Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-05
BRIDGE DEPARTMENT
EDITED by w. R. WHARTON

turn of his suit will enable him to
bring in the long cards therein.
Should he have only one card of re-
entry 1t will have the effect of placing
the dealer in position of dread of
these long cards, which may cause him
to finesse enormously. OF course If i'll
addition to the deterrent effect Of
strength in dummy you have very
strong suit in your own hand the two
together may justify abandonment, but
this phase will be discussed under the
next title.
BY the application of the ELEVEN
Rule" you can generally determine not
only the length of your partners suit,
but also the combination of high cards
therein held by him. In short article
it is impossible to discuss all the
cases which may arise, but 1t is be-
lieVed that the following rules will be
sufficient for practical purposes III
one lead will establish two or more
tricks for your partner always return
the lead unless you have sufficient
strength in your own hand to certain
ly save the game. The fact that by so
doing you allow dummy to win one
trick should not prevent you. III, IN
order to establish one trick for your
partner, you must allow the dummy to
win three tricks you are justified in
switching. If in order to establish two
IT1ckS IOT your partner yOu must al
low the dummy to win two you should
first consider whether the two tricks
will be won by dummy whether you
lead or let the dealer do SO at his
convenience, in which case you lose
nothing by at once returning the lead
and secondly gather such differences
from the declaration and the strength
or weakness disclosed by the dummy
hand as may influence you in arriving
at a decision. Inasmuch as the OPP
ponents have the greater strength an
even exchange is generally advantage
GUS Should you hold a very weak
hand, it is better to have the dummy
hand in the lead, as he may thereby
be induced to finesse against your part
ner. on the other hand, should you
possess a fairly strong hand, you
should try to put the lead in the deal
ers hand so that he may lead up to
and finesse against you. Should the
dummy hand be very weak in either
red suit and you also be very weak
therein, it is almost certain that to
lead the same through the dealer will
enure to your advantage. This applies
particularly to hearts. For instance.
if dummy holds three to the and
you hold three or better two to the g.,
1t is evident that by leading the 8
your must aid the hand of your part
ner, who may have held two suits OF
equal length and may have preferred
the other suit to hearts because he held
the major or even the minor tenace
in hearts. With great strength the
dealer would have declared hearts in
preference to no trump.
Switching Suits
Never cease to remember that at no
trump your partner has opened that
suit in which he held the greatest
lat ~ n
assume the responsibility of defeat
which may be due thereto. The fact
that the adversaries disclose strength
therein should warn you that you have
little justification in expecting as
sistance in other suits. You should
also remember that he who declares no
trump seldom controls all the suits and
just as seldom is weak in more than
one. Therefore, it is a battle of wits
or of position, and victory goes to him
who first discovers the weakness or
succeeds in Disgusting the same as the
case may be. In forming a conclusion
to switch, it is usually considered
requisite that third hand should be
reasonably sure either that with his
hand alone he can save the game or
that the game is surely lost by re-
turning the opening lead. In doubtful
cases decide promptly to return the
lead as hesitation informs the dealer
that you have such strength in some
other suit that you are considering
switch. The greatest mistake that can
be made, however, and which is mex
cusable for reasons which should be
apparent is to indicate that you have
none of your partners suit to lead. 1t
is strange how often you heard third
hand say, 81 am sorry, partner, that
1 cannot do what you WISH" or words
of similar import. or to see by actions
and signs which speak very loudly
that third hand cannot return the
lead.
Possessing an established suit of four
or more cards or one which may be es-
tablished with one lead and holding a
sure re-entry is considered enough to
Justify a switch. In other words, the
certainty of securing five tricks or
enough to save the game will justify
you in playing for your hand in prefer
ence to assisting your partner.
Should you decide to return your
partners lead unless the composition
of the dummy hand renders it unwise
it is better to return the highest you
have in order that he may place the
cards held by the dealer.