THE BRIDGE TABLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20496, 22 February 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE BRIDGE TABLE.

SUPPORT BIDS AT CONTRACT.

ST ITAJOa TENACB.

It is in the development of the bidding after the initial bid has been made that contract, in theory and in practice, differs most markedly from anction. As the partners at contract do not bid primarily against their opponents but to see if they can make game or slam, there is no such thing as a " forced ' bid. The lowest bid which will overcall an initial bid has the same minimum strength as the initial bid which it overcalls. Let us be sure about what this means. If Z, as dealer, bids one heart, A, the opponent on his left, can over-bid with two diamonds, provided he has the minimum strength for a bid of one. But to bid two spades over Z's one heart, A mast hold the full minimum for an initial bid of two, because two spades is not the lowest spade bid which will overcall the initial bid of one heart. For the same

reason if A overcalls Z's one heart with three diamonds, he must hold the minimum strength lor a bid of three initially. Similarly, if Z, as dealer, bids two hearts, A can overbid with three diamonds on the minimum strength tor an initial bid of two, but he must not overbid with three spades on less than the minimum for an initial bid of three.

Raising Partner's Call. Having dealt with the initial bid and the first adverse overcall, I pass on to the principles of support and deniaL Because at contract a side scores toward game only the tricks they bid and make a player must not pass his partner 3 uncontested bid if ho is strong enough, to raise it had the intervening opponent overcalled. For example Z bids one spade initially. If his partner is strong enough to raise him to two spades against an overcall by A, he should raise the bid whether A overcalls or not. Similarly, if A bids two hearts over Z's initial Lid of one spade, B, if strong enough to raise an initial bid of one heart to two, should raise the bid of two hearts to three whether Y overbids or not.

I have heard it argued that a player : should not raise his partner's original j bid of one just because he holds one prob- j able trick in addition to the three with which his partner credited him when mak- . ing the bid. The argument is that since the original bid shows four probable tricks, and the bidder's partner has only I four more, game is unlikely, and it, is ; more profitable to keep the contract low . and score overtricks than to bid up the j full strength of the two hands. The j fallacy of this argument lies in the as- I sumption that initial bids are made only on minimum strength- It most bo re- j membered that at contract bids have a j maximum as well as a minimum strength, j the maximum being just below the minimum or the next higher bid. j For example, the minimum tor an initial bid of two is ' three quick : tricks and seven probable tricks if the hand is plaved at the bid. A player with a hand" just short of this minimum ilhM .bid one inituii.y If his partner raises 1 the bid the player will place him with four probable tricks at least and will bid up accordingly; out if partner passes, the plaver can only assume that be holds less than four probable tacks, and pass the next round himself. Risk to be Taken. To raise an initial bid even am the barest minimum of support may be tiie means of reaching a game contract., and it involves very little risk; for even u the initial bid was made on the very barest minimum—four - probable tricks the partners would probably fulfil tk®* l col }' tract if the bid were left in. There is more risk involved in raising a bid or two, called over an initial bid of one, to thr°e on the bare minimum necessary iOr raising a bid frctoi one to two, because this may be definitely overbidding. For example, Z (dealer) bids one spade; A overcalls with two hearts on the bare minimum of two quick and "probable tricks in attack. Now ii raises the bid to three hearts on tour probable tricks—the bare minimum tor a raise of an initial bid of one A and b will have undertaken to make nine tricks when thev hold only eight probables between them. This, however, is a disadvantage under which the opponents ot the initial bidder labour, and really it is very slight, for the actual situation which I have described will very seldom arise, ! and even when it does the bid ..s not likely to be left '.n. _ : A"nlayer should raise his partners bid from "one to three if he holds two prooable tricks in excess of normal expectancy, j There are many players who are relucti ant to do this. They think that as long ; as they keep the bidding open they are ! doing their duty, and that bids which • cir6 hisrhei than is necessary to fullil this object but fall short of the_ game contract are useless. This reasoning is well enough, but it ignores the possibility" of a slam : bonus, and when a player has reade a | bid which shows between four and seven ' tricks and his partner holds five prob- ! able tricks, the possibility ot a slam must ! not be ignored. It is better to bid up for | the chance of winning 1000 or 15C0, the bonus for srrnnd slam, than to content oneself with 200 or 500 for overtricks.

Winners and Losers. In going up to three the support bidder, like the initial bidder, can.count hi:i probable tricks, ignoring anything but the most glaring weakness in his hand. But in bidding above three he should check his assessment of probable winners by counting the certain losers. For example: Z bids one heart; A, one spade; X, two hearts; B hold's spades—t, 4 ; heurc.v—— 10, 9, 5: diamonds —7, 4: clubs —A. K, Q, J, 10 9. With si:\ sure tricks in hand 13 must not tamely overc.all Y's two hearts with two spades. Should he jump to three or four ? The deciding factor tl..e tour losing cards in Ins hand, two in spades and two in diamond:?, and the laciv oi any assurance that his partner guards either suit. Now supposing B's fcand was as follows: spades—7, 4; hearts—A, 9, 5; diamonds —7. 4, 2: clubs A, K, Q, J, 10' lie still holds onlv six tricks and the spades and diamonds are still unguarded; indeed he would seem to hold one more loser. But B would know from this hand that A must guard one of the weak suits, because A's "bid proclaimed two quick tricks, and since they cannot both lie in hearts', and neither can lie in clubs, at least one of them must lie in spades cr diamonds. With this hand, therefore, B can sate.lv bid four. With the previous hand he should rest content -with three. ■