| 3rd set. | c | d | e | a | b | ||||||||||||
| a | 1 | a | b | 2 | b | c | 3 | c | d | 4 | d | e | 5 | e | |||
| c | d | e | a | b | |||||||||||||
| Hands:— | 17 to 20 | 1 to 4 | 5 to 8 | 9 to 12 | 13 to 16 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th set. | b | c | d | e | a | ||||||||||||
| a | 1 | a | b | 2 | b | c | 3 | c | d | 4 | d | e | 5 | e | |||
| b | c | d | e | a | |||||||||||||
| Hands:— | 5 to 8 | 9 to 12 | 13 to 16 | 17 to 20 | 1 to 4 | ||||||||||||
If we now take any two of the teams engaged, a and d for instance, we shall find that the E & W a and the N & S d pairs of those teams have played hands 9 to 12 at table 1, in the 2nd set; and that N & S a and E & W d pairs have overplayed the same hands at table 4, in the 3rd set; so that we have really been carrying out a number of matches simultaneously, between five teams of four players each.
If there are 5, 7, 9 or 11 tables in play, the movement of the trays must be 2, 3, 4 or 5 tables at a time; but the movement of the players remains the same; one table at a time, in the direction opposite to the trays.
Gilman’s System. Another method, recommended by Charles F. Gilman, of Boston, which prevents any possibility of players giving hints to their friends as they pass the trays, is to have each team play at its own table first, so as to get an individual score. The E & W players then move to the next table but one, in either direction, going from 11 to 9; from 9 to 7, etc., the N & S players sitting still. This movement is continued until the E & W players have gone twice round. The trays move in the same direction as the players, but only one table at a time; going from 11 to 10, 9 to 8, etc. This brings about the same result as the Howell’s system.
Even Numbers of Teams. The present method of arranging even numbers of teams is also Gilman’s; but it requires considerable care in the movement of the trays, because half of them lie idle during each round, which is the same as skipping a table in other methods.
Suppose we have ten tables, arranged in two rows thus, with a team of four players at each:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Taking 30 deals as the number to be played, we place trays No. 1, 2, 3, to be played and overplayed by tables 1 and 6, which are opposite each other in the rows. Trays 4, 5, 6, we lay aside. Trays 7, 8, 9, are to be played and overplayed by tables 2 and 7; while 10, 11, 12, are laid aside, and so on until we get to tables 5 and 10, which play and overplay trays 25, 26, 27. The easiest way to manage this is to give tray No. 2 to table 6, while tray 1 is at table 1, and then to let table 1 take tray 2, while table 6 plays tray 3. Then table 1 will get tray 3, while table 6 overplays tray 1. This will make all the trays come in numerical order to table 1, and will act as a check.
The play of the first round, three deals, finished, the E & W players all move one table, 2 going to 1, 3 to 2, etc. The umpire now brings into play the trays that were idle, giving trays 4, 5, 6, to tables 1 and 6; trays 10, 11, 12, to tables 2 and 7, and so on down the line, all the trays that were used in the first round lying idle.
Again the players move, and now table 1 gets the 7, 8, 9, set of trays to overplay with table 6, and so on; so that all the sets move up a table after each intervening round, and table 1 will get all the trays from 1 to 30 in order.