also, I Dummy would not have been thinking of punishments suitable for' the crime. Few Dummys believe in the abolition of capital punishment when they are Dummy, and Declarer makes a hash of perfectly good cards. (Copyright by* S. N. Lythgo, Box 401, G.P.0.", Melbourne.)