The sun., 1918-07-21
SCHOOL FOR CARD PLAYERS.

two spades. The questions arise: Is
the second hand allowed to ask his part
ner II he was aware that the two heart
bid was an Insufficient bid, and II he
was aware of 1t should his return 10
two spades be considered as an assist,
although it does not advance the bid?
The laws allow a player to be in
formed as to any detail Of the bidding
up to the time the final declaration Is
passed, which would seem TO include
information as to whether or not the
fourth hand heard the second hand 6
two spade bid. AS to the assist, IL the
fourth hand had an assist he should be
willing TO so to three spades if the two
spade bid is overcalled. That would
make 1t clear.
j. NJ. l.. says: The bid is no trump.
A leads a small heart. which third hand
tries for with the ten, the jack winning
On getting into the lead later on
fourth round of clubs the third hand
gets a heart discard from his partner
There are two small hearts and two
small spades in dummy. The diamonds
are all gone. What should the third
hand lead?
II the leader discards one of his own
suit ne must have something better
worth keeping in spades. Much would
depend on what the third hand had in
spades and how many cards were left
to be played.
G. S. f.. says: We are in doubt as
to the difference between bidding the
full value OF hand and a shutout Can
THE SrN give US an illustration from
actual play to make the distinction
| clear?
The distinction applies to suit bids
only. and usually to hearts or spades.
II player has a spade bid in the suit
itself. such as FIVE to the ace king ten
he bids only one spade, no matter what
he has outside. II he has to rebid the
hand he does so on the outside tricks
| With two outside aces he would 60 Is
! far as three spades. But II he has sly
I re would bid two spades and ir:t.-ise to
three or four on any outs. !. tricks. If
he held either of These hands and was
afraid OF the heart suit he could make
a shutout OF II by bidding three spades
at oncS Il Re does not want to shut
OF any suit there is no object in such
a high initial bid.
Mrs. G. says: We play pivot and cut
, for the seats and cards at the first rub
| her only. After that the deal goes
round to the left without interruption.
Is this correct?
! No, because the deal and cards should
be cut for at the beginning of every
rubber. Pivotng settles nothing but the
partnerships, and the player cutting the
lowest card may also change her seat at
the beginning of neH rubber. unless it
has been agreed that one player shall
be the pivot and shall not move during
the entire play. This is the usual plan.
there being an orderly change OF seats
by the three who are not pivots
Poker. c. F. c. says: Playing with
the Joker. If five of kind is admitted
| as a legitimate hand. is 1t good enough
| to beat a royal flush or any straight
flush? What are the odds against either
| hand. FIVE of a kind and a straight
flush. each being made from the nifty
three card pack?
AS the joker may be called anything
1t clearly adds largely TO the number Of
stralghts and Pushes that may be held,
and therefore increases the number OF
possible straight Pushes. In the ffty-
two card pack there are only four royal
fiushes and thrty-six straight Pushes.
Add the Joker, and it may be any one
| nf a I'd mar ma ba
four royal Pushes, so that It increases
their number five times for each suit,
J But when We come to five OF kind. we
do not increase the 624 hands with four
of a kind possible with the fifty-two card
pack, but decrease the number. because
the thirteen hands OF four OF a kind may
have any one Of forty eight cards TO I'LL
them out This gives US l3x4s. 624 DIFF
ferent hands. In the case OF five of a
kind there is only one card to fill out
the four of a kind, and that is the Joker,
so that there can be only thirteen such
hands. as against eighty royal fushes.
| Pinochle c. Il. NJ. asks under what
circumstances a player can declare HIM
sell out playing auction, Win 2 WIDOW,
and cites this case. bids ol0, melds
10, takes a trick and declares out, as
he was SEQ on the slate. 3 insists he
must go on and make not only enough
TO go game but enough to fulfil his bid.
b is correct. There is no calling out
in auction plnochle. The bidder always
has the first count and il he has enough
to make good his bid he scores it ahead
of any OF the other players. II this
puts him out he wins, even II the other
side are also out
H. j. NJ. says: Playing two hand. has
either player a right to count himself
out at any time after the melds are
taken up?
A player may call out at any time
provided he does so without taking ur
his tricks and counting his points. I.
he Is right he wins the game. II wrong
, ! he loses it.