The sun., 1915-05-16
PROPOSED CHANGES
AT ROYAL AUCTION
The Spade Suit at Two Points
a Trick Likely to Be
Eliminated.
TACTICS IN THE BIDDING

1t appears that Tne WHIST CiuD mas
determined to let the laws OF auction
stand as they are until the fall, so that
there shall be ample opportunity Tor
players throughout the country to try
out the various suggestions that have
come TO the surface during the recent
discussion and TO see how some OF the
proposed changes will work out In prac-
tice
or one change We may he sure. and
that is the elimination of the spade suit
at two trick There are several
reasons for the change, not the least OF
which liz the consideration that 1t Is good
policy to live in harmony with the rest
Of the world and the whole OF Europe
is unalterably opposed to the dual Naiue
Of the spade suit.
or course IL Is we'll known that the
primary rea son for abandoning the lower
value In England was the desire to put
| n stop TO the tendency toward making
! this lower value q basis OF conventional
bids which none but the most expert
| could handle properly, and which the
| average PLAYER rega rded as unfair. But
| that end has been largely lost sight OF
! In the general opinion that there is no
| logical reason for giving one suit
double value while the others are denied
| II.
There 10 q minor point for the COM
mlttee on laws to consider In this con-
| nection, and that is the rank OF the suits
| in cutting. Royals will now nave hrst
preference. hearts next.
In bidding farewell to spades at two
| A. trick, we also leave behind the COM
| pulsory bid and the penalty limit. III there
is no compulsory bid. there should be
| no limit to the penalties a player may
incur for bidding when he should not
| do so. That seems easy, but thefe Is
rather a knotty question ahead OF the
| lawmakers What 10 to be done when
| all four players pass in duplicate
| match? These matches are becoming
more popular every day. and VIII un-
doubtedly be as important In the near
future as duplicate whist.
TIE natural remedy seems to be 10
allow a second round OF bids. THIS IS a
| point that was not thought or In tAkins
vote on tho changes in the laws, SO
Wa have no expression OF opinion on II
from any large number OF players. The
Whist Club would undoubtedly ike 10
hear from any one who has tried IL.
-he present system Of bidding. which
refuses to make an original declaration
upon suits wirhc2t the tops. reserving
long weak suits for me second round.
is based on the theory THAI .here Will
always be an opportunity to show such
suits II the situation that develops war
rants II. or At least to play the hand. as
no deals are thrown out suit that
may not be worth an original bid may
be quite good enough to stop no
trumper from going game.
Every player knows that there are
any number Of hands which do not
Justify an original declaration, but
! which are perfectly sound second round
bids. Take the case OF player with
six or seven small hearts or royals ana
not a trick outside. He Is perfectly
willing TO play the hand. but does not
wish TO deceive his partner with an
original declaration
II four players pass, showing that
there is nothing 20 be afraid OF, why
should he not have chance to bid ms
| long weak suit on the second round
Not only his partner but his opponents
would know that the suit was not
strong enough for an original declara-
ton, but that the hand was worth play
ing, and they would all have chance
| TO saw something. Some examples oi
how this secondary bid works Will ot
found hereafter
Another rule which will probably be
, adopted, also for the sake OF harmony
is the advance In the value OF slams
and players may expect to md In the
fall that little slams are worth 90, Crane
slams 100 II ia not unlikely that we
can nersuade the English to cut ou
chicane. as we have done then We shal
have a universal code
No one has been able to offer an,
sutficiently convincing reason for chang
| lng tho present values of any of tn
suits and thew will proba bly, remain a
! tbcy ara for some wears to come, club
J, being worth six. diamonds seven, heart
u eight. ROYALS nine and no trumps ten
u There is not a sufficient demand 10
e any OF tho new bids. such as nullos. re
verse bids. tiger clubs or monkey dia
; monds. to Justify their serious consid
a :, Grafton at the present time and II
- hardly 20 he expected that the new cod
!. will take any notice of them
Rut thcre ia one point upon whic
y tbero will undoubtedly be considerable
n difference OF opinion and which was un
II fortunately not covered in any OF tn
is clauses submitted for vote by tn
committee on laws, ana that ~ the ran
,r OF the bids in the bidding, quite apar
,r from the value OF the suits In the play.
'e There was clause ASKING TOT an eN
D. preston OF OPINION on chahsihg IN
d value OF 'he suits 50 INA, any plu ol
e trick more snouIu pe sui',eIc"' 70 oNei
20 can any previous uec'ara''ot'' ih's wa
q 'o'eo uo"n o.' ".v' "a 'o so
.,o'I' 'na''e .is .'e a''"' o' ~. ~, o. w w
a 60, ~ =
y - ,,rnu,,ng anv Ma ~ ore mo,
~ ., ,,arc,i ,n, mroyious h,d
s t,vsr, ,lavsr h.s had .mn,a exner