Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-28
AUCTION BRIDGE FOR THREE
Bidding in the Absence Of a Fourth
Player.
WHERE RULES DIFFER SOME
One Point that Commends the Game
to the skiIIfuI Plnyer-The
Declaration and Dunn
my's Hand.

ton Of the game to three players when
they canot get the fourth to make up a
table for the fun rubber.
While auction bridge may not be quite
as good a game for three, as it is for four,
Il has one point which will recommend IL
very strongly to the player who is above
the average. This is that the responsibility
for the result In scoring below the line
depends entirely upon the individual and
is not interfered with by any partner.
1t is quite true that the partner Of the
declared has nothing to do with the play
on the hand, but in straight bridge or in
auction for four players he gets in his
deadly work before the pay begins. There
Is probably no game in the world in which
a bad partner can do you so much harm
as in auction bridge.
II is always at the moment in which
you are trying to make the game as
expensive as possible for your opponents
that he steps I'm and throws the whole
cost Of the experiment on you. After you
have bid them up to four in diamonds,
which you know they cannot make, and
nave adroitly dropped them at hat point
by refusing to go any higher than the
three Of hearts, which you bid when you
knew you could make It, along comes your
partner, full OF mistaken zeal, 70 help
you and bids four in hearts. on which
the adversaries simply slaughter you.
In three hand auction one thing Is certain.
No matter how lad a payer may be at
the table or how wildly he may declare
you will never be called upon to play
that declaration. II It is the highest bid, he
will play It himself and alone. II It is
not the highest IL does not matter much
what he bid. as It is not a contract that
anyone win be called on to fulfill.
The rules Of the game differ in some
respects from those for four hands. The
choice Of seats and the first deal are
cut for as usual, the lowest cut dealing
the first hand and the next lowest sitting
on his left. the other at the dealers right.
This leaves the dummy hand opposite the
dealer, but It may happen on subsequent
deals that the dummy or vacant seat viii
be on the actual dealers right or left. This
makes no difference, as thirteen cards are
dealt, one at a time, to each Of the four
positions at the table, whether there Is any
one sitting opposite the dealer or not. No
change is made in the positions of the
players until the final declaration is set
tied.
The deal passes to the left, and the dealer
in each hand must make an original bid
Of at least one i'm spades. Each player in
turn has an opportunity to bid higher, to
double or to pass, dumn.y's thirteen cards
lying untouched. The player bids on his
own cards without any idea of giving IN
formation to any partner who might do
better, as the player sitting opposite him
viii not be his partner unless as opposed
to the declaration of the third player.
There is no new deal IL a player makes
a declaration out of turn, because he is
not giving Information to any one but his
adversaries, each of whom scores fifty
points penalty in the honor column and
proceeds as IL no irregular bid had been
made.
There is no limit to the number Of times
a player may increase his bid, provided he
is overcalled by some other player in the
interval; but If a bid is not overcaned the
bidder cannot change it in any way.
AS soon as the highest bid is deter.
mined, the thirteen cards dealt for the
dummy are placed opposite the declarer.
l. there happens to be a player sitting OPP
pOsite him, that player moves into the va
cant seat, taking his own hand with hin
Dummy's cards are not exposed until the
eldest hand, to the left OF the declarer,
has led.
The knowledge that a certain position
will be occupied by the player sitting
opposite you is sometimes useful when
you are in earnest about getting the
declaration; because you can Judge from
the bid made by the one who will be COM
PEELED to change his seat what suit he will
lead or what viii be led to him when the
play begins. No matter how many
changes Of position Of this kind take place,
the order of the three players does not
alter, 50 that each deals in his right turn
all through the rubber.
On first taking up this game some per
sons are confused by the changing Of
the hands. It should be Observed that the
two hands which are dealt opposite one
another are never partners unless the va
cant seat happens to be opposite the high
est bidder. II the vacant seat is on the
bidders right. the thirteen cards that lie
there will be his dummy. and not his ad-
versary cards.
There are one or two rules for the three
hand game which differ materially from
those OF four hand. Most OF the irresnI-
larities treat demand a new deal in four
hand are settled in penalties in three
hand.
For instance: II. after the deal is COM
plete, but before a card is led, any player
exposes a cord from his own hand, that
card must be left on the table. Each OF
his adyersaries will score 100 points penalty
and when it comes to the play Of the hand
the declarer. II he was not the one in
fault, may prevent the eldest hand from
leading the suit Of the exposed card.
II he does not exercise this right the
card remains on the table as exposed and
liable to be called unless It can be got
rid Of in the course Of play. II the card
was exposed By the declarer he may take
II up. and there is no further penalty
against him beyond the 100 points.
II a player doubles a declaration out OF
turn each adversary scores 100 points PEN
atty and the one who Is wrongly doubled
shall have the right to say whether or not
the double shall stand. II the double /,
not allowed to stand. the other player
cannot double hat declaration, but the
bidding may proceed. II one player doubles
only the one who is doubled can, redouble.
Blu for this rule a player might be doub-
ling his partner.
No, one but the declarer, who plays the
dummy hand with his own, can score to-
ward game in the trick column, therefore
no one but the highest bidder can win the
game or rubber on any deal. When the
declaration succeeds II Is scored as at