The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-31
NEWS IF THE DAY IN SOCIETY WORLD
New Game of Whist Attracting
 Attention Elsewhere
NOES HERE AND THERE
Little Entertaining on Account of Lent Announcements and Personals About WeII-known PeopIe-Boys'
 Club To Observe "Tas Day.

A few there are who have said for long time that bridge whist, as a form of amusement for society, is on the Wane. Occasionally one will hear some former devote of the game say T am tired. of bridge; I don't believe l will play any more." Stin there are others who are just learning and Miss Curtis classes are still full livery afternoon there is a party in her rooms enjoying the game to the fullest ex- tent. There are number of men, too who still take lessons and who seem to enjoy the fascinating game even more than formerly. Men, however, do not seem to tire of things like women do, Some of them were very slow to take hold and admit that they enjoyed playing and are just now be- ginning Ito warm up to the game" as 1t were. One head of a house declared for two winters that "it is an abrtrary game with little to recommend it as real game. compared with the old whist, poker, hearts, and other such card forms"
 One of Birmingham's former most enthusiastic players has practically given up playing for horseback rid. ing, declaring the latter to be so much more pleasant form of pastime as well as more profitable where health and spirits are concerned. Still another of the deyotees of the game has al- most given it up for her piano which occupies all of her spare time in prac- tfce and by so doing making of her self one of the best pianists in the country. Another one answered an in- vitation to a party with a few friends recently by saying, "Oh, you know, don't play bridge any more. I have stopped it, because 1t took too much of my time. Being a Sunday school teacher I was all the time trying to hide the fact that I played for fear of its being misunderstood by the boys In my class. I was little afraid of the influence it might give so l have given 1t up at least for a while" Now word comes to us of a new form of whist. It is called Auction Whist" and 1t is said that devotees of it find 1t much more fascinating than its parent bridge or its grand parent whist. A description of the new game appeared today In an ex- change which gives an idea of it's pos- abilities. It says:
 The chief idea in auction bridge is that each player shall have his chance at every deal regardless of turn. In other words, a good hand need never be wasted simply because the oppon- ents have made 1t spades" or trump of the one suit in which another play CT Is weak. To the aggravation of holding four aces while the dealer or his partner declares spade" or five honors In hearts on diamond make no tragedy in life comparable. In auction bridge while the dealer has first say in regard to the trump he must state just how many odd tricks he thinks his hand to contain and then In turn each player may name another suit, provided he states one or more tricks over the last player, or he may double or redouble the previous declarations; or, if his hand shows nothing of special promise, he may pass and take no part in the make, thus signifying to his partner that his hand contains no one suit that can be relied upon. A player cannot over bid his own call, but he may raise but never double his partners call as many times as he desires and can of course overbid any make in the hands of his opponents. A player can raise his own call only if 1t has been overbid by another player.
 In auction bridge the dummy hand is not necessarily played by the dealer and here lies cause for endless irrita- tion for the players whose cards are not acting in a kindly manner
 The counting is necessarily differ ent from the scoring in straight bridge although the value of the tricks re- main the same, honors count in the same way and game consists of 30 points or over, the best two out of three games being a rubber and SCOT ing 100 on the honor score In auc- ton bridge. when the declarer, as the player of the continued hands is named wins the number of tricks for which he vouched. and any in addition to this number, he scores toward game the regular value of the tricks l. spades 2, clubs 4, diamonds 6, hearts 8, no trumps 12. Should he not make the stated number. however, there must be