The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-26

NGHAM AGE-HERALD, V in. depending upon whether the adverse ace is on the left or rigAt. A queen or queen jack. guarded is of doubtful value, owing to the un- certainty of suit going around three times untrumped. In a no trump hand they may be reckoned on. Here are some standard values of high cards.
 Ace, King equals two tricks.
 Ace. queen. jack equals two tricks.
 King, queen, jack equals two tricks.
 Ace. queen, ten equals one and one-half tricks.
 King. queen. ten equals one and one-half tricks.
 Ace, Jack, equals one and one half tricks.
 Ace. queen. equal one trick.
 Ace, jack, equal one trick.
 King. queen. equal one trick.
 King, jack, equal one-half plus,
 Kins, x, equal one-half trick
 Queen. jack, X equal one-half trick.
 NaIue of Small Cards
 Small cards are more or less vaiu- able depending upon conditions. When trumps they are always valu- able. Their difference in trump suits and rlain suits is Illustrated this way:
 A trump suit with ace, king and five small is worth six tricks. A trump suit with ace, king and one small is worth two tricks. A plain suit with ace, king and five small may be worth only enc trick. A plain supit with ace. king and one small is worth two tricks. The req son for the difference is that the high cards of a plain suit with many small are liable to he trumped.
 In no trump hand when the suit is established the small cards in it become trick makers The same plain suit conditions also exist in trump hand after the trumps have been exhausted. The blank suit or singleton with trumps for ruff fling Is always counted on for one or more tricks in any hand but the deolarer's
 Combination values of Uncertain Cards Uncertain cards in a players hand, while weak by themselves, taken In combination with those Of his part ner. may become sure trick Win ners. For instance, the declarer holds king, jack and two small. the aver age value of which by themselves is less than one trick. His partner holds ace, queen. This lifts their collective value to four tricks. The position of the player also af- fects the values of his cards as may be illustrated by king with an adt verse ace on his right or on his Jeff. making the king worth one trick or nothing at all.
 Card Values in an Assisting Hnnd i It is more puzzling for the third player to csluculate the trick value and assisting value of his hand when l the declarer has been overcalled in trump declaration and he Is put in the position of raising or passing. The number of small trurnps, blank suits. singletons. doubletons, as we'll as honors and side suit strengt th have all got to considered. The value of some of these are as fol- ] lows:
 Blank suit with trumps for ruffing, l two tricks.
 singletons with trumps for ruffing, one trick.
 Doubletons with trumps for ruff ing, one-haH trick.
 Three small trumps, one-half trick. One honor and one small trump, one-half trick.
 One honor and two small trumps. enc and one-half tricks.
 Two honors and two small trumps, two tricks.
 Four or more small trumps with out short suits for ruffing, one trick.
 Except in no trumps guarded queens are not safe to reckon on and five small trumps in the dummy are of no grater value than four, as the excess fall to the declarer's leads.
 Estimating values in the hand of the deelarers partner in no trump is very different. There are no 1 trumps or ruffing, and queens. jack & tens ard the small cards are more 1 important than in a trump hand The Relation of Hands to Each other
 The player should also become familiar with the general run of hands as related to each other which can be done quite simply and with out outside assistance. Shuffle and 1 cut deck of cards in the usual way. Then deal around the table as if 1 there were four persons really pres ent. Pick up each hand by itself, | beginning with the dealer. sort it and make declarations one after an | other, just as would be made in a regular game. This done, spread all the hands face upwards on the table, when you will get good ocu- lar demonstration of the relations of the Individual hands to each other, as well as a fair idea as to the wis dom of the declarations you have made From time to time play the hands through.
 Do this repeatedly and for per haps Ia or 20 times at a sitting. We Pknow of no better way for player to familiarize himself with the re- lation of hands to each other or to get confidence in his bidding when he sits down in regular game. l Indeed, aside from the informative