The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17
TRICK SHOWING BIDS
AT ROYAL AUCTION
Reasons Why the Lower Value
Of Spades Should Not BE
Eliminated.
LESSONS OF DUPLICATE

| The anniversary meeting Of the Knicker-
booker Whist Club which was held In the
clubs room at the Hoffman House last
week has always been regarded ss a
golden opportunity for seeing all the crack
card players in the city gathered from all
the leading clubs A better chance could
hardly be imagined for getting expert
opinions on the future OF the game OF auc-
ton.
The chief interest seemed TO be in the
prospect OF eliminating the lower value OF
the spade suit from the game. number
| OF players seemed to think that with this
change auction would take on a new in
terest and have as big boom as 1t did
| when the so-called revised schedule was
introduced. others did not think II would
make much difference except among those
| who had been using the spade suit to bid
up to six or seven tricks with no idea OF
playing II at either declaration.
| Any bid OF two or more spades practi-
| cally compels the partner to take II out,
no matter what he has, and half the
| higher declarations are negative rather
! than positive, indicating an objection to a
| certain suit one cannot help agreeing
| with DIR. Cole when he says that instead
OF bidding six spades one might just as
| like except royals"
IL In undoubtedly true that all right
| thinking PLAYERS have come to the con-
| clusion that anything beyond three spades
/ should be forbidden. but there Is a strong
| sentiment In favor of retaining the bids
| OF two and three spades. which are bona
| hde bids and indicate the spade suit as
| the exact suit in which the deale IS
| strength lies, and not hearts or no
| trumps. As these bids name the suit
! they are quite unobjectionable to most
players, and to abolish them would de-
| stroy some OF the most interesting situa-
! lions In the decla rations.
Those who oppose the two and three
spade bids do on the ground that the
dealer never wants to play the hand at
spades and s really asking his partner
to do something better But precisely the
same thing Is true OF clubs and diamonds.
why not object to bidding them
Any modern player will bid a club or a
diamond with nothing in his hand but
two sure tricks in that suit He never
wants To play clubs diamonds for
trumps. and his only object Is to show
his partner What he can do toward help
ing out better declaration or defending
himself against an adverse one.
The bid OF two spades means Just the
same thing as the bid OF one club OF
diamond The meaning cannot he con.
bid IL used as a pass, 30 in order to show
that the two tricks are actually In A
short spade suit. too short to Justify a
royal. the dealer must bid two tricks
and In order TO Justify this extra trick
that he bids he must have the extra
trick in his hand. That is either three
sure in spades themselves or two In
spades and one outside.
There is one interesting point in this
bid. Suppose player holds two tricks
in spades and two In diamonds. " he
bids the diamond he shows nothing else
II he bids the spades he shows the out
side tricks. rms may ne interesting.
| The reformers seem to think that the
only way TO prevent the spade calls from
| being ca rried too FAR il to bar them al
| together as multiples OF two and 10 allow
the dealer to pass the bid, each player
| in turn having the same privilege But
| how would II do II the bidder were still
| allowed TO bid one spade as minor
| suit. Just like = club or diamond. maxi
ing its value two trick. with no penalty
limit. however. and at the same time 10
| let him pass II he wanted to-
Garry the same thing A step further,
| and let him bid the hearts under a double
! name. showing the snort strong suit at
any value lower than club say three a
| trick. and the game IL complete II YOU
have two names for the spade suit, and
have had them for years without occa-
sioning any confusion, why not two for
the other major suit. hearts? Cali them
sweethearts, or anything.
| We bid one club or one diamond when
| the suit is short but strong, and two when
we have SIX or more sure tricks nit Why
| should We not be allowed to bid the short
major suits In ne same way? They say
the game liz lops'ded because We have two
| values for the spade suit What can bs
| more lopsided than to have two suits ma
| i,Af nd tUn nj ars
that We cannot indicate at all unless W,
have five cards.
| At present there are three out or tbs
four suits that can be indicated as shor'
| and strong. The reformers want to re
| duce this number TO two The real i'm
provement In the game would seem to be
to increase II TO four. II did not take
players more than a sitting to learn that
| lilies or royals. meant spades at an In
| creased value. How long would 1t take
them to learn that "sweethearts" meant
| hearts At lower value, 40 low that 4,
was impossible to win the game from
love-?
II has been suggested that THE SUS
take vote on this subject so as TO ge
line on the views Of players all owe
the country. The point at issue is simply
this, there are two things TO be done
I. Abolish the spade suit at two n tricl
entirely. so that no suit has a doub
value, and allow each player in turn I,
pass without a bid.
3 Let the spade suit stand at two
trick. limiting the bid to two spades. bu
allow the dealer to pass without bidding
II he wants to. Zone spade would meal
what one club means now and two spade
would mean long but weak spades
These bids that show tricks only, ant
offer to support a better declaration, d.
| not necessarily mean that the partne
: | must 70 no trumps or ROYALS Many
!, good fight can he put up In minor sui
with the help promised by an orgina
two spade bid. Here Is case in point: