The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-05
ASSISTING CALLS
AT ROYAL AUCTION
4 Common and Sometimes
Costly Error in Bidding
by Third Hand.
TEST OF HANDS STRENGTH
Unsound Declarations and a
Convention Many Players
Do Not Observe.

In teaching any one q game It Is al
ways question whether II 10 better TO
start by Graduating tho worst faults or
the most common. A very bad fault in
royal auction may not be at ali common.
owing to lack OF opportunity, and while
II may lose three or four tricks or set a
contract for 400 or 500 points when Il
happens, IL Is not half so expensive I'm
the long run as tho continual repetition
or some fault that loses 30 or 100 points
AZ time and the opportunity for which
is common
1t is very serious fault TO lead the
losing trump and let tho opponents make
every trick In their hands when you could
nave led your long suit and forced out
that adverse trump. getting in again to
make the rest OF tho tricks yourself with
your little trump. But such a situation
may not arise more than once or twice
in hundred deals.
1t Is n very common fault for n niayer
10 assist his partners declaration without
the cards to Justify It and so land him
with contract that he cannot fulfil.
The opportunity 10 commit this blunder
presents itself in almost every hand that
is played
There seem TO be two reasons why some
persons persist In this error One Is that
they do not know the conventional rule
Tor estimating the strength of an assisting
hand under any given circumstances, and
the other Is that they do not know u GER
tain trick from "A simple hope. With some
players an ace and two hopes appear 20
be good for four or five tricks
The convention for an original assist
when the intervening player overcalls de-
ponds on tho nature OF the declaration.
because what would be r. perfectly justl-
liable bid to assist partners trump call
might bc wholly unwarranted In case no
had started with a no trumper
An assist that would be the proper
thing for a declaration In n major suit
might he very bad policy in the case Of
minor suit, because OF tho difference
In the objects OF the original declara-
tlon. and no one need Re told that Il
Is not necessary to support "A spade bid
because II has nothing to do with the
spade suit at all.
1t Is very seldom that the dealer holds
in his hand as many tricks as he bids
but he has a partner. He depends on
this partner TO win something, and az
there is no reason why no should assume
that any one Of the three players at the
/ table is stronger that the two others he
looks to his partner for average strength
All three players should be assumed to
be about equally strong.
That they Will not prove 10 be so Is
evident. but In the long run this strength
will equalize itself. and where II Is all
In the second hand on one deal Il will he
in the third hand on another. and again
In the fourth hand. At the end OF n
hundred deals the law of averages will
generally be found to have held good.
This average strength which the dealer
has right to base his bids on will he
found to he two sure tricks and probable
third. and an excellent test for any dec
laraton by tho dealer. although IT is not
given AZ such in any Of tho text books. Is
10 consider how many tricks he must find
ia mis- partners hand in order to carry
out h,s contract. II he needs more than
ne has right to expect II Is weak
declaration.
The authorities seem pretty we'll agreed
that tho strength required In the dealer $
hand for n winning suit declaration is three
| in trumps and a trick or two outside and
they figure five trumps to two tops as
good for the three in that suit on the
average The stronger the trump suit
the less tho necessity for the outside
tricks.
Some PLAYERS make the bid with nothing
/ ing but the five trumps but that such
/ a declaration is unsound must be evil
/ dent II We consider that 1t will be neces-
| sary TO find the partner with four sure
/ tricks TO carry out the contract which is
/ a highly improbable holding. The reason
/ that players do not suffer more from this
/ style OF bidding on hopes Is that they are
usually opposed to others with tho same
/ weakness.
This brings us to the root OF one OF
/ the most common faults at tho bridge
| table which gives a chance for a double
error. The player who assists on a hand
which does not Justify II IL probably
pushing a hand that had no right to make
the declaration.
The result OF such combination Is a
large increase In the expense account and
big balance on the wrong side OF the
ledger. provided the partners are OPP
posed by players who have a better un-
Outstanding OF the value OF their hands,
Here IL an illustration OF what one may
see every day:
Oo-Jo