The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-04
CHANGES IN RULES
OF ROYAL AUCTION
Whist Club LIKELY to Go on
Record on Question Of
Suit Values.
MANY FREAK PROPOSALS


before next winter The whist Club COM
mittes on laws will put itself on record
one way or the other with regard 20 the
proposed changes in the suit values at
auction. Some members OF the commit
tee are even now trying TO gst an
expression Of opinion from players IN
various parts OF the country.
II 10 always difY,cult to nnd out what
the ma jority OF the card players really
want unless they are assembled in some
sort of consrsss such - the annual
meetings Of the American Whist League.
at which properly accredited delegates
VINO understand tho sentiments Of the
clubs they represent can est together
and Discuss things.
Writing TO ask for opinions on pro-
posed changes never brings satisfactory
results because the people that are most
ready and willing to write opinions are
those who have a pet hobby OF some
kind and are glad Of tho opportunity
to push Il along. The great mass of
players do not take the trouble 20 write
letters. and any request for ideas as TO
what should be done usually results in
flood Of freak suggestions sloh az
tiger clubs. bidding by figures and in
verted no trumpers.
Another weakness In the mail vote
| 10 that ons gets nothing but the
individuals opinion. II may bs matter
Of prejudice. or the writer may never
have heard Of any other way than that
which he indorses and never had .
chance either 20 understand or investi-
The reader Of q certain paper may
think there II nothing to tho game with
out nulloe while another person has
never played a nulio in his rfe
| The principal divergence Of opinion
at present among those who know what
they are talking about IL on ths double
value Of the spade suit and the COM
puisory bid A large number OF players
are undoubtedly against any change in
the present scale o. suit values, 20 which
players OF all grades have now become
thoroughly sccustimed. and they eh'nk
there Ia no legitimate reason for chang
ing them when most OF the reform that
is called for can be brought about by
the very simple expedlent OF abandon
| ing the compulsory bid.
/ Tho abuse Of tho spade h-h. carrying
Il up to declarations OF big and little
slams. without any idea OF playing any
such declaration. Is very easily rene
died. ard has been In many clubs By
simply forh!ddine any call OF more than
two or thres spades ard restricting all
such declarations 10 mean what they say
varying strength IN The spade suit ~
self. With the compulsory bid abolished
| the limit could be nxed at two spades
and tho whole trouble settled
AZ present a player who wants to pass
r. obliged to name = suit IN which he
has nothing AZ all perhaps, and this has
long impressed tho thoughtful player az
absurd tho limit OF 100 points that Is
set 20 HIS losses ~ re .s lot with u be
ing practically confession that Il Is -
foolish bid.
The only rAascn FOR m. forced h'd
was to avoid dealing the cards for moth
ing. hut surely the time might Jus. a.
we'll he used in dealing the cards ~ In
playing through the whola thirteen tricks
just 20 sc. II the dealer can make two
points toward game. which II what his
bid said, although no did not mean &
that WAY at all
The bridge players were So thor roughly
convinced OF the absurdity Of wasting
time playing spade bids that thcy A.
ways threw up the hand and allowed
the dealer 20 score his two points
| whether he had the remotest chance of
making them or not. In auction ~ o
points arc worth absolutely nothing ma
/ IL would pay 20 let the spade bidder
mark up little siam rather than waPte
time playing the hand. as twelve points
are acknoW lodged to he o, practically
no value whatever. so far as going game
is concerned.
II the dealer can pass and no one else
can make bid the hands are more than
probably Just such as would he left IN
with one spade bid II the dealer had
been compelled 20 make that hid. why
not spend the time trying - deal bette
hand rather than playing for two points
a trick
Too much disturbance 80 the rresen
well known scale Of suit values is l,Rhl,
TO bring about some such state Of chao'
| as now tNls'S IN INC ftflF|'e NniIl
and from the same cause Those wh,
don't Ike the change will stick to the al,
way. and ~ they md Il II out Of fashion
they will 1u't the game or flock by them
selves. and then We shall hav" all kind
OF auction played IN all sorts OF places
with wrangle ahead of every playcI
who sits down with a strange crowd.
The main issue is tho dual value o
the spade suit and tho compulsory bid
There are some minor issues that ma,
come to tho attention of the commute,
on laws, and they viii no doubt haN,
plenty Of freak suggest ous tn enliVel
things n bit.
Among ma minor points il the en-
creased value of slams some person,
believe that TO him that hash Shall b,
hands, hands that nothing can stop, they
, seem to think that games and rubberi
are not enough: he should have bonuse
OF 80 and 100 points showered on hin
In addition,
Yet we find these same people wsntini
to cut down tho score for four or nv,
honors IN one hand as they think II l.
too much 10 have them count douhl
Just because there II one moro IN IN,
hand To he consistent. they ought I,
increase these values, make four honor
in one hand worth twenty tricks 'nstea,
, of eight So as tn keep mp tine same pro
portion of increase that they make II
the slams what is the us" OF gNu!
premiums for luck in one thing and no
in another?
ba uift CT al y