Auction of To-day

by Milton C. Work

The Dealer must determine from the composition of his hand whether a second opportunity to bid is assured. When he is not very strong, the chances are that some one else will declare. When he is without a suit or has a singleton, it is a reasonably safe assumption that some one will be strong enough in that suit to call it.

A few examples follow of hands which have the minimum strength to justify the various Trump calls and also of hands which, by a small margin, fall short:—

HANDS IN WHICH A TRUMP DECLARATION IS DOUBTFUL

Spades	Ace, King, X, X, X	Has five Spades headed by Ace and King. With Royals Trump has two high-card tricks, and can take at least one with small cards. It is, therefore, a one Royal bid.
Hearts	X, X, X
Diamonds	X, X, X
Clubs	X, X
Spades	King, X, X, X	Has not high-card strength sufficient for either a Heart or two-Spade bid. One Spade is the correct call.
Hearts	King, Knave, X, X, X
Diamonds	X, X
Clubs	X, X
Spades	X, X	Complies with all the requirements of a Heart bid.
Hearts	King, Queen, X, X, X
Diamonds	Ace, Knave, X
Clubs	X, X, X
Spades	X, X, X	Has only four Hearts; is, therefore, a one Spade call.
Hearts	King, Queen, X, X
Diamonds	Ace, Knave, X
Clubs	X, X, X
Spades	X, X, X	Has only four Hearts, but has sufficient high-card strength to justify a Heart bid.
Hearts	Ace, Queen, Knave, X
Diamonds	Ace, Queen, X
Clubs	X, X, X
Spades	Ace, Queen, X, X	A two Spade bid; with one more Spade, it would be one Royal.
Hearts	X, X, X
Diamonds	Ace, X, X
Clubs	X, X, X
Spades	Ace, Knave, X	A two Spade bid. With two more Spades, it would be one Royal.
Hearts	X, X, X,
Diamonds	King, Queen, X
Clubs	X, X, X, X
Spades	Ace, Knave, X, X	Either two Spades or one Club could be bid, but the Club is distinctly preferable.
Hearts	X, X
Diamonds	X, X
Clubs	Ace, Queen, Knave, X, X
Spades	King, X, X, X	A one Spade bid, as it has not two honors in Spades.
Hearts	Ace, X, X
Diamonds	Knave, X, X
Clubs	Knave, X, X
Spades	Queen, Knave, Ten, X, X, X, X	A three Spade bid; cannot be started as a Royal without Ace or King, and so strong, one Spade might not be overbid.
Hearts	Ace, Queen
Diamonds	King, Knave, X
Clubs	King
Spades	None	A two or three Heart bid.
Hearts	Ace, King, Knave, Ten, X, X
Diamonds	Queen, Knave, Ten
Clubs	Ace, X, X, X
Spades	Ace, King	A one Heart bid. So strong that a higher call is unnecessary, as adverse bidding is desired.
Hearts	Ace, King, Knave, Ten, X, X
Diamonds	Queen, Knave, Ten
Clubs	King, Queen
Spades	Ace, King, Knave, Ten, X, X, X	A three Royals bid. Important to shut out adverse bidding.
Hearts	None
Diamonds	X, X
Clubs	Ace, King, X, X
Spades	X, X	A two Diamonds bid.
Hearts	King, X, X
Diamonds	Ace, King, Queen, X, X, X
Clubs	X, X
Spades	Ace, King, Knave, X, X	Should either be bid one Club and subsequently Royals, or started at two Royals to shut out other bidding.
Hearts	X
Diamonds	X, X
Clubs	Ace, King, X, X, X
Spades	King, X	While this hand has more than sufficient high-card strength to justify an offensive bid, it is only a Spade. Two Spades would mislead the partner as to length and strength of Spades and might induce him to bid high Royals; one Heart would mislead him as to length of Hearts; having, however, called one Spade, the hand can advance any declaration of the partner and if the partner bid either Clubs or Diamonds, can call No-trump.
Hearts	Ace, King, Queen
Diamonds	X, X, X, X
Clubs	X, X, X, X
Spades	King, Knave, X, X, X, X, X	Should not be bid one Royal, as that deceives partner as to high-card strength; two Spades invites a No-trump, which is not wanted. Either three Spades or one Spade should be called. The hand, outside of Spades, is so weak that the latter is the wiser bid.
Hearts	X, X
Diamonds	X, X
Clubs	X, X
Spades	Queen, Ten, X, X	Spade honors are too weak for two Spades. One Spade is the only sound bid.
Hearts	Ace, X, X
Diamonds	X, X, X
Clubs	X, X, X
Spades	X	One Club should be bid, followed, regardless of the partner's declaration, with Hearts.
Hearts	Queen, Knave, Ten, X, X, X, X
Diamonds	None
Clubs	Ace, King, X, X, X
Spades	Queen, Knave, Ten, X, X, X	Three Spades, and on the next round, Hearts, unless the partner has bidtwoRoyals.
Hearts	King, Knave, Ten, X, X, X
Diamonds	None
Clubs	X
Spades	Knave, Ten, Nine, X, X, X	This very interesting hand affords a number of correct original bids. One Club, three Spades, and one Spade are all sound; the latter is not apt to be left in, as a Heart call is most probable, the long hand in that suit containing at least five. Three Suits being stopped, with more than an average hand, one No-trump is also technically correct. The chances are, however, that the hand will produce better results if the Trump be Royals, and as the call of one No-trump may stand, it is not wise to open the bidding that way. Three Spades seems the most advisable declaration, as it gives the information most important for the partner to receive. The risk in calling one Spade, while slight, is totally unnecessary, and one Club does not warn the partner not to bid Hearts, if he have anything in Spades. Should three Spades be called and the partner declare one Heart, the dealer on the next round could try No-trump, but one Club, followed by one Heart from partner, would necessitate a Royal from the dealer, as the absence of Spades in the partner's hand is not then announced. In the event of the small Club being transposed to a Diamond, so that the hand contain four Diamonds and three Clubs, three Spades would unquestionably be the most advantageous original call.
Hearts	None
Diamonds	Ace, Knave, X
Clubs	Ace, Queen, Knave, X

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III

SECOND HAND DECLARATIONS

The Second Hand bids under two totally dissimilar conditions. The Dealer of necessity has declared and, either by a call of one Spade, shown comparative weakness, or, by an offensive declaration, given evidence of strength.

It is obvious that whether the Dealer be strong or weak materially affects the question of how the Second Hand should bid, as it makes quite a variation in the number of tricks he has the right to expect to find in his partner's hand. This, however, is not the only, and, possibly, not the most important difference.

When the Dealer has called one Spade, it is practically certain, should the Second Hand pass, that he will have another opportunity to enter the bidding. When, however, the Dealer has declared a suit or No-trump, it is possible, if the Second Hand fail to declare, that no other bid will be made, and the declaration of the Dealer will stand.