Auction of To-day

by Milton C. Work

COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY MILTON C. WORK
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Published January 1913

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THIS BOOK
IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
TO
THE AUCTION PLAYERS OF THE RACQUET CLUB
OF PHILADELPHIA,
WHO, WHILE OTHERS DOUBTED AND WAITED,
WERE SUFFICIENTLY BROADMINDED AND DISCERNING
TO ADOPT THE "NEW COUNT"
AND WHO, THEREFORE, PLAYED AUCTION OF TO-DAY
MONTHS BEFORE IT WAS IN VOGUE
ELSEWHERE

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CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION[xi ]
• THE DECLARATION[1 ]
• ORIGINAL DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER[15 ]
• • The Bid of One No-trump.
  • Table of Hands in which the No-trump Declaration is Doubtful.
  • When to bid Two No-trumps.
  • Exception to the No-trump Rule.
  • Table of Doubtful Hands illustrating Exception.
  • Suit Declarations.
  • Various Ideas of the Two Spade Bid.
  • The Two Spade Bid.
  • The Three Spade Bid.
  • When to bid Two in Either Royals or Hearts.
  • When to bid Three in Either Royals or Hearts.
  • The Two Bid in Diamonds or Clubs.
  • How to declare Two-Suit Hands.
  • Table of Hands in which a Trump Declaration is Doubtful.
• SECOND HAND DECLARATIONS[60 ]
• • Bidding over One Spade.
  • When to bid No-trump.
  • When to make a Trump Declaration.
  • The Double of One Spade.
  • The Bid of Two Spades.
  • Table of Spade Bids.
  • The Bid of Three Spades.
  • How Second Hand should bid after an Offensive
  • Declaration.
  • The Shift.
  • When to Bid Two No-trumps over One No-trump.
  • How to Bid against Two or Three Spades.
  • When to Bid No-trump over a Suit.
• THIRD HAND DECLARATIONS[82 ]
• • When the Dealer has called One Spade, and the Second Hand passed.
  • When the Dealer has shown Strength, and the Second Hand passed.
  • When "Two Spades" has been declared.
  • When "Three Spades" has been declared.
  • When "One Club" or "One Diamond" has been declared.
  • When "Two Diamonds" or "Two Clubs" has been declared.
  • When "One Heart" or "One Royal" has been declared.
  • When "Two Hearts" or "Two Royals" has been declared.
  • When to overbid a Partner's No-trump.
  • When to overbid with Strong Clubs.
  • A New Plan for Overbidding.
  • When to overbid One No-trump with Two No-trumps.
  • What Third Hand should bid when Second Hand has declared.
• FOURTH HAND DECLARATIONS[114 ]
• • When the Dealer's Defensive Declaration has been the Only Bid.
  • When the Only Offensive Declaration has been made by the Dealer.
  • When the Only Offensive Declaration has been made by the Second Hand.
  • When the Only Offensive Declaration has been made by the Third Hand.
  • When the Dealer has Made a Defensive, and both the Second and Third Hands Offensive, Declarations.
  • When the Dealer and Second Hand have made Offensive Declarations, and the Third Hand passed.
  • When the Dealer and Third Hand have made Offensive Declarations, and the Second Hand passed.
  • When all Three Players have made Offensive Declarations.
• CONTINUATION OF THE BIDDING[130 ]
• • When to advance the Bid.
  • When to overbid the Partner.
  • Flag-Flying.
• DOUBLING[143 ]
• • The Choice between a Game and a Double.
  • When to redouble.
  • What to do when the Partner is doubled.
• LEADING[158 ]
• • How to lead against a No-trump.
  • Number-showing Leads.
  • The Lead against a Suit Declaration.
  • How to lead to a Double.
  • Table of Opening Leads against a Trump Declaration.
• THE PLAY[183 ]
• • Difference between Play in Auction and Bridge.
  • Playing for Game.
  • Play for an Even Break.
  • General Play of the Declarer.
  • Declarer's Play of No-trump.
  • Declarer's Play of a Suit Declaration.
  • Play by Declarer's Adversaries.
  • The Signal.
  • The Discard.
  • Blocking the Dummy.
  • Avoid opening New Suits.
  • How to return Partner's Bid.
  • The Finesse.
  • Table showing when Third Hand should finesse.
• SCORING AND SCORE-SHEETS[213 ]
• • Samples of Score-Sheets.
• THE LAWS[225 ]
• • 1912 Code of The Whist Club of New York.
  • Decisions by the Card Committee of The Whist Club of New York.
• SUMMARIZED PENALTIES[277 ]
• APPENDIX: QUERIES AND ANSWERS[279 ]

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INTRODUCTION