The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-07-08
M}R|ClE
BY VIM. F.. MCKINNEY

Secretary American Bridge League
Regardless of the system employ
ed in contract bidding, our readers
must first realize that bridge Is
partnership game. Too many play
ers sit down at the table and play
an individual game rather than one
of partnership.
In contract bridge, we are forced
to bid for game in order to score
a game bonus, and are also required
to bid for a slam in order to score
the slam bonus. Therefore, only by
sound bidding will partners arrive
at the best declaration suited to the
combined 26 cards of the two hands.
When you pick up your hand and
find that it contains few picture
cards and a long suit, do not be-
come obsessed with the idea that
you must play the hand. Remember
that SO per cent of the hands are
played by your opponents, therefore
your first bid should convey to your
partner the information, first, that II
your opponents play the hand you
will take at least two tricks against
them, and secondly, that you have
a playable suit-this is If your nrst
bid is suit bid.
If your first bid is no trump
bid, you advise your partner that
youp have no biddable five-card
suit, no strong four-card suit. but
have distributed strength, and OF
course will take from two to three
tricks against any bid that oppo-
merits may make.
Heavy penalties punish the over
bidder, while the game and slam
bonus prevent undertaking. You
must, therefore, always be in posi-
ton to collect the penalties or the
game and slam awards-whichever
prove the most valuable-and this
can only be correctly accomplished
by making sound original bids
Regarding slam bidding, you will
notice that the slam bonuses run
from 500 to 1900 points and many
beginners at contract are immediate
ly impressed with these large figures
and endeavor to arrive at a slam on
every hand. without a doubt there
are more points lost throughout the
year on slams that fail than are
made on slams that win. Another
| hard thing for the beginners at con-
tract to realize is that there Is not
a game in every hand, therefore it
necessitates that every bid be sound
|
your hands unnecessarily.
| Many of our readers are accus-
toned to using the all plus system
of scoring when playing auction
bridge at social card parties-that
Is If on the first hand we made
four spades plus 80 honors and Il
game bonus of 1875, we would re-
ceive 1911, while on the next hand
we might so down 200 points. This
would not penaliZe us, but would
give our opponents plus 200. IT
we held 80 honors. We would re-
ceive this 80 points.
Surprising the same thing hap
pened on the next two hands-our
opponents would leave the table
with a plus score of 400 while we
would leave the table with plus
score of 442. This system should
not be used at contract. Our read
ers should accustom themselves to
the plus and minus system of scor-
ing. Only with this method will
they learn the great value of sacri-
flee bidding.
There is absolutely no fairness in
contract bridge at having both pairs
leave the table with plus score in
excess of 1000 points, and this can
easily happen by having each side
set the other on two hands for a
score Of 1000 points each hand.
| While at another table pair may
bid and make two games and set
their opponents 100 points each on
the other two hands-the one pair
who had in reality won all four
hands would have smaller score