The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-02

7 and z win three by cards, game
and rubber.
AS selection of the four-card suit
which is weakest, keeping the stronger
ones for re-entry, is correct in princi-
pie so far as it goes, but that rule is
only for determining which of two OF
more suits of equal length shall be
opened when one of them must ba
chosen.
OF course B will not return the heart
which would be going right UP to the
major tenace. AS lead Of the tray
shows four in suit at the most, AMI
there does not seem to be much use in
giving two tricks in it Just to estab-
lish a thirteener. B thinks 1t much
better to lead up TO dummy's weakness
in diamonds, especially as he has
good supporting card.
Although A finds himself with the
major tenace in diamonds he cannot see
how to put B into the lead so as to
come through again. 1t is absurd
to hope that B hak the command OF
either black suit as must have been
pretty strong in them to declare no
trumps with nothing in hearts, and a
Q ] of diamons against him. Instead
of opening another suit. and probably
leading up the strength, A thinks it
better to go right on with the diamonds
and clear them up.
At trick the fnesse in hearts is
easy for the dealer, who has now moth
ing TO fear but one diamond trick as
A cannot hold five, or he would not
have opened with a four-card heart
suit, and he may have no more The
intended f1nesse in spades is therefore
safe and easy.
1t is not the rule to cover an honor
with the king when it is three times
guarded. unless one of the other cards
is the 10 or 9. That is why passes
the spade jack.
Finding that the spade king is on
his right must make his ace of hear is
before he loses the lead This is very
often overlooked by beginners, who are
in such hurry TO make one suit that
they often leave winning cards in other
suits to ole on the table.
At trick A is forced to make some
disagreeable discards, but he cannot
unguard the king of clubs until he is
sure that the dealer has not both ace
and queen As B should have the other
diamond he lets that suit go first and
then the heart. After this the dealer
makes his ace of clubs and takes the
game and rubber.
This hand led to some little discus
sion and later on it was laid out and
examined TO see what might have been.
II A opens a club originally, instead
OF heart. the dealer promptly returns
it and establishes the suit. No matter
what A does next the dealer wins the
game before he loses the lead again
If A leads a heart. puts on the ace,
makes his two clubs and FIVE spades
tricks. three by cards. could even
pass the heart and let B lead a diamond
without any serious results as after A
wins the first round of diamonds he
would be in the same position as he
was when he led hearts originally.
If A violates all principles and begins
with his major tenace suit. the dia-
mond, he saves a trick, but not the
game or rubber. u will then have to
use his ace of hearts to get the lead of
spade from Y, five spade tricks two
aces, and the king of diamonds being
all he can make.
But if the original openings from AS
hand is the singleton spade. which will
Kill his partners king on the first
round. and Which looks like a fearful
slaughter for five tricks. the dealer
cannot make more than the odd trick,
no matter how he plays.
After making his five spade tricks he
will lead a heart to put dummy in with
out any attempt at a f1nesse in hearts,
as it Is better to finesse against in
clubs. which is the better suit also. as
A, j. 10. have more possibilities than
a, Only. On winning the first round
of clubs with the king. A will not
start the diamonds. or he might as well
have done so in the first place He will
lead a heart, and B will lead the dia-
mond Then the queen of hearts from
AS hand, instead of the queen of dia-
monds, will force a discard from H.
who must either give up his tenace in
clubs make two diamonds good in
AS hand.
The fhfrtieth article of the series will
appear Thursday, December g.