The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-19
REBIDDING HANDS
AT ROYAL AUCTION
Average Player Has Neither
Method Nor Rule for This
style Of Game.
NEW LAW Is EXPLAINED

The committee on laws has been good
enough to send to THE sun for puhlica-
ton an official decision upon a dispute
which has frequently arisen as TO the
exact construction to be put upon the
new clause "a" which has lately been
added to law Al and which runs as fol-
lows.
ala. A player may not lift from the
table and look at any of his cards untll
the end of the deal. The penalty Tor
the violation OF this law is % points In
the adverse honor score for each card
SO examined"
The point in dispute has come up In
several places, but the following from
Toledo will serve rs an example:
After eleven cards had been dealt to
zach of the players A thoughtlossly
picked up his Aleven and just as he
glanced at them one OF his opponents
called penalty" on him. \ hastily, lald
| the cards down again. but the opponents
counted them, and finding there were
eleven, insisted on adding go points to
their honor score. A maintains that he
saw only the first card and that the pen
| atty should he % points only.
Milton G. Work, chairman OF the COM
mittee on laws, writes to THE StN'
under date OF September 2. as follows;
Law Ala penalties a player Tor mt
ing from the table aud looking ~ any
of his cards. The mere act OF litnH
from the table without looking Is not
penalized, as thcA law distinctly pro-
vides that the penalty Is 20 points LOT
each card so examined.
"The question of whether n card was
looked at is of course like many others
in auction one of fact. but II would seem
in the absence Of conclusive PROOF 10 Inc
contrary the word Of the player must
be accepted upon that point
II is matter of common rcmark that
the average player has neither method
nor rule for are called 'rohld
hands" That Is, hands which are bid
the second time. There are some part
ners with whom Il Is extremely danger
Gus to bid even one on anything because
OF their tendency 10 overbid. one or the
most common mistakes being 10 assist
on trumps alone.
An equally common element OF weak
ness in the bidding is the habit some
PLAYERS get into Of Increasing their
own bids when they haN" already ma
the full value Of the hand the first
time. This is particularly noticeable
when the partner has had an oppnrtu-
nity TO assist and has refused to do so.
There are three distinct classes or
rebid hands and any person with n
p~retens!ons to belns well up IN the
tactics Of the game should be THOR
oughly familiar with them.
/. A rcbid OF the sane suit shows
greater strength h was indicated by
the original bid.
.. A rebid that shifts to a minor
suit shows more sure tricks in that
suit than in the suit first named.
3. A rebid that shifts to "A major
suit shows fewer sure tricks in that
sui, thai In the one first named.
These should he clearly distinguished
from suits that are hid on the second
round. when no suit has been bid on the
first. The dealer or second hand may
pass. for instance, but on tn" bid COM
ing up to him again may declare two or
more tricks in a suit. This IL not re-
| bidding the hand II IL SIMPLY the
conventional way TO show length with
out the tops.
A few examples Of he various
classes OF rebid hands and the mis-
takes commonly made by uueducated
players may be OF interest. Many of
the biggest losses In duplicate are due
TO errors in rebiddiug or failing to re-
bid certain types Of hand the largest
Of all probably being in r"hllding a
hand that was bid for all 1t was worth,
or more. on the first round.
Good players usually prefer 10 Dll
the full strength OF a hand right or,
especially when It ~ desirable to fore
stall the opponents, who might start
a suit II they could bid & cheaply and
then gather courage enough to carry
It up TO a point that would he danger
Gus to overcall.
There are many who do not possess
the courage to bid a hand for all II is
worth at the start. They either hope
to get the contract at an easy figure.
or do not appreciate the danger Of
allowing the opponents to get started
on another suit.
Here is n hand that went the rounds
Of several tables IN a duplicate con-
test. In which the difference in the
scores made was due entirely to the
difference in the partners appreciation
of the meaning OF a rebld