Evening star., 1933-11-07

he bids two no trumps, this is q strong
bid showing at least double shoppers In
the unbid suits; so that three no
trumps will be contract Of which you
need not be afraid. 1t may fail, but
there will be no disaster, and double
Is very unlikely.
The Real Misfits
occur when both partners have two
suffers, but comprising all four suits, so
that no fit exists either in suit or In
no trumps The opponents hold similar
hands, and the situation is that who
ever opens the bidding becomes the VIC
tim of the hand. One cannot guard in
fallibly against being punished with
trap hands of this sort-but at least
the Sims opening bidding requirements
help one to keep out of the auction on
many such occasions; If one does have
to be the goat, the sign-of procedure
which have described in great detail
keeps the bidding low until q fit has
been found When there is no fit, the
bidding should not get beyond two-odd
or occasionally three-odd when q six
card unit is held About three weeks
ago gave an actual tournament hand
where a five-diamond contract was de-
feated 1000 points. The partnership
had bid all four suits. with good bid
able five or six card holdings In each
Of them. This hand illustrates my
point so perfectly that I need only re-
fer you back to it. Plainly, had the
West hands composition been such as
to require a first response of one no
trump no real disaster could have oc-
CURED.
No-Trump Response Has Meaning.
wish to make clear an important
point The responding hand Is at lib
erty to pass a bid of one. I do not ap-
prove of giving chance with an al
most blank hand, hand with no re-
sources. Your response Of one no trump
Should mean this:
open for you because game Is possible,
though you opened with a bid of only
one. I am giving you a chance; can
not respond with one-over~one nor
have I suit of lower rank than yours
that I care to bid. certainly, therefore
not a biddable five-card suit. II your
hand Is not unusually strong, let us try
to sign off at our safest low contract.
In that case, do not expect my hand
to do more than stop some gap In the
play. or to select the better suit for
trumps II you ask me for a preference.
My hand is not a complete misfit for
any two suits, though 1t may be for
your first suit.
However. should your strength be
such that you can drive the bidding up
to game contract in no trumps l be-
lieve that you will be able to get into
my hand twice in the course of the
play. To bid for game despite my Sign
offs, you must hold SO many high cards
that they will promote my few meager
hOnOrS into trick winners tn this ex-
tent, unless the enemy's few high cards
| are, unluckily for us, sitting precisely
over mine. If your hand is not so very
strong, so that you must stop short of
| game, there Is no promise that my
| hand viii provide two re-entries There
| will then be too many high cards out
against us, and my hand will presum-
ably not help you In this manner. Its
facilities may then only consist of some
| little filling out Of the preferred suit in
case you have two-suiter."
Note This Distinction.
The other immediate unforced re-
| sponses In the Sims system all promise
a probability Of two entry cards In
dummy, judging such probability in
view of the nature Of the opening bid
That is my definition of natural re-
| sponse." The no-trump response prom
ises them only II the opener is strong
| enough TO carry on as far as game de-
| spite responder's sign-offs. In compen-
| sation he promises that there Is nc
utter misfit In any two suits.
tCopyrisht. 1ss33
| contract that are addressed 20 this news
paper with o. self-sddressed. ssam1ed-sn'