The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-05
CHANGES IN BIDDING
AT ROYAL AUCTION
More Certainty in differences
Drawn Since Advent
Of New Count.
DUTIES OF EACH PLAYER
Ambiguity of Old Style Calls
Has Been Discarded by
Modern Players.

Few persons realize the changes that
have come over the theory OF bidding
since the advent Of the new count. The
most remarkable feature is probably the
difference between the certainty Of the in
fcrences that are drawn by the players
as to the possibilities of the partner
hand. when compared to the guesswork
that characterized those differences only o
year or two ago.
As the matter becomes more clearly
understood II In seen that each position
at the table has Its duties clearly marked
out for 1t. and that there should be no
departure from the conventional method
OF placing the signs along the road II the
end to be reached II the best declaration
for the combined hands.
The dealer. being the first to speak.
Is bound to declare mocha nically, ac-
cording to tho law OF probabilities, on his
cards alone He Is not allowed to have
any feelings or to take any chances.
Every opening bid must have well de-
fined meaning and II must mean Just
that and nothing else. What would be
thought OF one wing OF an army signalling
to the other that II had six batteries Of
artillery In position when all II actually
had was brass band?
Ambiguity Is the bane Of bidding at
bridge. The old style calls, such as two
spades to show general assistance for
q no truinper and not courage enough to
call II. or two clubs. which might mean
seven to the Jack, or ace king queen to
four have been thrown into the discard
by the modern player.
Tho second player Is also governed
almost entirely by convention and has
little latitude for the exercise OF individual
Judgment. The reason that these two
players. the dealer and second hand. are
held SO strictly to rule Is very simple
They are laying the foundation for the
bids OF partners that have yet to speak
When II gets as far as. the third hand
his bidding Is a combination OF his own
holding as a response to his partners
call. modified by the second hands inter.
ference. The key In which the dealers
opening declaration IL pitched gives the
third hand a hint as to the song he should
sing. whether II be a war song OF at
tack. wall OF weakness or the cooling
OF little lullaby that will put the ad-
versaries to sleep.
The fourth player at the table always
has the best position. because he has
line on the general situation, all the
armies In the field having been heard
from. But his position is not the easiest
to handle by any means. as 1t calls for
the exercise OF more judgment than any
other. simply because there are more
facts to be taken into consideration.
A. a general proposition it may be stated
that the fourth player bids upon the bid
ding and not upon his cards. Three
fourths OF his bid Is based on the infor-
nation received from other bids. The
other fourth Is filled In by his own hand.
Few persons realize how much the pre-
vious bidding enters into the calculations
OF = careful fourth player and how little
his own cards have to do with It. II a
spectator In any card room were allowed
to hear nothing but the bids made by
the fourth hand and to see nothing bu.
his cards the audacity Of some Of his
bids would be simply astonishing.
II the same cards were held by a dealer
and the same declarations made on them
they would be outrageous: therefore II
they are sound they must be made on
something besides the cards. Let us sup
pose a dealer to hold four hearts to the
king ten: four clubs to the queen Jack
ten three little diamonds and two little
spades. To bid two no trumps on such
cards on the first round would simply be
gambling on the partners having the real
no trumper. because there is not a single
sure trick In the hand.
But let US suppose that these cards
were held by the fourth player and tina,
the previous bidding was one club. two
diamonds and two hearts. Then the call
Of two no trumps Is practically forced.
Here 10 the hand: