Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-09-01
WATCH THE SCORE.
Important Points In the Fascinating
Game OF Bridge Whist.

Important Points In the Fascinating
Game OF Bridge Whist.
Ask any good bridge player, what Is the
most important factor in winning a
rubber, and his reply would be the neces-
sity Of Watching the score. For this
reason particular attention is paid in this
column to the state OF the score in rela-
tion to the declaration as well As to the
various strategies which arise in the course
OF play.
At the very beginning Of the game the
dealer in declaring trump must be guided
by the risk which the score requires Linn to
assume. Perhaps the score is desperate, and
he must declare no trump in the hope that
his partner will hold the cards necessary
to help him out. Take an occasion when
the adversaries have twenty to your moth
ing, and have also won the first game on
the rubber, the odds in favor OF their win
ming the rubber on their own deal are SO
great that risky no trump is warranted.
1t should always be remembered in addi-
tion to this, that when risky no trump il
advantageous, it 10 safer to make il a. an
original declaration rather than to force
the dealers partner to make 1t from the
hand where ever; weakness Is exposed.
The decided percentage in favor OF the
dealer who plays two hands is materially
increased when the declaration is made BY
him. He Is able to false card, thus con-
cealing bis strength. He il frequently
credited with false csrding when he pla, .
his lone ace. II bis combined hands are
weak in one Of the red suits, the ASSUME
ton that he will false card helps to con-
gard to that suit. On the contrary, IL by
passing the make to dummy he confcsses
his own weakness, the Adversaries will
f,nd it much easier to estimate the COM
bined weakness OF both hands and to
finesse against it.
When the sdversaries are game 10, the
odds that they win the rubber are three to
one. This TACT should Be taken into con-
sideration when making the declaration.
II on the rubber game the adversaries are
twenty to your nothing, the odds sEs
greatly in favor Of their winning ON thei-
deal II You do not win on yours then and
there. For these reasons the make should
be one upon which you can win II posi-
BILE, not the odd trick, but sufllcient points
TO score The game. In many cases . good
hear; make will win the game. Occasion
ally sound diamond MAKE will win the
game from . zero score. Al no trump
three odd tricks are needsd to win the
game, it takes tour ct hearts and ave ct
diamonds.
For these reasons, with an aiverse
score, your nrst thought should BE-
whether You dare declare no trumps,
next comes hearts and then diamonds,
which should not be named unless their
length and strength are SO great - to in
sure the bringing In OF any winning
cards which dummy may hold. When
the score stands in your favor you are
governed by entirely different considers
ton in naming the trump. Your chief
obi ct should be to hold the advantage
you already have, therefore, an original
black make with . reasonable assurance
Of Whining the game is better bridge
than risky no trump or weak red make.
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four TO your nothing on the first game
your declaration should be conservative.
1t is almost as important for you to pre-
vent them from winning on your first
deal as it is for you to win yourself. II
when they deal they are a game in, the
odds in favor OF their winning the rubber
are greatly increased. Unless you can see
a. 80
your partner at either a no trump or red q
black make is safest. This does not mean
that a black make should frequently
be made by the dealer, but il, when
he passes the make, his partner
knows that he has considered the score
before SO doing, the reasoning upon which
the declaration is finally based will be
much simpliaed and the make more salts
factory.