The Washington times., 1932-11-24
Contract
Bridge
BY E. v. SHEPARD
VaIuing Declarer's Hand

Acquire the habit of valuing
your cards as soon as your hand
is arranged. First count your
quick tricks. AS the auction
progresses those values will
change to some extent. as
friend or foe bids a suit in
which you hold honors. Sup.
pose you hold this hand:
Spades, A-Q-5; Hearts. K-J6;
Clubs, A-4-3-2; Diamonds, 7-43.
Before bidding begins you
count ~ quick tricks in spades.
u quick trick in hearts, l quick
trick in clubs, 3 quick tricks to.
tai. The player at your left
bids 1-Spade. Immediately the
value of your 40 reduces to
one defensive trick, as your
hand can be led through, and
only your Ace may be expected
to win a trick. Your partner
bids 2-Clubs. At once your Ace
Of clubs jumps from value of
l quick trick to 112 probable
tricks as support for partner, if
he becomes declarer. Your four
clubs assume real value of one
half a, trick, as four of them
mean that he need not so often
lead trumpS. The player at
your right bids 2-Hearts. Your
XII of that suit may win two
tricks. back of the holder of
heart honorS, whereas before he
bids you considered that your K
was worth 12 quick trick for de-
fense, and when your partner
bid those two honors became
worth 112 probable supporting
tricks for him. After the heart
bid the hopors in that suit ap-
pear worth two probable tricks.
Watch how bidding goes to
value your cards correctly.
Honors of unbid suits, either
in case you become the declarer
or as support for partners bids,
both at trump makes and at no.
trumps, may be valued as fol,
lows:
AK, 11a (6 points,; Xxx. 1
a points, OK, "a g points;
J-X-x-x, y q points,; 1o-X-X-
x, "a Il point.
Counting both normal posi-
tional value and promotional
value, the K with at least one
small card is worth one full
probable trick, the Q is worth
three-quarters of one probable
trick, provided it has with it at
least two small cards so that it
cannot be picked up by laying
down the Ace and K. Each
guard less than normal deducts
one-quarter of a trick from the
value of an honor. The OK is
worth one-half trick, while the
Q singleton is worth one-quarter
trick.
If you cannot add fractions,
use the point count instead.
Divide the sum of your points
by four, the result will give you
the probable trick value of hon
ors.
What is the probable value ct
no-trumps of the following hand
to the dealer:
Spades A-10-7. Hearts Q-J-6,
Clubs AKA, Diamonds A-9-5-2.
The 10 of spades accompanied
by the higher honor guards the
10 as if it had three small cards
back of it. The j of hearts
does not need three small cards,
as it is accompanied by a
higher honor and followed by
one small card. First add to-
gether the fractional values of
the honors held; spades, ia
tricks; i.earts, IA tricks; clubs,
212 probable tricks; diamonds,
~ tricks. Total. 7 probable
tricks.
Try the point count: Spades,
7; hearts, S; clubs, II; dia-
monds, 6 points. Total, %
points. Divide by 4, answer
7 probable tricks. Use the
method that appears most
simple to you.
In counting low trump values
call the fourth trump "a trick
with only four or five trumps,
and u trick with six trumps.
Value the following hand with
spades and trumps, and no ad.
verse bids:
Spades A-K-1O-6-2, Hearts K
1913, Clubs J-2, Diamonds Q-7-4.
You will find it adds to just
6 probable tricks. BY the point
count it is "a points, or prob
able tricks.
(Copyright, 1882, King Features