Evening star., 1941-03-30
In Local Bridge Circles
BY Howard p. Bailey.

IL y II " - of
Washington can lay claim to more
than its proportionate share of out
standing bridge players, holders of
great variety of championships at
| present or in recent years, and in
cluded in that very select group
known as National Masters. WASH
| ington also has thousands upon
! thousands of average players, who
play party bridge and rubber bridge
| either in quiet little groups of four
in the home or for stakes which just
barely take them out of the anna
teur class.
Having engaged in this type of
play for many years, the writer has
observed and has committed errors
of almost every type from the ex-
cusable to the most atrociouS. Re-
fecting, it becomes obvious that
there are several shortcomings
which have required with such great
frequency that they are probably the
most common but, at the same time.
the most easily corrected of all
errors. 1t is proposed to consider
two at this time.
Probably the fault into which
most average players fall with vary
ing frequency is that of rebidding
the same values. This occurs both
in the opening hand and in the re-
spending hand. 1t arises out of op-
timism, never-say-di spirit or
just plain recklessness, and occurs
probably most often in the game-in-
hand type of play.
If North opens the bidding with
little or nothing in excess of the re-
quirements for an opening bid, he
has little excuse to rebid unless
South can make a constructive re-
sponse. For example. if he should
open with a 1888 distribution,
with three honor tricks, and his
partner should reply with simple
overcall, it is the part of wisdom to
pass. There is little probability of
a game contract. Yet, over and
over again, the opener will either
raise his partners suit, or, if he has
shoppers in the other two suits. bid
no-trump. Invariably. if this hap
pens, the partner feels called upon
to stretch his own meager holdings,
and eventually the gleeful opponents
double and collect nice penalty.
OF course, should he have a five
card suit and his partner bids his
short suit he may, with better re-
suits, rebld his suit, especially if
this can be done without increasing
the contract.
Even if his hand is somewhat
better than minimum opening and
after his partner has overcalled and
he himself has bid a second suit and
his partner raises his original suit,
he must not leap Immediately to the
conclusion that game is likely.
He should consider that his partner
is choosing the suit in which he can
give better support. If the partner
had much more than enough
strength for an overcall, a forcing
bid of some sort would have been
made.
The fault, of course, lies in the
gambling spirit arising out of a de-
sire for high score in the game
in-hand type of play. In rubber
bridge, usually, part score satisfies.
The real moral to be derived from
the disasters which so often occur
is that a player is flirting with fate
if he rebids the same values.
~, fo
to take stock as soon as the dummy
goes down A careful player will
look the situation over, find out how
many sure tricks he has and, If the
number falls short of requirements,
plan how to get that needed extra
trick or two. 1t isn't necessary to
step out and take the sure tricks
at once. They can be picked up at
will. To illustrate, in a recent game
the South player faced this situation
in a three no-trump hand:
Aes732
1866
o AKS7
| -
AKQJl04 N ASS
8A53 WE 0Js72
| He6 s o 1043
+1092 @Q876
"A
2KQ10
nQJ62
&AKJ53
The bidding:
South West North East
1A IA 20 Pass
2NT Pass 3NT Pass
The opening lead was the king
of spades. If South counts his sure
tricks, he finds that he has one
spade, one heart, two clubs and four
diamonds. He needs one more to
complete his contract, and there are
several possibilities. Fer one thing
his nine of spades constitutes a
stopper and would yield ninth
trick if West was put in and should
be foolish enough to lead fifth
round of spades. Any other lead by
West also makes thf contract, for