The Washington times., 1932-11-23
Contract
Bridge
By e. v. SHEPARD
VaIuing Hands


If you have satisfactory
method of valuing your hand,
stick to it, otherwise adopt the
method given below, as it is
somewhat more accurate than
any other, and it is simple.
Ordinarily either .declarer or
dummy is able to trump the
third lead of one of your suits.
Honors probably capable of win
ming defensive tricks before
your suit can be trumped, are
known as "quick tricks" Hon.
ors held have quite different
quick trick values from those
counted when you are to be
declarer or dummy.
Modern players have only the
five following quick trick val
ues: AK, 2; 40, 11a; A, /;
K-Q, l; Xxx (the symbol used to
mean guarded King), u.
Count the quick tricks in the
following hand: Spades AK
Ga, Hearts A-Q-J-6, Clubs
K-Q-J-8, Diamonds 5
Spades have only two quick
tricks. Probably for defensive
purposes the @ has no more
value than a small card. Hearts
have a defensive value of only
e quick tricks, Just as the
40 and small cards would
have. Clubs have a defensive
value of just one quick trick, as
the K-Q and smaller cards would
have. The total defensive value
of the enormous hand is only
Az tricks. It is a toss-up
whether the hand will win four
tricks or five tricks against an
opposing diamond contract. Sup
pose that u Ir partnel will not
assist your powerful hand, and
that the other side plays the
hand at diamonds, with the
holdings shown below.
Declarer: Spades, J. 3, 2:
Hearts. 7, 5; Clubs. A, Z; Dia-
monds. A, K, 3, 7, 3.
Dummy: Soades. Q, 7; Hearts,
K, 9, 8; Clubs, 9, 4, 2; Dia-
monds, Q. 10, 9, 4, 2.
Your .-and will win only the
following tricks: Two spade
tricks; either one or two heart
tricks. according to which side
of you dummy happens to be:
only one club trick. Your es-
innate of AZ quick tricks will
be correct, as it is an even
chance whether you win four
tricks or five tricks.
Non-mathematical writer's
sometimes give more than the
five real quick values employed
here, but those added values
cannot safely be counted for
defensive purposes. Neither
can the high card values, or
honor trick values used by
various writer's be taken for
defensive purposes. If you want
to know real defensive values
employ only the five quick
trick values given here, but
never use these values for
counting your own playing g
tricks, either as declarer or
dummy.
PrOmOtiOnal Value of HOnOrS
The declarer has a great ad-
vantage in playing the Joint
hands of himself and dummy,
and in having control of
trumps, and also in having
hands that fit better tn a n
those of his opponents. If
opponents had all the adva11-
tages of the declarer. either
they would have been the
declarers or they would give the
declaring side sound drubbing.
Due to the declarer's advan-
tages, honors held by his side
are worth just fifty per cent
more than those held by oppon-
ents. For example, an Ace
held by an adversary is worth
just one trick.
Ace held either by declarer
or dummy is worth one and one
half probable tricks, because
half the time that an Ace is
held by one hand, it enables
the other hand to win a trick
which must be lost if an oppo-
nent holds that Ace. This in
creased value of honors is
known as promotional value.
The playing value of an honor
includes both its quick trick
value and its promotional
value.
The non-mathemstical mind
has difficulty in grasping the
promotional value of honors,
and the fact that honorS must
have the same values at both
trumps and no-trumps. when
held by declaring players, but
not otherwise. If a player will
assimilate those two facts he
will understand hand valuation
in no time.
ANNE RTIs q ENENT