The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-12
EXPENSIVE ASSISTS
AT ROYAL AUCTION
When Third Hand Should Not
support Dealers Bid Of
No Trumps.
REVISED ENGLISH RULES
Objection to Abolishing the
Lower Value of the
Spade Suit.
REVISED ENGLISH RULES

According to recent advices from Lon
don. the card committee of the leading
clubs there have paid Milton Work a
high compliment in deeming 1t necessary
to change the laws OF the game In order to
prevent his high spade BID from coming
into general use as private conventions.
AS Dalton puts IL "A somewhat pc
cuIar convention had been started In
America and was beginning to creep in
in England. whereby n player declared
q number OF tricks In the spade suit
sometimes as many as five or siN-to
indicate strength in other suits. This
convention was most undesirable. being
opposed to the whole spirit Of straight
forward declaring and It was necessary
to scotch IT I'm its infancy. therefore the
lower value of the spade suit has been
abolished"
The suffragettes have evidently made
Englishmen timid. or else the changing
of the whole game OF auction for fear
OF private convention must be taken
as n confession that the high sense of
honor. which has always been the sport
ing Englshman's boast, IL now thing
OF the past. and nothing but drastic legis-
lation will keep him straight.
Although this peculiar convention"
was started in America tSo years ago. II
was never necessary to legislate against
It. and no card committee mas felt itself
called upon to pass any rules forbiddlng
H.. the good sense of the players them
selves being quite sufficient to scotch
II in its infancy" II now stands In
most OF the standard works on the game
among other curiosities that are preserved
for the information OF those who hear
expressions whose meaning they do not
know. its value being now chiefly his
| torical.
A curious feature about tho change
| in the English values for the suits Is
I .F.s 4
! that players had become so accustomed
| TO the suit values which they had been
| in the habit of playing. especially royal
| spades at nine a trick. that II would be
rather upsetting TO ask them TO alter all
thcir preconceived ideas and learn new
values
This Is the reason they did not star.
the spades at 6. clubs Z, diamonds 3.
hearts . and no trumps 10. They let the
suits remain as they were. making spades
| the best OF all.
Both America and England entirely
changed the values not only of the suits
but of the no trumper only a short time
ago. although players had been accus-
toned to them for years and called II tho
new count. No one had any trouble in
learning IS. The British players must b.
anxious TO avoid any unnecessary mental
exertion. Passing the hid and having n
new deal every now ard then will prob
ably encourage this tendency.
II we should over adopt in this country
the rule that all four players may pass
| without making bid there would have
! TO be some fixed declaration upon which
| the hand should be played. and II should
! be Of such character that II would
smoke out the sleepers who would not
hid on their cards, like the ramsch IN
skat Tho nullo seems tho most fitting
for tho occs sion. should Il arise. Make 1t
! r,,in has nj .he JCci
the play should be no trumps, to lose
tricks, and tho side winning the odd or
more should lose the game on tho spot.
That would wake them up a bit.
Several persons have written 10 ask
why the same rule for the third hand
assisting trump declaration should not
apply to no trumper provided the
third hand has the required number OF
sure tricks
The difference lies in the Intervening
declaration. When the dealer names a
trump suit and ~ overcallcd by tho sec
ord hand either with different trump
or no trumps the dealer is not afraid
of tho suit named, because II IS harm
less unless II is the winning declaration.
Neither is he afraid OF n no trumper il
he has trumps enough 10 ruff the high
cards
Hut when the dealer starts with a no
trumper and Is ovcrcalled with suit
I the SITUATION - IfNflstNs bF'hbS' II "
now the second hand that has trumps
enough to ruff many OF the high cards IN
the dealers hand. In such a situation
should third hand assist with three sure
tricks. he would simply be providing more
food for the adversares' powder un'
less some OF those tricks were in the
suit named by the second player.
. This brings us to the conclusion that nc
matter how many tricks the third hand
may hold at no trumps IL Is not safe tc
pursue that declaration unless some OF
those tricks are In the suit named BY
the intervening player.
II is quite true that many players take
chance on this assist on the ground tha
there are two possible ways to escape th'
danger. one is that the suit named may
{ he one that the dealer holds the comman,
OF or can stop. The other Is that tn
opponents may not be able to make tricks
, enough in that suit to defeat the contract
y This reasoning opens the way for
, double error instead OF Offering tive
/. chances for escaping disaster In IN
: first place the contract Is not worth any
10 . tHing unless IL is strong enough to &
, game and II will pay better to defeat IN
: trump declaration and score penalties. |
( the second place. II the dealer has the sui
! stopped and is strong enough elseWher,
lie wiz &c on with the no trumper him
self II his partner shows him any as
sistance
;, What the dealer wants 10 know is.
>. his partner cannot stop the adversare'
II suit. what he can do In any other suit. TIL
y dealer alone knows what he went n
= truirps on in the first place. Leave III
q decision AZ to whether to persist in tina
!. declaration TO him, instead OF takin
. chances. Here is an example of whf
Vt happeRs to partners who take the doub
n chance. The hand was played in Cha
tanooga,