Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-08
BRIDGE TALKS

In the discussion of bidding, up to
this point we have been largely con-
cerned with what might be generically
called the informing bids, which place
the value Of each hand and have been
largely confined to the first round in
the bidding. It now seems to be the
time and the place to take up the ques-
ton Of advancing bids, or so-called
raises" 1t being presupposed that both
hands of each pair Of partners have
indicated their value in the first round,
and they have now reached the point In
the second or succeeding round Of ad-
vancing the contract to make the bid
which is best suited to the two hands
combined.
The question Is often asked pointedly,
what constitutes O raiser" To an
swer this 1t is first necessary TO again
lay down the fundamental that any
raise or advancing Of bid presup-
poses normal support, and it does not
seem to me to be out of place to repeat
what constitutes normal support. In Q
no-trump bid 1t Is two tricks; In O suit
bid 1t is three small cards OF the suit
bid, or two cards of the suit bid, one Of
them the king or ace or the queen and
jack, plus one quick trick. Therefore.
any advancement of the partners bid
must represent tricks in excess OF nor
NAL support.
The situations which arise in this adj
vancing Of your partners bid assume
that there is no justified aSSertive bid
in the hand and that there Is no reason
for making q denial bid In the hand.
In other words. that the hand will be
Of direct assistance to the bid named
by partner.
AS is customary, we will begin the
discussion with the advancing OF q
partners no-trump bid. The situations
which arise under this are, first, where
dealer has bid enc no trump and an
intervening bid has been made; and,
second, when dealer has bid one. no
trump second and third hands pass,
tervening bid and dealer passes; that is,
does not increase his own bid.
In the first situation. where there has
been an intervening bid following q no
trump bid by dealer, there Is one fun
damental essential If the partner Of the
dealer Is to advance dealers bid. and
that is that he must have the suit bid
by the intervening bidder safely stopped.
in other words, one certain trick In
that suit plus normal support For ex-
example. dealer bids one no trump, sec
ond hand two clubs, and third hand
holds the following:
Spades-Ace. 8. 9.
Hearts-Jack. 5.
Diamonds-oueen, Jack, Q, 7.
Clubs-King, 5, ;.
In this hand there is a trick in clubs
in the king. snd q quick trick in the
ace of spades as well as high cards with
which one might reasonably expect to
win tricks, ir sae queen and jack OF
diamonds. rheEefore, with the holding
after q tv.. club bid by an opponent,
you shoutf raise your partners bid Of
one no 6tump to two no trump. II
should be remembered here that II part
ner has normal support and an extra
trick, but no certain trick in the inter-
vening suit, he should double the suit
bid and not advance his partners bid
To illustrate, dealer bids one no trump
second hand two clubs, and third hand
holds the following:
Spaces-Ace, Q. 8. 4.
Hearts-King. Queen, 5.
Diamonds-Queen. Jack, ., I.
Clubs-S, ;.
With the above holding, after part
ners bid of one no trump and an in
tervening bid of two clubs third hand
should double. BY this double he tells
his partner he has strength in the other
suits.