RULES OF BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19675, 29 June 1927, Page 11

RULES OF BRIDGE.

MAJORITY CALL ON TRIAL, ENGLISH CLUBS' DECISION. A. and N.Z. LONDON', June 27. A conference between the members of the leading bridge clubs was held at the Portland Clul/s rooms. A resolution was to th',« effect that all clubs and bridge-playing circles .should adopt the majority calling rule from July 1 until October 51 in 'order to make a thorough trial of it before lis final adoption

By majority calling or bidding is meant the American system, often described as numerical bidding. Under the English system, embodied in the laws of 1924, bidding depends on the valuation of the suits, so that three spades outbids four clubs: four spades outbids five diamonds and two no-trumps outbids three clubs. The American rule is that "a bid of a greater number of odd tricks ranks higher than a bid of a less number." Therefore, four clubs outbids three spades: and three clubs outbids two no-trumps. The Americans rank alt suits alike in the bidding, though the anomaly persists in the score, since it takes five "by cards". to win game in a minor suit, but only four "by cards" to win game in ii»mnjor suit (spades and hearts). A plebiscite taken by the Portland Club last month, in which 170 clubs voted, revealed a "vote of 87 to 68 in favour of majority calling. For it two advantages are claimed. On the one hand, it abolishes the traps into which a careless player is. so apt to fall; as, for instance, bidding five diamonds over four spades. On the other hand, it brings the minor suits more into the game. At present, when the bidding becomes high, the minor suits are cut out of competition, and a player who wishes to continue bidding is limited to hearts, spades, and no-trumps. It is said that majority bidding favours the good player j and it is urged with about equal fremiencv that it favours thfe bad player. What it does is to simplify, the ennie while at the same time increas- j iug its variety. i

Another change which is under consideration in England is the adoption of the American system of decimal scoring of honours. It is' proposed that three honours in any suit should always'count. 30; -that, four honours should count 40, and five honours 50; that four honours in one hand should count 80, or when the fifth is in the partner's hand 90, and five honours in one hand 100. Honours in no(runtps would be counted as at present and chicane would be abolished.