Evening star., 1934-02-22

Contract
by P. HAL SIMS

The Three Bid.
-E NOW come to the other
forcing opening bid in the
wv Sims system-a bid which
T believe to be the most
deadly and precise slam
weapon that has been developed up
to the present time.
Points Of Similarity Between the Two
Bid and the Three-Bid.
A three-bid does not necessarily
show a hand either weaker or strong
er than a two-bid; it shows different
kind of hand requiring entirely dif-
ferent responses and different rebids
subsequently. The forcing opening
bids have only this much in common:
First. Both are made solely by
counting the losers in the hand; not
more than three losers if you force in
a major suit; not more than two losers
if you force in a minor. The yardstick
In this respect is exactly the same.
Second. Both are forcing to game
neither partner may pass any con-
tract for less than game. Both hold
out strong hopes and suggestions for
slam. Both have game in themselves
and for game purposes do not depend
on the responding hand for any high
card or cards.
Wherein the Three Bid Differs
Completely From the Tw0-Bid.
The differences are far more striking
than the points of resemblance.
First. A three-bid may never be
made on suit of less than six cards
in length, and that suit must be very
nearly solid.
Second. 1t is decided from the start
that the opening bidder will be the
ultimate declarer, and, with one rare
exception, the hand will be played
with the suit constituting the three
bid as trumps
Third. Since the opening bidder
already knows in which suit the hand
is to be played, and that he has game
in his own hand in that suit, he is
not seeking any information about his
partners distribution; the grouping
of dummys cards is almost a negn-
gible factor. Obviously, therefore,
Fourth. The information he seeks
from his partner is solely concerned
with slam development, not with game
That is to say, he needs only to know
about certain high cards which, by
their presence or absence, determine
the slam possibility and either do or
do not constitute a duplication of
values between the two hands.
Fifth. As the opening bidder does
not require trump support and does
or,$ ca,I Ira <.fI I,i-
ner in selecting a trump suit, the
probing pr0CeS--WhiCh after q two.
bid could only start after trump suit
had been agreed on-starts at the
very moment that the three-bid is
made. The first response is an answer
to the probe" question contained in
the three-bid, and the bidding con-
tinues by probes.
Role of Responding Hand.
The role of the responding hand is
absolutely mechanical. He is there
only to answer the questions which the
opening bidder proceeds to put to him
in the language of cards. He must not
volunteer information which has not
been specifically requested except in
rare cases when he can do so without
in any possible manner causing the
bidding to go around higher than the
opening bidder had already arranged
for. Forget this exception for the
moment-I will explain it after you
have become familiar with the routine
responding procedure. Typical mini
mum three bids:
(three hearts,
q. K Cd Hts. K @ J 10 4 8 2
Sp. - Di. K
(three hearts,
Sp. A @ Di. A K q
Hts. A K @ J10 8 CT. Xxx
(three clubs)
Hts. - ci. A Ko oJ74s 2
(Copyright, 1934.)
Convert any winning card in the
above hands into a loser and the
hand would no longer justify the open
ing three-bid.
Mr.. Sims will answer all inquiries on
contract that are addressed to this news
papeg with self-addreesed stamped envelope.