Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-15


II enables your partner to count the
length of your suit either at once or
after one or more rounds For in
stance, If the deuce Is opened 1t Is APP
parent that the leader can only hold
four in the suit, as is also the case IL
all cards lower than the card led are in
sight. On the other hand If the first
round leaves one or more small cards
missing, you can infer that they are
held by your partner whic, Inference
is usually confirmed by the cards
played on the second or third round.
In the end game this information is
of great value, for If your partner, for
instance, still holds three clubs and
only three cards it is impossible that he
should hold any. of the other cards
concerning the whereabouts of which
you are in doubt. The beginner should
endeavor to acquire as soon as possible
the habit of making mental notes as
to where certain cards are located, and
in a very short time he will find that
it requires IL effort of memory: toward
the end of the game to recall and use
this knowledge.
Sec. Mutual Protection Discards
How often it occurs that a player
has some protection in two or moro
suits either OF which he could protect
If he only knew which to hold. How
often do you hear at the end of hand
one partner say to the other, If l had
only known you could protect hearts |
could have protected diamonds etc. 1t
is therefore of the utmost Importance
that the adversaries of the dealer, par
ticularly at no-trump, should at the
earliest possible moment convey to each
other such information upon this sub
iect as is possible to the end that by
proper conservation of their joint re-
sources they may use them to the best
advantage. In no department of the
game is their skill put to a stronger
test
1t is of course impossible to treat all
the situations which may arise, but a
few of the more frequent may be found
worthy of attention. The usual course
at no-trump is for the leader to win
two tricks in the opening suit. with the
dealer winning the third and proceed
ing to play his strong suit, upon which
the adversaries are compelled to make
one or more discardS. Let us first
consider the original leader who finds
himself left with say two good CARDS
in the Opening suit. If he has sure
for him to show this by the discard OF
high and low in the ace suit. This
serves the double purpose of telling
his partner how he can get in and al
the same time notifies his partner that
he may freely discard that suit, and
per contra, should hold all his strength
in the fc"~th suit. Again, if the origin
al leader has abs -utely no strength in
either of the two suits untouched IL
sometimes happens that he may ma
! terially assist his partner by his dis
card. 1T is unusual for the dealer to
hold more than one suit in which he
| holds all the trick winning cards:
hence, after leading out his strong suit
it is usually necessary for him to fl
nesse in one of the other suits, and by
the discards he generally determines
the location of the missing cards. II
the adversary can fool the dealer with
out misleading his partner he has every
incentive to do so. Holding no strength
in the other suits, the only thing the
leader can do is to try to make the
dealer believe he has, in order that the
dealer may enormously place in the
leaders hand cards which are really
in the hand of the leaders, partner,
usually called the "pone." But he
should be very cautious in so doing, as
he may only succeed in misleading his
partner. Careful consideration of the
dummy hand together with the proba-
bility of the dealers cards as judged
by the declaration or pass will usually
be sufficient to determine the situations
which justify false carding. If, for in
stance, dummy holds in one of the I'M
touched suits king, jack, ace and two
or more small cards, it is evident that
| If the dealer holds ace, queen, there car
be no harm in showing strength in the
suit as the dealer will proceed to. lead
the suit when he has finished his suit
If the dealer has the ace but not the
queen he will thereby be induced to
place the queen in your hand, with the
result that your partner will make mis-
queen. Remember, however, that un'
less you retain at least two in the suit
you are likely to be caught.
| Should your partner hold ace or ace
and queen no harm is done. Under
similar circumstances, except thai
dummy has no strength whatever, il
is seldom wrong to make a false show
of strength in that suit in which your
partner is probably strong and of weak
ness in that suit in which your partner
is probably weak, as you may mislea6
the dealer, who knows the adverse
strength but cannot locate it unless
you or your partner assist him. Should
you hold some strength in both the UNI
| touched suits your discard must be
governed by the strength in the dunn.
my hand. If dummy holds over you ir
both suits it is usually best to dis
card one of your long suit rather thar
| weaken your protection until your part
ner has by his discard shown you his
strength or weakness.
Considering the discard from the
h nd of the pone it is usually best to
show positive strength at once by g
high discard, but if no positive strength
is held but there is one suit in which
there is absolute protection, as, for IN
stance, king. queen or queen, jack, 10 IN
one suit and no strength in the fourth
suit, it is usual to discard weakness
In other respects the pone is governed
generally by the same considerations
as the leader, with this difference, how
ever, that the dummy is at his right
Considering both hands, it is the rule
that you may freely discard that suit
in which your partner has showr
strength and, per contra, hold all your
strength in that suit in which your
partner has shown weakness. Should
you have no strength in suit in which
your partner has indicated weakness
| it is imperative that your first discard
should be your lowest in that suit, tC
the end that he may know that he
must, if possible, protect the same. II
may be that he had strength in botf
suits, IN which event you may war;
him in time. Should you have great
strength in a suit in which your partner
has indicated strength, consider first
the possibility of his having false
carded to fool the dealer. If this be
likely then hold your strength; if not
and you hold protection in the fourth
suit, you should discard from strength
rather than risk the sacrifice of youl
protection in the fourth suit Finally
never forget that against an adverse
| dacIara tion Won must first trV to save