Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-09-13

The confusion comes when you subse-
quently support your partners opening
bid. You must inevitably be COM
PEELED to show that support at some
tine-either because game prospects
have suddenly frightened because both
suits fit or because you must take your
partner out of hopeless declaration
for reasons OF safety.
Requirements for the Take-out.
If all the high card values are in
the one suit. ! think it should be as
good as K @ * x; the suit may be
weaker if there is compensation else
where in the hand. In fact. if there is
something in each suit. you can make
rather light take-outs because you
would now welcome three no trump
contract.
If Partner Has Bid Spades.
These are about the weakest hands
on which 1 would bid two of a lower
suit. Do not distinguish between hearts
and the minor suits in this particular
situation. because you have your major
suit game contract awaiting you in
spades should eno trumps not be your
destiny.
Hts. K Q K CT. Xxx
The point with this hand is that you
cannot stand no trumps, but that if
you get to game in spades. there will
not be more than one loser in hearts
unless your partner can afford it.
Sp. xxx Di. KJxxx
Hts. Xxx CT K
Over one spade, bid two diamonds.
If opener bids hearts. you must bid
two no trurnps, so that if you play the
hand in three no trumps. the club lead
will come up to your hand. II you get
to four spades. your partner should not
have too many losers in the unbid
suits.
A. Ha.. 49,. a :, 81 q: s5,o.x
This hand looks tempting for game
unless your partner Immediately signs
of with two spades over your own two
club response Any other rebid on his part
should lead you to four spades How
ever, If the bidding went one spade,
two clubs, two no trumps, three spades,
three no trumps. I would read a fine
partner for at least A x in clubs and
adequate shoppers in the red suits and
pass. With weak partner it might
be prudent to take it to four spades
a 81 F 8 IL 81 & & 10 XXX
Here you wish your two diamond
take-out to result in three no trunps,
unless your partner rebids only in
terms Of spades or else bids secondarily
one Of your doubleton suits, but refuses
to bid no trumps when you thereupon
show spade support.
Protect Two No Trump Response.
5-4-2-2 is bad distribution for a
two no trump immediate response I'M
less you are extremely strong in the
short suits. The suit take-out is your
resource in this situation, and serves
| to protect the soundness OF the two no
trump response when there is, near
| choice between them and one no trump
would be risky underbid, while a
raise in partners suit Is either not
available or would also be too weak a
response.
Four-Card Suit Take-Outs.
Incidentally If the choice is between
a raise and four-card suit take-out.
there is seldom problem. To be bid
dable, the four-carder must be headed
by tops. so that the hand probably
should be judged on distributional
grounds. the choice lying between the
raise and one or perhaps two no trumps
The suit must be strong. A K @ If
there is no other high card in the hand
To bid two diamonds over one spade,
would need
SD Ei. A @
Hts. x Cl XXX
Sp. Xxx Di. A K 10
Hts. @ Xxx CT. 10
SD. xxx Di. A K 10 K
Hts. O 10 Cl @ X
the last hand being aimed at three
no trulnps The first is destined to
four spades unless opener makes ex-
ceptional rebids: the second example is
suitable either for four spades or three
no trumps. as openers bidding may
direct. Two spades or one no trump
would be dangerous underbids on each
of these hands.