The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-06-17
| Modern Contract
Bridge 81 lei. ''.''s '':'''''
Distributional Values

w suit take-out is the best policy,
but the sum Of your honor-tricks Is
below the yardstick measurement for
game, you should declare only q suf-
ficient number Of tricks to cover your
partners bid. In taking out with
no trump, use the yardstick measure
ment, bidding one or two no trumps
according to the indications Of your
partnership holding in honor-tricks.
In short, whenever you are taking
out and it is still uncertain whether
your partnership hands will prove
congenial at your new bid, you must
tread gingerly unless the sum Of your
honor-tricks spells GAME"
Often however, when your partner
has made an original suit bid Of one,
there may enter into your response
factor which justiies you in totally
disregarding the yardstick measure
ment Of honor-tricks, SO important in
most responses. This factor Is the
distribution of your hand. If your
hand is so favorably distributed as
to show great length in your partners
suit, length in second suit and COM
plete absence Of third, as for ,ex-
ample: S-Q1O9S76, H-5, D-none, G.
1098653, when your partner has bid
spade, you could ignore your lack
of honor-tricks and jump Immediately
into a game bid. Such a proceeding
would be justified by the fact that
your spade strength would so solidify
your partners trump holding as to
promise no losers in that suit; your
length in clubs offers the probability
of setting up some end cards or CIV
ing your partner repeated rufing OPP
portunities, and most important Of all
in compensating for your deficit Of
honor-tricks, your short and missing
suits would enable you to trump off
your opponents defensive strength in
honor-tricks. It is certain that no
more than one honor-trick in hearts
could be .cashed against you, and none
at all in diamonds. So that even
though your partnership total Of hon
or-tricks sums up only to the 21s
which your partners original bid
guaranteed, your practical certainty
of breaking down the opponents de-
Tense is equivalent to strong honor
trick holding when reckoned for its
assisting value to your partner.
Playing Tricks
AS rule the last thing that con-
tract player learns is the most i'm
portant thing he should know. That
is, how to count the playing tricks
in his hand.
Playing tricks are the general
tricks your own hand may be expected
to take if your declaration or your
partners declaration becomes final
When making an opening bid at no
trumps, it is rarely possible to To-
cate playing tricks, other than hon
or-tricks, because you have no definite
long strong suit to establish. with
a biddable suit, you would not de-
clare no trump But the count of
honor-tricks in the hand will auto
matically include a proportionate
amount of low card tricks.
When shifting into no trump, or
entering a later stage Of the bidding
with a no trump declaration, it is
often possible to count definite play
ing tricks according to the location
of strength shown by others bids or
by the fact of a strong minor suit
in your own or your partners hand
which can be set up. But for opening
no trump bids and no trump raises
and rebids, there is no better guide
than the wardstick count Of honor
tricks.
The direct and simple method of
counting honor-tricks, so helpful in
valuing no trumps, will not answer
for raises and rebids at declared
trumps, which must be played under
totally different conditions. AS mat
ter of fact, the difference in play of
no trump and suit hands creates two
almost totally different games; so
that separate system Of valuation
must necessarily be used for each.
The count of playing lexis at a
suit bid is an easy matter for a play
er of long experience and Judgment.
Fortunately for the average player,
in the approach-forcing system what
is an unconscious mental process with
the expert has been translated into
a concrete form known as the dis
tributional count. The Institutional
count may be mastered in half an
hours study, and once clearly COM
pretended. enables any team of play
ers to value their hands at suit bids
with the precision Of experts.
&c, 1892. by Leila Hattersley.)
lWNU Service)