Evening star., 1937-06-20
More About Laws.


~ GLOWING our serious article
on rules last week, We have
been reminded OF humorous in
/ cidents that have come up
from time to time For example, some
5ears ago one Of our leading play
ers doubled defensive grand slam
bid, took the first trick and still re-
tanned the ace Of trumps. However,
the declarer- made his contract! In
those days the revoke penalty was
two tricks, but applied to the tricks
taken either before or after the re-
woke. At some stage OF the play
The expert revoked, whereupon the
Geclarer took the trick already won
plus the trick made later with the
ace OF trumps and made his contract.
Then We recently saw situation
where second hand opened the bid
ding with one spade. Third hand now
said: That's bid out of turn.
Your partner is barred. I double"
Dealer Immediately bid two hearts.
At this point second hand, who had
started things with the bid out OF
turn, said: II think there's some
thing wrong here. II I remember
made the bidding reverts to the
proper bidder"
THE rules were looked up, and
after while the players came
to decision. The one-spade bid
should have been cancelled and the
bidding revert to dealer. Therefore,
third hands double OF the one-spade
bid was also bid out of turn. This
In turn had the immediate effect of
barring his partner. But even though
he was barred from the bidding, that
player had acted and responded to
the double. Hence. third hand was
barred.
Since the initial bid out Of turn
had barred the fourth hand 1t was
now disclosed that the bidding re-
verted to dealer, and every player was
barred except second hand-the
initial of1enderl Accordingly, the
dealer was forced to pass. Second
hand thought while and decided
that the opponents probably had the
cards after all, so he passed, too,
and the hand was thrown in. Actually
he was right. Dealer and his part
ner had game.
This is one Of many cases where
an offender Is fortunate to profit
by his own breach Of the rules. Here
Is another instance. The game was
duplicate. and at every table South,
who held
Spades AK
Hearts AK 1oxxx
Diamonds AK
Clubs ----
became declarer at four-heart con-
tract. Dummy had q blank hand
with no hearts at all. However, at
every table but one the contract was |
made, since East held the queen and |
one heart and West four small The
one failure occurred when South |
tried to put something over in ac-
cordance with the rules but not In |
accordance with the spirit Of the
game. After ruf6ng the opening lead
of clubs this declarer promptly
banged down the ace Of hearts and
followed Immediately with the king
of diamonds AS he had expected,
West thought the king of diamonds
was the king Of hearts and played a
low heart. East, however. noticed
that diamond had been played and
asked, mo hearts, partner?" West
replied, II have revoked"
wHILE the revoke was not estab-
Wv lished, declarer had the privi-
lege Of forcing the small heart to
remain as an exposed card. He now |
West had originally held three to
the queen. As 1t was, East made
his unguarded queen and set the |
hand. West had profited by his in |
advertence, but We must say that in |
this particular instance we were very
glad to see the declarer, who had
tried to put over a fast one, get fixed.
In many instances when people are
playing q very lax game the de-
rclarer will play either from his own
hand or from dummy ahead Of time
Theoretically, he can obtain no ad-
vantage from this, since when he
plays out Of turn from either hand
either opponent may play his card
drst. Recently, however, we saw
man gain trick in a very innocent
manner by doing this South was de-
clarer at q diamond contract, and
West was in the lead after few cards
had been played. Dummy held q
singleton club and plenty Of trumps.
West, with the king-queen Of clubs,
led the queen, since he wanted his
partner with the ace to take the
trick and give him run in an
other suit. Declarer, who had no
high clubs in either hand and was
fuTying things up, played . sim
eleton club from dummy and q low
club from his own hand practically
simultaneously; whereupon East saw
no good reason to overtake his part
ners queen and ducked, thereby los
Ing the opportunity to let his partner
make his small trump.
OF course, II declarer had not played
out of turn, East would have been
afraid that declarer held the king
and would have put the ace right up
and obtained the lead.
WHILE On the subject Of penalties,
We happen to know . particu-
lar player whose mind Is apt to wan
der far afield from the game. We
remember one time when he was
: dummy and got up and strobe out Of