NUMBERING HANDS. The hands simultaneously played are scored under the same number, but distinguished by the number of the table at which they are first dealt. Each pair of partners in a team play two No. 1 hands, in one of which they are N & S; in the other E & W.
SCORING. The result of the hand is entered upon the score sheets, which the opposing players at each table should then compare, and turn them face down, leaving them on the table when they change places.
Let us suppose the N & S partners of the O team to make 7 tricks at table No. 1; the E & W partners of the X team making 6. Each pair enters on its own score-card the number it makes. The E & W partners of the O team now come to table No. 1, and play the 26 cards which the other members of their team did not hold. They are not permitted to look at the score-card until the hand has been overplayed. Then they enter the result, which should be 6 tricks. If the total of the tricks taken by the same team on the N & S and the E & W hands is not 13, it must be a loss or a gain. At the end of the 24 hands, the result of the match can be immediately ascertained by laying side by side the score cards of the East and West hands played at the same table. The North and South scores are not compared, because the laws say they may be incorrect, but the East and West must be, officially, right.
We give on the two preceding pages an illustration of the full score of a match. The check marks in the 6th column show that the N & S players compared the score with the E & W before turning down their cards. The figures in the 2nd column are the gains on the various hands. The figures in the 7th column show which of the four players whose names appear at the top of the score-card were partners for that series of hands. The result shows that the O team had a majority of one trick at table No. 1, while the X team had a majority of three tricks at table No. 2, leaving them the winners of the match by two tricks.
If sixteen players were engaged, it would be necessary to institute a similar comparison between each set of tables, and there would be sixteen score-cards to compare, two at a time, instead of four.
TEAM AGAINST TEAM. The methods just described for a match of club against club are identical with those which are used in a contest between two teams of four; the only difference being that of proportion. In the latter case there will be only one set, of two tables, and only four score-cards to compare.
The change of partners should be exhaustive in team matches; which will require six sets.
TEAMS AGAINST TEAMS. When several quartette teams compete with one another, Howell’s system of arrangement will be found the best. There are two methods; for odd and for even numbers of teams.
Odd Numbers of Teams. This is the simplest form of contest. Let us suppose five teams to offer for play, which we shall distinguish by the letters, a, b, c, d, e, arranging each at its own table thus:—
| N | a | b | c | d | e | ||||||||||||
| W | + | E | a | 1 | a | b | 2 | b | c | 3 | c | d | 4 | d | e | 5 | e |
| S | a | b | c | d | e |