The San Francisco call., 1906-09-27

~ EFoRE proceeding to consider the
L. hands on which the dummy
might declare no trumps 1T will
be necessary 70 understand the
dealers reason for passing the make.
This will require a thorough under
standing of the dealers declarations in
trumps as we'll as in no-trumps.
No-trumpers can be roughly CLASH
6ed as belonging to one or other of two
species of hands: Those in which the
strength is distributed among the suits,
and those in which one suit is very
long and strong. but is not valuable
enough to make 1t the trump. Trump
declarations are game-winning hands.
Disregarding for the moment the in
auence of the score, this practically
eliminates the black suits. which are
seldom considered valuable enough 10
make them the trump, because the game
cannot he won with a black make
some pIayers insist on declaring clubs
With ave honors in one hand, because
tbav are worth 40 points: but five hon
ors in one suit would probably pay bet
tar as mart of a no-trumper to score be-
low the line than as part or CLUB
make to score dUOfC ttiO ittic-
IF the dealer declares black suit he
absolutely shuts out any possibility Of
winning the game on his own deal. If
he masses the make to his partner
there are three better makes that dunn
nv may have, and ne should at leasl
he given the chance to declare some
thing that may win the game, IL he has
it.
oan+ions which will be dealt with In
s,,t,,re articles. the dealer should never
maize declaration upon which he can
not nossibly win the game at the score.
Hfs end of 1t is to attack, leaving the
defanse to the dummy, IL both or them
are weak. -
which it is comparatively easy 70 WIN
the game from zero-no- rulnps anS
hearts. To get the eleven tricks wnlcn
are necessary to go game in diamonds
&c not easy. and diamonds are usually
and very properly classed as border
lire makes. They are better than the
bIack makes. and the honors are more
valuable. but the dealer has not so good
chance to win the game on the hand
as he would have with hearts or no.
trumps
hest thing to a no-trumper, not only
because Ii takes only one more trick
70 win the game, but because the score
for honors is well worth considering.
In declaring, these honors must never
he lost sight Of They do not count
ANYTHING toward game, but they add
considerably to the value OF the rub
Der. and 1T is often good policy to
risk the loss of the odd trick IL you
are sure of a good compensating score
above the line
Every bridge player should be thor
oughly familiar with the value of the
honors in each suit, and the FOLLOWING
table should be at the fingers ends:
TRUMP HONOR VALUES.
If the trump suit is.-... S c d II
honors between part
ners count ........... IL 1s
4 honorsr between part
ners count ...-....-.. 10 "a 81
5 honors between part
ners count .....10 20 80 40
4 in one hand count. .16 32 As 81
in one, 9Th IN partner's.1S SO 54 q
5 in one hand count.....2o 40 so so
This, table will not be found so diff
cult to remember If It is observed that
simple honors." that is. the best out of
five. are always of the same value as
two tricks would be in the trump
suit, and
Four honors are worth as much as
four tricks.
Five honors are worth as much as
five tricks
If the four or five honors are in one
hand. they are worth just twice as
much as they would be II divided.
knowing the value OF the tricks in
each suit, 1t becomes a simple matter
TO calculate the value of the honors,
and every player should be able to
claim and score them without referring
to a table.
AS the honors must be taken into
consideration In all trump declarations,
any rule which is proposed as a guide
in determining whether or not to name
a certain suit the trump must take the
honors Unto account very simple
rule for arriving at correct estimate
of trump declaration is known as the
"eight" rule 1t applies equally to any
suft. but is most used in the red ones.
II Is used in the following manner:
To the number of cards which you
hold In the suit which you think of
making the trump, add the number of
honors in that suit, and to the total
thus found add any aces and kings in
the plain suits If the total Is eight
or better. the hand will usually be
found strong enough to name that suit
for the trump.
Nothing but aces and kings in the
other suits must be counted; queens
are of no value Whether the aces
and kings are singletons or not does
NOT matter. These plain-suit cards are
often spoken Of as outside aces and
kings.
AS an example OF the working OF this