The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-08-24
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BY VIM E. MCKINNEY

secretary American Bridge League | Under the writer's system of con tract bidding, the requirements for original bids are slightly higher than those used in most other sys- tems, due to the fact that the two and one-half quick tricks required to make an opening bid must be real quick tricks. No combinations of honors such as king, jack, 10; king. Jack; or ace, jack, are used to arrive a the necessary two and one-half quick tricks.
 It naturally follows that the stronger the requirements are for | an original bid, the weaker part ner's hand may be to keep the bid ding open.
 It is a conceded fact that two quick tricks opposite two quick tricks will not produce game, al- though they may produce partial score. Under the McKenney sys- tenn of contract bidding it would be possible for hands of this type to be passed out due to the fact two and one-half quick tricks. Is in no danger in requiring this AO&A Sh6th Aot VpVhAhS bAuos duplicate contract occasionally but rarely, players using high require ments for opening bids will pass hand out that will produce a plus score, but until the scoring of duplicate contract Is changed to make 1t a good duplicate game, one should not change their system for this particular phase of the game.
 Keeping Original One Bids
 Open for Your Partner
 When partner has made an orig inal bid of one no trump. as stated above, he informs you that he has definite pitch count distributed in three suits or two and one-half quick tricks, and in neither case good biddable four card suit. As- suming that there has been no in- tervening bid, you should support partners no trump to two no trump with a combined count of 22, and to three no trump with combined count of 24.
 If you take out a bid of one no trump with two of suit, you ad- wise partner that your hand is weak and that you will lose less tricks at the suit you name than he will playing 1t at no trump. If you have Q strong four-card suit, take part ner out with a jump bid to three of a suit so that he will know you are not bidding from weakness.
 When partner has made an origi- nal bid of one of suit under this system of bidding. you must re- member partner may be bidding his four-card suit first, but he has told you that he holds two and one half quick tricks. The majority of hands will produce at least two odd played neither direction un- less the hands definitely establish themselves. Furthermore as. unier this system of bidding. two bids are not made unless they are power house hands, you must give partner a chance to rebid. When holding one and one-hai1 tricks and a biddable suit you may be able to use the one over one which will be explained in our next article. But at all times, when hoid- ing at least swo queens or klng and a jack. or an ace, give partnel n chance to rebid by bidding one no trump. which is a denial re- sponse to all original suit bids or one. It immediately warns partner that from your hand you cannot see any possibility of game. occa- sionallv 1t may hold one and one half quick tricks; but 1t does not contain one and 4 one-half quick tricks and a biddable suit or two | quick tricks.
 The point that the writer wishes to bring out in todays article IS that original suit bids of one are kept open by partner with one no
 trump bid even though the hanH does not contain one and one-naii tricks. but does contain the equiVa-
 lent of two queens.
 Copyright, 1881, NEA Service Incl