THE BRIDGE TABLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20366, 21 September 1929, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE BRIDGE TABLE.

GOULASHES AT AUCTION.

BT MAJOB TENAC*.

Evorybody who plays bridge regularly knows occasional quiet spells in which deal after deal gives such an ever\ split of suits and high cards that unless passed out, a series of small partial scorns results and the rubber seems to bo interminable Tho " goulash," " mayonnaise," " hollan daise " —call it what you will—is an unorthodox device for livening up the quiet spells and putting a quick end to a long rubber.

The device started, 1 believe, in Europe, but met with no recognition in tho laws of auction bridge drawn up by the Portland Club and the Whist Club of New York. However, it found popular favour, and when tho Whist Club of New York drew up its code of laws for contract bridge it gave to tho goulash the sanction 'of an optional clause. According to Mr. Wilbur C. Whitehead, a member of the committee which framed the code, the insertion of this clause was due entirely to tho insistence of Mr. Harold C- Vanderbilt, inventor of the new contract system of scoring, who argued the need for some legal regulation. The Portland Club has rofused to relent, and in recommending tho code of the Whist Club of New York for trial in tho area of its jurisdiction it has definitely ruled out the goulash.

Variety in tho Game.

There is, however, nothing to prevent players who want to introduce a little variety and a spice of the gambling element into their bridge from playing goulashes by agreement, and 1 will theretore explain tho device. Until the Whist Club of New York brought the goulash under legal regulation numerous occasions for playing it were in vogue. Some played a goulash whene%'er the bidding of a deal failed to reach a game-going contract; others when tho play of a deal failed to result in game, others again after a deal was passed out.

The optional clause in the code of contract bridge of the Whist Club of New York—and it is equally applicable to auction—lays down that a goulash shall only be played after all four players have passed, no bid having been made, and then only by agreement. Unless the players agree at the outset, therefore, to play a goulash every time a hand is passed out, a fresh agreement must be mado each time it occurs

If the ptayers agree to play a goulash, I each player sorts his cards into suits and i arranges the cards in each suit according ; to value. He is not bound, however, to observo any particular order in the arrangement of the suits. The dealer then places his cards face downward on the table, and each player, beginning on the right of the dealer, places his cards face downward on those of the preceding player. Cutting and Dealing. The cards are then cut by the player at the dealer's right, no shuffling of any kind permitted, and dealt by the player who dealt tho previous hand in the following way; five at a time to each player, beginning with the player at the dealer's left, for two rounds, and three at a time for the last round. If there is any misdeal the goulash is abandoned and the next player deals tho other pack in the ordinary way. If tho deal for a goulash is passed out, tho procedure is repeated, the cards being dealt by the same player. The optional clause of tho American code places no limit upon the number of times a goulash hand may bo redealt by reason of its being passed out, but in most of tho clubs where goulashes are played the number of redeals is limited by a local rule to two or three. There is reason in this. After all, the goulash is meant to liven up tho game, not to provide exercise in freak dealing. The optional clauso does not provide for any special scoring for goulashes, and perhaps none is necessary at contract, where bonuses for overtricks and for slams bid are made are quite high enough as it is; but where goulashes are played at auction it is the custom to offer a bonus of a thousand points or more for a slam.

Abnormal Distributions

Those who wish to play goulashes had better consider tho probable result of the artificial arrangement of the cards for the deal before tliey plunge on tho bidding, particularly if they are playing for high stakes. Of course, abnormal suit distributions will be the rulo rather than Uie exception, and it will be obvious after a moment's consideration that the missing cards of a long suit held in one hand are more likely to be massed in ono of the other hands than distributed according to tho law of probability among tho other three hands. Thus if a player finds Eeven hearts in his hand after a goulash deal, he must not bid tho suit in the expectation that each of the other three players holds two. He is quite likely to find the other six cards divided, s—l—o. A preemptive bid on a hand of this kind, therefore, whilo usually safe enough in ordinary play, is very unsafe in a goulash unless the long suit is headed by commanding honours.

Though tho goulash 'does tend to produce abnormal distributions, it is quite possible for ono of tho four players to receive a perfectly normal hand. Tho player who receives such a hand must bear in mind that tho remainder of his four-card or five-card suit is not likely to bo divided, 43 —2 or 3—3—2 among the other throe players; ono of them may have five, or eveh six, and tho chances aro two to one against that one being his partner. I havo no intention of giving any rules as to how goulashes should be bid; I am merely uttering a fow warnings. I might add, however, that the general practice is to avoid pre-emptive bids, except with smashing strength; not to bid suits of normal length without more than tho minimum high card strength; and not to support initial bids of one_ without at least four cards of tho suit bid.