A BRIDGE CLINIC

Southland Times, Issue 22499, 8 December 1934, Page 13

A BRIDGE CLINIC

LESSON IN CONTRACT

PROGRESSIVE BIDDING.

(By

Horatius.)

Students of systematic bidding find themselves puzzled after the first round, due to their failure to grasp two or three cardinal points. In the Culbertson Approach-Forcing System the bidding is carried forward on Honour Tricks and playing tricks. Every new bid in a suit not assisted by partner reveals Honour Tricks additional to those shown in the preceding bid; but where a suit is raised by partner, or raised after it has been assisted, the bidding shows additional playing tricks. For instance: North bids One Spade and shows 24 Honour Tricks, and South bids One No. 1 Trump, showing 14 Honour Tricks. If North now bids Two Diamonds he shows 4 to 1 Honour Trick in addition to his first 24. If South says 2 No-Trumps he shows at least 4 to 1 Honour Tricks in addition to his 14. Also he denies adequate support for Spades or Diamonds. -Note that he has left the way open for his partner, if he has any additional strength to bid Three No-Trumps, or to go on in Spades or Diamonds. When North comes to consider his best bid, he notes that South has less than Q-x-x or x-x-x-x in Diamonds or Spades, so that his two to 2J Honour Tricks are probably in Hearts or Clubs. The partnership has shown 54 Honour Tricks as a minimum. If North knows that, assuming South’s bid to be at the lowest estimate, there are 6 Honour Tricks in the partnership he will bid Three No-Trumps. This is how the progress of the bidding keeps disclosing additional Honour Trick strength.

But where the bidding involves raises in a suit already bid, playing tricks are involved. If North bids one Spade, he shows 24 Honour Tricks and 4 playing tricks, according to the Distributional Count. If South raises this bid to Two Spades he shows adequate trump support (Q-x-x or x-x-x-x), 34 to 44 playing tricks, but maybe only 1 Honour Trick (in certain cases this may be even less). South as Responder regards three playing tricks as a minimum, and so 34 to 44 is enough for a raise to Two.

Now if North, crediting South with 34 playing tricks, and counting 5 playing tricks, one more than his first bid showed, can see 84 playing tricks in the partnership he may try Three Spades. South, knowing that he showed 34, now credits North with 5 playing tricks, and if he can find another playing trick, the partnership will have 94 disclosed, so that Four Spades or ten playing tricks is worth trying. In this way the progress of the bidding in one suit shows the playing trick strength. In your first response you should show your full strength when you raise your partner’s suit; but there may be 4 playing trick in reserve. Thus holding 44 playing tricks you could raise only once, because unless your partner has additional strength game is unlikely. Your bid will assure him of support, and if he lifts the contract to Three Spades, your 4 playing trick will justify your attempt for game. Remember: Each new suit bid shows additional Honour Tricks; each raise in a suit shows additional playing tricks, but not necessarily any increase in Honour Tricks. tl will be found in connection with raises, however, that the following Honour Trick scale will be applicable: Honour Tricks. Single Raise 14 to 2 Double Raises 14 to 24 Raise to Game 24 to 3

Notice that a raise to game will show 5 to 6 Honour Tricks in the partnership. . , j , A single raise may be made on 4 Honour Trick where there is no intervening bid. If the opponents intervene with a bid, you must have at least 1 Honour Trick before raising. With less than 1 Honour Trick you could give, a raise on the next round. A raise straight to game is a mild. Slam try. Your partner credits you with 24 to 3 Honour Tricks and 64 to 74 playing tricks. If he holds additional Honour Tricks say 44 to 5 and has one more playing trick, he can bid Four NoTrumps, showing two Aces and a King of the suit-bid or three Aces without the King. This is a conventional bid, forcing a reply and I will deal with it next week. It is a Slam signal, and it means that the bidder is seeking to find whether the Grand Slam or the Little Slam should be attempted. Thus the Honour Trick strength and the playing tricks combine. Your partner’s Informative or Takeout Double of an enemy bid shows 3 Honour Tricks at least. If you hold 3 Honour Tricks, you can account for 84, so that the other enemy holds 1 Honour Trick or less. You must consider the information given by each bid and so advance the contract through sound valuation.' (To be continued.)