Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-05
BRIDGE TALKS
BY MRS. JOHN MuNcE. sR.

One of the most discussed questions
around many bridge tables is this:
when should you take your partner
out OF A no-trump bid, and what should
you hold to do SOP"
Authorities differ on the takeouts,
and no system will prove a winner in
every case. but I believe the method
We will discuss in this talk will pro-
d,lce the most satisfactory results in
the long run. The object of every
bridge player should be to 60 game in
,ne hand. and all takeout theories must
,e based on this assumption. Don't
think that partial scores are to be
scorned where game is impossible, but
In auction try to buy the contract as
cheaply as possible, in number of tricks,
an ss tn minimize your loss when loss
has to be faced.
Dealer having bid a no-trump, sec
ond hand having passed, if third hand
is weak. with nothing over normal sup
mort IT probably means that dealer has
Strength. also that fourth hand is
strong and will likely bid suit or dou-
HE dealers bid to ask his partner, who
has previously passed, to declare his
hest suit of four cards or more. 1t is
now generally agreed that with hand
containing norma! support, or less. third
hand should pass. A player With a
strong hand-that Is, one or more tricks
over normal uppoFt-should snow MS
strength to his partner and should not
be satisfied with so per cent success
When third hand holds a strong five
card maio and other help he should
bid the major, giving his partner the
choice of the maior-suit bid or no
tr,Imp. Partner could go back to his no
trump bid without increasing the con-
tract knowing the strength that his
partner holds. The following hands are
a splendid example of this bidding;
South. the dealer. holds
spades-Acs' queen.
DiamondS-Ace king. queen. Jack.
Clubs-Ace king queen SaGk.
Spades-Jack' T. g. j.
bismonds.7. s, =, ,.
Sta9fIt 81 third Il r; hand: holds
Spades-Kins, 10, 8, 5, 4, ?.
bbs ismondsL 8 Z.
East. or fourth hand, holds
aearts-4ce. kins. queen, jack. 10, >.
Diamonds-l0. Q, 8.
ClubS-8, 6, 3,
The first round of the auction BID.
ding is very simple. The dealer ana
his partner are one game on the ruopeI
and dealer bids one no-trump. the nand
containing strength in three SUITS anu
no worthless singleton. West passes, and
North. with a six-card major headed
bv the king-l0, and wholly lacking IN
side strength, facing a no-trump olo,
bids two spades, as this holding pre-
sents too good a chance for game at
the ma jor declaration and contains TOO
manv risks to make a pass advisable.
East. with a count of 100 for honors,
FIVE in one hand and unusual length
as well as unusual strength IN the heart
suit, bids three hearts.
Coming to the second round OF bid
ding, South. or dealer, raises his part
ner's bid of two spades to three spades.
He did not hesitate about bidding the
three spades as the spades in his hand
are the ace and queen and his minor
strength was much greater than his bid
of one no-trump had shown, so in rails
ing the spades he is not Overlooking.
West, of course, passes again. and North
also passes. Now East has the real bid
ding problem. If he bids four hearts,
there is the possibility that he Will De
SPL IOlT d1l1lOOSlA "CS1 - nv ~
furnish some assistance in spite OF the
fact that he has passed each time. The
100 points for honors in the hand will
reduce the loss whatever 1t may be, and
as he wants to prevent the other side
from going game he bids four hearts.
South doubles, and this Is what Is
known as a free double; his partner has
shown hts strength and South or dealer
has every reason to believe that he can
set the bidder. Although this Is bust
ness double, North feels that his hand
will be trickless against heart declara-
ton and bids four spades, as he knows
that West holds the worthless hand OF
the deal.
The contract bidding would be two
no-trumps by dealer, a pass by West.
three spades by North, dealers partner,
and East would have to pass. although
the bidder is vulnerable. Some players
might prefer to bid four hearts, this
being optional, and should the East
hand pass or bid four hearts, the sec
ond bid by dealer would be four spades
AS this original bid OF two .no-trumps
was made with hand much too strong
for two no-trump bid. had all four suits
been stopped, dealer Is justified in rails
ing his partners bid Of three spades to
four, or a game going bid.
The leads and play Of these hands
will be given next Tuesday.