A BRIDGE CLINIC

Southland Times, Issue 21657, 19 March 1932, Page 11

A BRIDGE CLINIC

(By

Horatius.)

CONTRACT In the course of this and the next two or three articles I propose to set out the complete statement of a Contract Bidding system on the Approach Forcing principles wo have been considering for some time past, and then we can proceed to the discussion of hands.

If beginners at Contract will follow these articles they will obtain a comprehensive system on which they can build a sound Contract game. These are proved principles and though they may have the appearance of complexity, they can be mastered easily and applied with astonishingly little trouble.

My advice to you is to memorise the Honour Trick table, and the Rule of Eight, and the Distributional Count. If you have my Auction Summary on Culbertson principles you already have these. These implements come from the Culbertson workshop and they are reliable. I have tested the Distributional Count over more than 800 hands, and found it out by one trick on one occasion. Ely Culbertson’s system has proved its superiority in tourhament. The battle with Lenz actually showed that the Culbertson System is more flexible and, used properly, is a more accurate medium of bidding information, both in offence and defence, than any other offered to the public. Unfortunately many of the British experts who have adopted Culbertson feel they have a right to alter, it, on minor points, to suit British sensibilities, and the result is the introduction of weaknesses and complications. In this first lesson we will set out the Honour Trick table, and explain it: —Honour Tricks.— Two 11 One I A—K A—Q A K—x A—J—lo K—Q Q—J—x K—Q—l Q—x and K—Q—lo K—J—x J—x* K—-x and Q-x* *ln different- suits. Plus values are: K (alone), Q —x or J— lo—-x when they cannot combine with another honour in the hand. Two of these plus values equal 4 Honour Trick. These are defensive values, which form the basis of the Culbertson system, and they, therefore, take into account the point that the third-round may be ruffed. Points to remember are: You cannot count more than 2 Honour Tricks in a suit. Holding A-K-J-x, you cannot call A-K-2 Honour Tricks and then combine the J-x with another honour. When it becomes a matter of counting playing tricks, which for the sake of clarity we will call Playing Points in future, certain combinations may be given full value. For instance: Counting Playing Points for Re-bid or Raise. P.P. A-K-Q 3 A-K-J 24 A-Q-J 2 K-Q-J 2 A-J 14 K-J-10 14 KJ r Q-J-10 1 It must be remembered that these valuations can be used only for Rebids and Raises. Honour Trick values are modified by the exact location of honours disclosed by the bidding. RULE OF EIGHT. Out of the 13 tricks four will be won by Aces and four Kings, leaving 5 for lower cards. Combinations of honours will raise these tricks to 84 at times. Therefore, the Honour Tricks tak’e B—B4. It has been found that, due to the promoting powers of high cards, 4—44 Honour Tricks at No-Trumps will develop 2 —3 low card tricks, about 5 Honour Tricks will develop 3 lowcard tricks and 54 or more, will develop 3 —4 low card tricks. Therefore : NO-TRUMP COUNTING. Combined Contract Honour Tricks Expectancy 4— 44 One over About 5 Two over 54 Game This is the 4—5—54 Count, and its uniformity with suit bidding will be seen. It will be found that when the Honour Tricks in the two hands of a partnership equal 54, they will make game with suitable distributional values, and against all but freak opposing hands. By subtracting disclosed Honour Tricks from B—B4 you find the number not disclosed. If partnership shows 54 Honour Tricks, opponents have 2} — 3 Honour Tricks between them. BIDDABLE SUITS. Length Headed By 4- 14 Hon. Tr. 5- 4 Hon Tr. 6- No Hon Tr. These are biddable suits: A-Q-x-x; A-. - -10-x; K-Q-10-x; K-x-x-x-x; Q-J-x-x-x; 10-9-x-x-x-x. — But these may be shaded at times when there is need to bid: A-J-x-x; K-Q-x-x; K-J-10-x; or Q-10-x-x-x. Minimum Trump Support for raise of partner’s bid: Q-x-x or x-x-x-x. Rebid-Values when partner has not raised the Opening bid:

In Minimum Trumps. Support. One Rebid 4 tricks Q-x or (A-K-Q-x-x) x-x-x Two Rebids 5 tricks x. (A-K-x-x-x-x-x) Without this minimum support' Responder must not raise his partner’s trump bid. ONE OVER ONE. If your partner opens the bidding and you hold I—l 4 Honour Trick you must bid in response. Then if he has anything more to show, even a Q-x plus or extra-length, he bids again to give the Responder a chance to speak again. When the Responder bids One over the One by his partner, the original bidder should keep the bidding open if possible. This is Conditional Forcing.

AUCTION It cannot be too often emphasized that there should be no rescues on worthless hands. This docs not mean that no rescues are permissible, but it warns you that if you have a hand with less than one Honour Trick and you attempt to rescue your partner, you are guessing in the face of 4J-5I Honour Tricks held by the other side,' and once they begin doubling the penalties may be severe. But the denial based on adequate holding is good play and must be regarded as obligatory, but where a bid of two is required a 5-card suit is advisable or extra strength. A 6-card suit headed by 14 Honour Tricks should be bid over the opening bid even if it is a major suit. Of course, the bid of One in a major suit over your partner’s minor suit bid is not a denial, it is an indication to assist in bringing game closer. Once your partner has re-bid the suit you have failed to raise, you can drop the minimum trump support required by one, making it Q-x or x-x-x, and if he rebids again you can raise on only one trump. If however, his first bid finds you holding ’onlv two trumps, you should deny his suit if you have a sound brd yourself. Here is a hand from play which illustrates this point: S: 5-2 II: 10-7-5 1): A-J-10-8-6-4 C Q-10 S: Q-10-9-3 N S: 8-7-6 H: K-6-4 W EH: 9-8-2 D: Q-9-2 S D: K-5, C: J 7-5 C: A-8-6-4-3 S: A-K-J-4 II: A-Q-J-3 D: 7-3 C: K-9-2 South dealt and bid One Spade. If North passes, South will just make his contract, but North’s play is to deny the Spades with Two Diamonds. South knows that is bid from strength and he can go Two No-Trumps which can be made easily. North has not a strong hand but his 6-card suit, and shortage of the Spades bid by his partner makes the denial necessary. If North’s A-.J of Diamonds is replaced by two small Clubs he can do nothing but pass. , With a void or a singleton in partners suit the denial is even more necessary when the Responder has something on which to bid. This is another case from actual play: S: 3 II: Q-10-4 D: J-10-6 C: K-10-7-5-3-2 S: K-10-5-4-2 N S: J-7 H . j. 9 . 2 w E II: A-8-6-3 D: Q-5-3 S D: A-9-8-4-2 C: Q-6 0: J-8 S: A-Q-9-8-6 H: K-7-5 D: K-7 C: A-9-4 South made a bid of One Spade and West passed with some pleasure. If North passed, South would be down on his contract. but instead North went Two Clubs. South realising that North must have at least five Clubs to the King and about 1 Honour Trick went to Two No-Trumps. West led the 2 of Hearts and South’s King made, followed by six Club tricks the discards on which left: S: 3 H: Q-10 * D: J-10-6 C: — S: K-10-5 N S: JH: W E H: AD: Q-5-3 S D: A-9-8-4 0: G : S: A-Q-9-8 II: D: K-7 C: — North led the 10 of Hearts and East then led the Jack of Spades which South took, to lead the King of Diamonds. East’s Ace made and he led the 9 of Diamonds, throwing the lead to West, who now held S: K-10. He made the King of Spades and South took the other trick making game. Even where distribution is apparently un. favourable No-Trumps may be called when the approach system has disclosed a certain amount of valuable information. If North had held the bare Ace of Spades instead of the 3 he still would have called the Clubs in denial of his partner’s opening bid. The essential is the biddable suit. To call out on a Yarborough is to invite disaster, and against alert opposition the punishment will be heavy.