| A | Y | B | Z | A | Y | B | Z | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q♠ | 2♠ | 9♠ | ♣2 | 1 | A♢ | Q♢ | J♢ | 9♢ |
| A♠ | 6♠ | 8♠ | ♡3 | 2 | K♢ | 6♢ | 8♢ | 5♢ |
| K♠ | 10♠ | 4♠ | ♡7 | 3 | 10♢ | 4♢ | ♡A | 3♢ |
| 5♠ | J♠ | 3♠ | ♡J | 4 | J♠ | 3♠ | 9♠ | A♠ |
| 2♢ | Q♢ | 4♢ | 5♢ | 5 | 5♠ | Q♠ | K♠ | 6♠ |
| 10♢ | 9♢ | 7♢ | J♢ | 6 | ♣Q | ♣6 | ♣J | ♣K |
| ♡4 | 3♢ | 8♢ | A♢ | 7 | 7♢ | ♡J | ♡5 | ♡10 |
| 7♠ | ♡5 | ♡9 | K♢ | 8 | 10♠ | ♡7 | ♡Q | ♡9 |
| ♡8 | ♣3 | ♡2 | 6♢ | 9 | ♣5 | ♣4 | ♣2 | ♣3 |
| ♣4 | ♣Q | ♣10 | ♣9 | 10 | 7♠ | 2♠ | 4♠ | ♡K |
| ♣5 | ♣A | ♡6 | ♣7 | 11 | ♣10 | ♡4 | ♣A | ♡8 |
| ♣8 | ♣K | ♡10 | ♡Q | 12 | ♣8 | ♡3 | ♣9 | ♡6 |
| ♣J | ♣6 | ♡A | ♡K | 13 | ♣7 | 2♢ | 8♠ | ♡2 |
In the first example the dealer, Z, bids a heart. A says one royal and Y two clubs. This bid of Y’s denies any support for his partner’s hearts, but shows a supporting minor suit, in case Z is strong enough to go on with the hearts. B bids two royals as he can stop the hearts twice and ruff the clubs. Z cannot pursue the hearts, but shows his supporting minor suit, bidding three diamonds. This says to Y, “Go no trumps if you can stop the spades.” When A passes, having bid his hand on the first round, Y goes two no trumps and makes game. B leads the top of his partner’s declared suit, and A leads a fourth round, hoping to get in with the club jack. At tricks 8 and 9, B signals control in hearts. A keeps the protection in clubs to the end and saves a trick by it. Y keeps two clubs in dummy, so that if club is led, he will have one to return after he has made his diamonds.
In the second example, they are playing nullos, Y declaring. The points in the play are holding the spade queen, so as to lead a diamond or a spade at trick 6. This B prevents, hoping to force two clubs on Y and Z and set the contract. At trick 7, if the hearts are split, the queen must win the ten. If not, Z must win one heart trick. Y makes his contract, losing four odd.
BRIDGE.
The difference between straight bridge, as it is sometimes called, and auction is in the method of selecting the trump, which must be declared by the dealer or his partner, the opponents having nothing to say except to double the declaration if they think it will not win the odd trick. Another point is that either side can score toward game by getting the odd trick or more, there being no penalties for failure to make the odd except losing the value of the tricks because the dealer never declares to make any given number of tricks on the hand.
There are some irregularities which are peculiar to straight bridge that would not apply to auction. These are fully covered by the following description of the game, all other matters, such as the correct card to lead and the manner of combining the hands, have been fully described in connection with auction.
MAKING THE TRUMP. This is the chief peculiarity in bridge. The trump is not turned up, but the suit is named by the dealer or his partner, after they have examined their cards. In order properly to understand the considerations which guide them in making the trump, one should first be familiar with the values attached to the tricks when certain suits are trumps. The first six tricks taken by one side do not count; but each trick above that number counts toward game according to the following table:—
| When | Spades | are trumps, | each trick counts | 2 | points. |
| ” | Clubs | ” ” | ” ” ” | 4 | ” |
| ” | Diamonds | ” ” | ” ” ” | 6 | ” |
| ” | Hearts | ” ” | ” ” ” | 8 | ” |
| ” | there is no trump, | ” ” ” | 12 | ” | |
Better to understand the importance of this variation in value, it should be noticed that the game is 30 points; so that if two partners won 3 by cards with no trump, or 4 by cards with hearts for trumps, they would win the game in one deal. On the other hand, if either of the black suits were trumps, they could not lose the game, even if a slam were made against them.