The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-08
ALL IN THE BIDDING
AT ROYAL AUCTION
Examples Of Distinction to Be
Made Between Winning
and Losing Suits.
SOME FIRST PRINCIPLES
Faults Average Players Are Apt
to Commit in Their
Declarations.

! When auction first came into vogue its
chief distinction, "a set forth by those
who explained 1t to their friends was
contained In the nnappy little definition
Auction is a game OF aces and kings
| Wider experience has led some OF the
modern teachers to tell their pupils. at
In all In the bid"
Cnquestlonably, the real secret OF sue
cess ut auction Is In tho bidding. The
man who can outguess the others M "a
the distribution OF the cards, using his
judgment of the bids alone, has Just the
| same advantage az the poker player who
can outguess the others as TO what is
out against him. judging from the bet
ting before the draw.
While IL IL true that there are &C.
casions upon which one sces two or three
hundred points lost by butchering a hand
In the play on u doubled declaration. there
Is always behind this butchery n suepI-
clon that the declaration should never
have been made. Take out all the bad
declarations. and there IS not much left
TO be lost In the play.
The first principle of bidding at auction
Ia SO simple that Il Ii astonishing To
IND any person who ls stu ignorant of
IT. This principle Is that YOU show
strength In suits that will not he the
trump. and length as well as strength
In suits that may be tho trump.
All declarations by the dealer should
he so mechanical that he might as Well
ask servant To make them for him ac-
oording TO the conventions laid down in
the books, defining what he holds and
does not ltld. Just as one would read
out OF dictionary the meaning of II
word. The first RUE that. governs the
dealers bids has absolutely no eXcep-
tons.
Never name any sui. except spades
unless you have two sure tricks Ia Il,
II II Is a losing suit. which YOU never
want 10 bs the trump you MAJ have
only one sure trick IN It. provided YOU
have two sure tricks In n winning suit TO
back Il up. II these two sure tricks are
IN tho other losing suit, that IL the suit
you should have declared.
This exception 10 the rule OF having
two sure tricks in the suit Itself 81 made
In favor OF the losing suits only, because
the object Of the Did IS 20 show what
tricks can be won. regardless az the final
declaration, the bid being based on the
assumption that this final declaration
Will never be In the suit the dealer names
When We come 20 the winning suits
this Is not true, and the exception can
not be allowed. Hesrts. royals and no
trumps are game going declarations and
ara not likely to be disturbed by III.
partner, because IL is improbahle that
he will have anything better 20 ofi.r
He may have 20 shift to something equally
good. such us hearts instead OF royals
but Il takes Just a. many tricks 20 20
same Ia one as IN the other
For this reason II is assumed that when
the dealer starts with a bid in a win
ming suit. hearts or royals. he expects
that II will be the winning declaration.
consequently he must have the length In
trumps TO justify II. The minimum re-
qulred by convention IL five cards OF the
suit and two sure tricks In t. with a.
least one sure and ono probable outside
With only four In the trump suit. they
should be four horors.
The beginner, and especially the player
who has been brought up on Il diet oc
duplicate whist. cannot see the reason for
demanding two sure tricks at tho head
Of the trump suit rs long as h. has
enough trumps 20 be good for his con-
tract II h. Is left with IL. This brings
US to another axiom IN auction that you
can paste in your hat.
No dealer knows what will he the mai
declaration.
No matter how anxious n. IL 90 have
certain suit the trump, or how many
tricks he may bid ~ !t. unless lie declares
a grand slam tat no trumps right or M
he can never tell where the bidding
will end only few days ago IN.
writer saw 81 dealer start off With a
shutOut bid OF four no tru;nps, when
was overcalled with Ave hearts, ard tne
winning declaration was seven diamonds
Here IL the hand.