The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-07-25
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By VIM. T.. MCKINNEY Secretary American Bridge League

secretary American Bridge League
 Without a doubt the greatest thrill in contract bridge is the bidding and making grand slam Slam bidding fascinates the player who is first introduced to contract and only too often to his sorrow. Games and rubbers are repeatedly sacrificed on the altar of slam bid ding.
 Many systems have been devised for slam bidding. The ace-showing system was in vogue for quite some tim0 but lately 1t has ben losing some of it's popularity. Our read CTS. however, should become thor oughly familiar with ace-showing so that when 1t is used against them, they will not become con- fused.
 While the system is generally termed "ace-showing," it could be better termed showing no losers" as under this system void suits are bid as well as aces. The ace-show- ing system is convention which provides that as son as both part ners have agreed on the same dec laration, all subsequent bids in other suits are made only to show that you can win the first round of that suit-either with the ace or by ruling.
 The fact that you and your part ner have agreed on the same suit does not necessarily mean that you must start in and show aces and void suits. 1t is only when you believe there is good chance for a slam that ace-showing IS used. Ace-showing should not be used until either you or your part ner has made demand bid. If your partner makes an original forcing suit bid and you support his declaration, a shift now to another suit denotes that the first trick in that suit can be taken and that the hand contains values which point to slam possibilities.
 When showing aces, the lowest ranking ace must be shown first: e. F., South bids to spades, West passes and you, sitting in the North position, raise partner to three spades. If your partner were now to bid four diamonds, he would say that the first diamond trick can be won by him-either with the ace or he was void of diamonds-and that the hand had the appearance of a possible slam. He would also inform you immediately that he did not have control of the club suit because If he held no clubs or the ace of clubs, his shift would have been to four clubs rather than to four diamonds, therefore unless you control the clubs. you imme- diately know that there can be no slam made unless, of course, part ner happens to hold singleton club or the king and one mad clubs are open.
 Showing of void suits Is also done when the opponents enter the con tracing. Supposing partner bid two spades. West bid three dia- monds. and you bid four diamonds. You inform partner of three i'm portant factors regarding your hand:
 l. You tell him that you have no losers in the opponents suit.
 2. You have normal support for his suit.
 3. There are strong slam possi- bilities to your hand, and you re- quest him to start and show aces.
 With two-suit hands, 1t is nec- essary in making the shift demand one more than necessary to in- form partner that you are not showing aces; e. g., South opens with two hearts which is fore ing bid, you, sitting in the North position, respond with three hearts. Ordinarily now, if partner shifts to another suit and the ace-showing system is being used. he would say that he could win the first trick of that suit. But supposing he also holds a god biddable spade suit.
 South now bids four spades. If he were to bid three spades, this would be ace-showing, but as he has bid one more than necessary. he informs partner that he has a two-suit hand and Is desirous of showing the second suit before proceeding with ace-showing. This bidding, of course, Is a little dam rerous and puzzling and must not Se used unless you are prepared to play the contract at slam dec Nyation.
 Eopyright, 1931, NEA Service,
 Incl
 Tn tO-morrow's article VIC will give several examples employing this acc.shOwing system.