AUCTION BRIDGE

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17994, 12 April 1930, Page 15 (Supplement)

AUCTION BRIDGE

LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS. (Special to Waikato Times: Copyright by S. N. Lythgo, Melbourne.) No. 6. Lesson No. 5 dealt with the probable trick values of Blank Suits, Singletons, Doubletons and the cards of partner’s suit for raising a suit bid. To value the high cards in the other suits it is necessary to know the Quick Trick values given in Lesson No. 3. , To arrive at the probable trick value of the high cards, double the quick trick value of certain cards. The Ace, 1 quick trick, becomes 2 probable tricks; A.K., 2 quick tricks, 4 probable tricks; A.Q., quick tricks, 2J piobable tricks; K.Q., 1 quick trick, 2 probable tricks; K.X. quick trick, 1 probable trick. Q.J.10, etc., and all other high cards are not coomted.

An. Initial Bid,

When you make a bid of one, you contract to take seven tricks, but you rarely 'have seven tricks in your hand. An initial hid of one tells partner you have 2 quick tricks and four or more probable tricks. Assume you bid 1 spade-on A.K.Q.J., and nothing else of value If Spades are trumps you will take 4 tricks. Again, say you bid on

A.K.X.X.X. and nothing else, the suit is valued at 4 probable tricks, because as a general rule, playing three rounds of a suit will clear it. Playing the Ace, King, and then a small one will exhaust your opponents’ trumps nearly every lime if partner has normal support. If you only have 4 probable tricks out of the 13 “ possible tricks,” yau can reasonably assume that the other nine tricks arc evenly divided between your partner and opponents, therefore, partner must have over 3 probable tricks before raising your first bid. Every time you raise your own bid without assistance, your partner requires one probable trick less to raise once. To raise the first bid from one to two, partner requires four probable tricks, but if you raise your own bid to three, partner only requires 2 probable tricks to raise to four. You must not raise your own bid because partner has assisted, bid on your own hand only. I know the foregoing is difficult, but once mastered you will not have any difficulties with bidding and assisting. Now sort out the cards given below. Example. South, dealer, bids i Spade, holding S. A.K.8.7.3, 4 probable tricks; H. 10.7.3; D. A. 5.4, 1 probable trick; G. 3.2; total, 5 probable tricks. N., South's partner, bolds S. Q. 10.6.2. Queen, i probable trick; H. 3 Singleton, 14 probable tricks; D. K. 8.7.2, King, 1 probable trick; G. A.K.Q.5, A.K., 4 probable tricks; total, 7 4 probable tricks. Note. —Half a probable trick is not counted in the total. North could raise partner’s bid of 1 to 5; and South, having 5 probable tricks, could raise once more, so the combined hands could bid and take 12 tricks. To save time, have a pack of cards with each suit separate. The cards for the examples can then bo selected quickly. Ypur partner, South, bids i Heart. How many times could you assist with the following hands? S. 9.7, 11. 0.5.4, D. K.Q.J.10, C. A. 7.5.2. S. None, 11. 10.7.5.4, D. A.J.10.3, G. K. 7.5.4.2. S. 5. 11. 5.4,2, D. A.K.Q.8,7,3, C. 5.4.3. S A. 7.3.2, 11. 9.0, D. A. 5.3, G. 7.4.3.2