THE BRIDGE TABLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20235, 20 April 1929, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE BRIDGE TABLE.

s BY MAJOR TKNACI.

CONTRACT CONVENTIONS.

It is not easy to find a clear way among tho conflicting conventions which tho Americans have introduced into contract bridge, but I have aimed throughout at simplicity, confining myself as far as possible to conventions whose meanings can be deduced by reasoning and rejecting those which require preliminary explanation and understanding. 'llius, 1 have said that a hid of two should indicate a hand that has good prospects of game, which, in a suit, means a holding of seven probable tricks; and that, in order to allow partner the maximum of freedom, tho suit bid should be of at least six cards headed bv one quick trick. A hand that fulfils these conditions certainly holds good prospects of game at a major suit, for if partner has but an average holding, the valuo of which is placed at three tricks, tho combination should win game. But at contract, as at auction, one trick more is required to win game at a minor suit than at a major, and if a player bids two diamonds or two clubs in pursuance of this convention, his partner will have to hold one trick above average support in order to bid up to the game contract. The Americans, recognising this difference between major and minor bids, refuse to apply the initial two-bid convention to minor suits j and some of them hold that an initial bid of two in a minor suit, should represent a holding of six cards headed by the ace-king-queen, nothing less. Arbitrary Conventions. I am against using bids to represent holdings in this way, first, because the convention is entirely arbitrary, and, second, because it is liable to be overlooked in the preliminary explanations and then becomes a private understanding between partners, or, to put it bluntly, a form of cheating. Other players in America use the initial two bid in Ine minor suits to show two-suiters, a bid of two diamonds representing strength in both spades and hearts, and a bid of two clubs representing strength in both diamonds and clubs. 'J. his is even worse than using a bid to indicate an exact card holding. Jt is, in fact, a return to the worst abuses that flourished in the early days of auction when spades were worth two and every bid in spades from one to seven had a different meaning, but not one of them meant strength in spades.

Bui apart from these objections, 1 do not see why the ordinary convention of initial two bids should not be applied to the minor suits. Knowledge that a player holds seven probable tricks, even though most of them are in a minor suit, may well encourage his partner to go into no trumps or a major suit with some hope of game. And partner can do this with fair confidence, for he will know that if the minor suit bidder cannot support the take out he can say so by rebidding his minor suit. If the arbitrary method of showing twosuiters explained above is rejected, the way in which it must be done is the recognised auction way—to show the suit of higher value on the first round and the suit of lower value on the second, starting with a bid of one. The objection against this is that the original bid of one in the suit of higher value may be left in when a game contract could be reached at the % other suit. To avoid this some players start showing a strong two-suiter with an initial bid of two to indicate the game possibilities of their holding. But if two is bid in the suit of higher value, then the bidding may co so high in the first round that it will be dangerous to show the suit of lower value at all. Between these two evils I prefer the risk of being left in with a low contract to the risk of shutting myself out from showing the full strength of my hand, and I infinitely prefer either' risk to the establishment of another arbitrary convention. Bids of More Than Two.

The Americans, in their thoroughness, have attached special meanings and conditions to initial bids of more than two, but I doubt whether these meanings serve any purpose commensurate with the trouble of memorising them. Any initial bid of more than two must be preemptive, but it need not be, as it is in auction, a confession of weakness as well as strength. If partner has the strength to raise it to a game contract or for the slam bonus, lie will no doubt do so. If ho has not, then (he player must find what comfort he can in the fact that his percipitancy may have prevented the opponents from developing a game bid between them.

To sum up on the question of initial bids: The practice at contract does not differ materially from auction except that the bid of two, which has for so many years been the scorned outcast of auction theory, is not only admitted but accorded a place of high honour. It is in the subsequent bidding that the differences between the two games become most marked. At auction, since a declarer may go game however low the contract he undertakes to fulfil, an elaborate system of defensive bidding has been developed with the deliberate object of keeping the strong hand out of the declaration if possible. The bidding is a competition to secure (he declaration, a competition governed first by the strength of the hands, and second by the value of the rubber. This competition is much less marked at contract. It occurs, of course, where each side can get game at its own bid, and it is just, as fierce then as at auction. But weak parsers will not bid against strong opponents for these opponents must bid for game if they are to score it, and if the weak partners compete they may drive their opponents into a game contract which they would not reach unless so forced. Directing the Lead.

It follows, then, that the whole auction system of defensive bidding goes by the board. Tho first adverse bid over an initial bid must be based 011 the same strength as tho initial bid itself. Of course, two hearts bid over one spade does not mean that the heart bidder holds sixhearts headed by one quick trick and seven probable tricks in suit and hand. But it docs mean that the heart bidder holds two quick tricks and four probable tricks if the hand is played at hearts. If ho had the stronger holding he would bill, not two hearts, but three. The point is that lie must not shade the two quick trick minimum for an initial bid. His object is I lie same as that of the initial bidder, lo give precise information to his partner, hot to keep the initial bidder out of tho declaration. This rule has one great drawback —that it stands in the way of the light bid made to direct the first lead, quel, since the play of the hands is the same at contract and auction, tho direction of the initial lead is just as important. Mr. Milton Work suggests an ingenious way out of this difficulty. At contract, as at auction, an inital minor suit, bidder is often taken out by his partner to no trumps, and if the hands are played at this contract the player ov.er the initial minor suit bidder becomes fourth hand. Mr. Milton Work suggests that lie should forestall a possible take out to no trumps bv showing the suit which lie would like to be led against a 110 trumper on his left, provided, of course, that be has one, and provided also that lie can do this without bidding more than one. Partner should then take into account that this bid may not bo based on the . full minimum strength and should not support it without more than tho minimum strength required for tho suppoct ol a genuine bid of one.