Small talks on auction bridge

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SMALL TALKS ON
AUCTION BRIDGE

BY VIRGINIA M. MEYER

GIFT OF

SMALL
TALKS

ON

AUCTION BRIDGE

BY

VIRGINIA M. MEYER

AUTHOR OF

"SMALL TALKS ON BRIDGE"

"SMALL TALKS ON SKAT"

"VIRGINIA BRIDGE CARDS"

"VIRGINIA SKAT CARDS"

PAUL ELDER & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
SAN FRANCISCO

OEWITT&SNELUN6

BOOKSELLERS

9 TELEGRAPH AYE. OAKIAUD,

Copyright, 1910
by Paul Elder and Company

Note

The simplicity of my former books has ap-
pealed to many card-players. Auction Bridge,
while not difficult, needs a sound foundation.
The hints in this small book are concise and
so simply worded that they cannot fail to make
the stepping-stones to Auction Bridge easy.
After that, much license may be used if it is
done with good judgment

VIRGINIA M. MEYER.

Penalties for Adversaries

50 Points for Each Trick
The Declarant falls short his bid

100 Points If Doubled

200 Points If Re-doubled

Penalties for Declarant
If Doubled

50 Points .... For Fulfilling Contract

50 Points . For Each Trick above Contract

100 Points If Re-doubled

1 00 Points . For Each Trick above Contract

The Adversaries NEVER score in trick col-
umn.

The Declarant can NEVER score Penalty
Honors unless there has been doubling or re-
doubling.

LAWS OF
AUCTION BRIDGE

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* AUCTION BRIPGE I \'A;>j]'> iA*'-

LAWS ^

The laws given below are accepted by the
best clubs in both America and England.

1. Tricks, honors, slams and chicanes are
the same as in Bridge.

2. The Rubber counts 250.

3. A player may at any time during the
game ask the value of the final declaration.

4. Doubling and re-doubling do not affed:
the value of the tricks in bidding. If the De-
clarant wins his bid, the value of the trick is
increased. If he fails to fulfil his contradt, the
Penalty for Adversaries is increased.

5. The Dealer must make a bid of some
kind.

6. Each player in turn after the Dealer has
a right to pass, raise the bid or double.

7. Partners cannot double or re-double each
other.

8. Naming a suit of higher value increases
the bid.

9. Contracting to take two tricks of a suit
will outbid one trick of a suit the same value:
as — 2 tricks in Clubs will outbid 1 in Hearts;
2 Diamonds will outbid 1 No Trump, — the
one who declares to take the greater number
of tricks being the successful bidder.

1 0. No player can raise his own bid after
three players have passed.

1 1. The final Declarant plays the dummy

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AUCTlbN BRIDGE
LAWS

hand, unless his partner ,/zrsf named that suit.
In such a case, the original bidder plays the
dummy. Should an Adversary eledt to win
more tricks in a suit that has already been
named, he will play the dummy hand.

1 2. A Declarant who wins his bid will score
toward game and any additional tricks he may
make.

13. When the Declarant fails to fulfil his
contract, the Adversaries score 50 in the honor
column for each trick he falls short. If it has
been doubled, he scores 1 00 points and 200 if
it has been re-doubled.

1 4. Should the Declarant fulfil his contract
after being doubled, he scores 50 points in the
honor column for so doing and 50 points for
each extra trick, in addition to scoring double
trick values. If re-doubled and the Declarant
fulfils his contract, he scores 100 points and
1 00 points for each additional trick.

1 5. Should a 1 Spade bid stand, the Declar-
ant's loss is limited to 1 00 points.

1 6. Should a player fail to call a sufficient
number of tricks to outbid previous declara-
tions, the bid stands as if the right number
had been named.

1 7. Only doubling and re-doubling is al-
lowed.

1 8. A new deal may be demanded by the

AUCTION BRIDGE
LAWS

left-hand player if any one bids or doubles out
of turn.

19. If either Adversary leads out of turn,
the Declarant may call a lead or consider the
card led an exposed one.

20. There is no penalty for the Declarant
leading out of turn.

2 1 . Raising the bid either by doubling or
naming a higher suit, re-opens the bidding.

22. The Adversaries claim 1 50 points Pen-
alties for each revoke the Declarant may
make.

23. The Declarant may claim 1 50 points in
Penalties or 3 tricks toward fulfilling his con-
trad:.

24. A revoke is established when the trick
is turned and quitted.

25. Players cannot score in the trick col-
umn if they have revoked.

BIDDING
FOR TRUMPS

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AUCTION BRIDGE
BIDDING

Opening Bids for the Dealer

The opening bid is a free one and on it
much depends. Information given at that time
must be accurate. Later bids may be forced
ones and based on sound judgment. Players
must be able to distinguish one from the
other.

1 No Trump with any reasonable nucleus for
same:

a. it shows a fair holding of high cards.

b. It cuts out smaller bids.

c. It takes fewer tricks to win the game.

d. It makes the bidding more expensive
for the opponents who, unless they have
really strong hands, cannot assume too
much responsibility.

1 No Trump does not mean you expedt the
bid to stand but informs your partner there
are trick-making possibilities in your holding.

Do not be afraid to bid 1 No Trump even
though short of good red cards. Opponents
will raise your bid if they have many of them
or they will be in your partner's hand.

1 Spade — A worthless hand.

2 Spades — Shows strength in Spades with
cards as good as an Ace or King, Queen.

3 Spades — A phenomenal suit headed by the
Ace, King and Queen.

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AUCTION BRIDGE
BIDDING

1 Club — Good Clubs headed by an Ace or
King and Queen.

2 Clubs — A phenomenal Club suit headed
by Ace, King, Queen.

All black bids except 1 Spade is an invita-
tion for your partner to call No Trump.

1 Diamond or 1 Heart shows high cards in
that suit but not a strong hand otherwise.

2 Diamonds or 2 Hearts — Both long and
strong, willing to have the bid stand or can
help a Nt> Trump call.

That Aces and Kings or at least Kings and
Queens and not numerical strength should be
shown, cannot be too thoroughly grasped.
Strength and not length should be shown in all
opening bids. Until this fadt is mastered you
cannot become a successful Auction Bridge
player.

In many localities there is a convention that
a bid of 2 Spades shows an all-round good
hand (regardless the Spade suit). The dealer
for some reason is not ready to bid the value
of his hand. In my opinion this convention is
an excellent one, but the fewer the conventions
and the simpler the game can be made will
best lead to its success.

The latest theory is, a hand strong enough
to bid 2 Spades is strong enough to bid 1 No
Trump thus cutting out smaller inf ormatory bids.

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« AUCTION BRIDGE I A

BIDDING

Bids for Second Player

1 . Bid freely on a strong hand.

2. Double Spade or Club bids freeiy if you
are strong in the suit.

It is only a means of information and an in-
vitation for your partner to bid No Trump.

3. Do not double low red or No Trump bids.
The bidders will change the call or you may

be left with something you do not want.

If the dealer has bid 1 Spade and Second
Hand raises, it is usually on the basis of bids
made by the dealer.

Should the dealer bid in either of the red
suits, name No Trump with fairly good cards
provided you have strength in the suit he has
named. It will be disastrous to do so unless
you can do this.

Bids for Third Player

1 . If Second Player has passed do not raise
your partner's bid unless you have a very
strong hand and can raise to a higher call.

2. Raise your partner's bid (if Second Hand
has bid) if you can assist him in suit he has
named or can raise to a higher call.

3. If the dealer has bid No Trump, you,
having a long red suit with little else, should
name that suit, as your cards will not assist a
No Trump call.

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AUCTION BRIDGE
BIDDING

Bids for Fourth Player

Being a fourth player, you are in a position
to judge what it is best to do. Do not bid un-
less you have a really strong hand or must
make a bid of some kind to re-open the bidding.

You should not overbid your partner unless
your hand is very strong.

The hints above given are for opening bids.
As bids are raised and doubled, judgment must
be used and all the information given by part-
ner or Adversaries must be carefully noted to
be used and not abused.

Doubling and Re-Doubling

Doubling does not mean you expedt to win
the odd, but that you can keep the Declarant
from fulfilling his contract.

Re-doubling by the Declarant means that
he will fulfil his contract.

Do not double too soon. To double a bid
of /, the bidder's partner will change the suit.
Doubling at that time means that you can
stop that suit and assist your partner if he
wants to name No Trump.

Double freely when 2 or 3 have been bid,
as it is hard for the Declarant to win 2 or 3
tricks with strength against him.

Re-doubling is very dangerous unless the
hand is very strong and you play a//erthe doubler.

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LEADS AND

TACTICS OF THE

GAME

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4

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AUCTION BRIDGE
LEADS* TACTICS

Opening Lead "No Tramp"

If you have no good suit of your own to
open, lead your partner his suit, especially if
you have an honor in it, — lead the honor.

If your partner has doubled and he has not
already named a suit in which he is strong,
lead him a Heart — the highest of a short Heart
suit or the fourth best of a long one.

Open your own suit if it is a good one.

In opening a long suit in No Trump, lead
your fourth best unless there are three high
honors in it. Then lead an honor. Exception, —
if Ace, King and 1 0, lead fourth best.

Leads at Declared Tramps

1. King — from an Ace King suit with
others.

2. A Singleton — if you have weak trumps.

3. Long Suit — from top, if headed by King,
Queen ; or Queen, Knave, 1 0.

Holding 10, Knave, King — opinions differ
as to the lead. Most players lead the 10.
Equally strong players lead the Knave.

If the 1 0 is led from this combination, the
Knave always shows it is the top of a short,
worthless suit.

From all other combinations, lead fourth
best.

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AUCTION BRIDGE
LEADS & TACTICS

The Rule of Eleven

This rule cannot fail when players lead the
fourth best of a long suit — and the card must
not be higher than a 9.

Dedudt the face value of the card led from
eleven and the result will be the number of
card not in the leader's hand HIGHER than
the card led.

This rule is very valuable at declared trump
also; when more cards can be seen than
should be, the leader is playing from the top
of a worthless suit.

Short Openings

All two-card suits are opened from the top.
Avoid leading from the King and a low card,
but if opened at all lead the King.

Two-card suits are usually led as supporting
cards or hoping to ruff the third round.

Opening of Three-Card Suits

A three-card suit headed by an Ace, King
or Queen is opened low.

A three-card suit headed by a Knave — or
lower — is opened from the top.

A three-card suit with two cards in sequence
in opened from the top. Exception, — Ace,
King and one low card, — lead the King.

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AUCTION BRIDGE
LEADS* TACTICS

Four -Card Suits

From a suit of four with only one honor,
lead low.

Four cards with two honors not in sequence,
lead low.

Discards

If your first discard is a low card, it is from
a weak suit. If it is a 7 or higher, it is from a
strong suit The chances are that cards must
be guarded in other suits.

The discard of a high card followed by
lower one shows command of that suit — but
not necessarily a long or strong suit.

The discard of the commanding card of a
suit, show full control of it.

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READY
REFERENCE HINTS

DONTS
ALWAYS

* AUCTION BRIDGE I A

HINTS

Ready Reference Hints

Ace followed by King, shows no more.

At declared trump, a high card followed by
a low one shows no more.

Always take a trick as cheaply as possible.

Never finesse in your partner's suit.

The Adversaries should always force the
strong hand to trump.

Do not be in a hurry to lead out your aces
at No Trump.

Make your winning cards early against a
declared trump.

In returning your partner's lead at No
Trump, give him the best you have, unless
you had five or more, then return your origi-
nal fourth best.

Unblock your partner's suit.

Block your Adversary's suit.

" Lead from the short hand to the long,
Let the weak hand help the strong."

"When Dummy's on your right,
Lead to weakest suit in sight**

Lead through dummy's strong suit when at
your left.

Do not lead a suit that one hand can trump
and the other discard.

When the weak hand can trump your suit,
it is wise to lead trumps.

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AUCTION BRIDGE
HINTS

Never spoil a sure red make for a doubtful
No Trump.

If the Declarant does not lead trumps, the
opponent should.

Second hand should cover an honor with
an honor (not necessarily with an Ace).

If dummy can cover any card you play-
play low.

Usually beat the dummy with any card but
the Ace.

Do not false card and deceive your partner.

Do not hesitate to take tricks with Kings
and Queens at No Trump.

When the Declarant leads trumps, try to
stop it and make all your high cards.

Don'ts

Don't raise your partner's bid in the same
suit unless you can give him at least 2 sure
tricks and probably more.

Don't raise your partner's bid in anything
unless reasonably sure your hand is stronger
than his.

Don't bid No Trump unless you can stop
the suit in which your Adversary has bid.

Don't be afraid to Double with even a mod-
erately strong hand after a bid of 3 or 4 has
been made.

Don't forget to watch the honor score as

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AUCTION BRIDGE

DONTS

GE!

I

well as the trick score. Reckless bidding with
a big honor score against you does not pay.

Don't be afraid toward the end of a Rubber
to bid freely if you are ahead in honors.

Don't bid No Trump too soon if you are
weak in a red suit; try to locate, — on such a
hand bid 2 Spades.

Always

Always bid on a good red hand.

Always double if you can stop the suit al-
ready bid and have 2 or 3 outside tricks.

Always raise your partner's bid of 2 Spades.

Always raise your partner's Club bid by
changing the suit, if you have any strength at
all.

Always know the score. Do not take des-
perate chances when much behind in honor
score.

Always raise your Adversary's bid in order
to score tricks (when there is a chance of
winning ) in preference to doubling.

Finis

Only acquaintance with the game will teach
its strategy and fine points. The foregoing
hints are but the foundation — the student
must do the rest.

25

AUCTION BRIDGE
NOTES

AUCTION BRIDGE
NOTES

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
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Return to desk from which borrowed.
This book is DUE on the last date stamped below.

-'

JUN 2 3 195J)

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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY