FOSTER’S COMPLETE
HOYLE

AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GAMES

Revised and Enlarged to
October, 1914

INCLUDING ALL INDOOR GAMES PLAYED TO-DAY. WITH
SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY, ILLUSTRATIVE HANDS
AND
ALL OFFICIAL LAWS TO DATE

BY
R.F. FOSTER

Author of “Royal Auction Bridge with Nullos,”
“Cooncan,” and many other books
on card games

ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS DIAGRAMS
AND ENGRAVINGS

NEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1914, by
Frederick A. Stokes Company

Copyright, 1909, by
Frederick A. Stokes Company

Copyright, 1897, by
Frederick A. Stokes Company

All Rights Reserved

October, 1914

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE.

This book is entirely original. It is the work of a single author, who has made the subject of games a life-long study, who keeps in touch with all new games, and with changes in old games. He has written the description of each game expressly for this book.

The treatment is systematic and uniform. The description of each game begins with the apparatus and the players, and then follows the natural course of play, step by step, until the end. Each part of the game is described in a separate paragraph, and every paragraph is preceded by catch-words in heavy-faced type, so that the entire work is in the nature of a dictionary, in which any part of any game can be found immediately.

All technical terms are accompanied by a full definition of their meaning, and are printed in full-face type.

All disputed points have been settled in an entirely original manner. Instead of taking any one person as an authority, the history of each game has been traced from its source to its present condition, and its rules have been carefully compared with those of other members of the same family. The times and the reasons for the various changes have been ascertained, and the rules given are not only in strict accord with the true spirit of the game, but are based upon common sense and equity. When official laws for any game exist they are given in full.

The list of technical terms is the most complete ever published.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION.

The word “Hoyle” has gradually come to stand as an abbreviation for an “Encyclopedia of Indoor Games.” The common expression, “played according to Hoyle,” usually means “correctly played,” or “played according to the standard authorities.” The original Edmund Hoyle wrote on very few games, but his work was the first attempt to put together the rules for the most popular indoor games in one volume. Although Hoyle died more than a hundred years ago, his work has been constantly added to as new games came into vogue, which has led many to believe that he is the authority for games that he never heard of, such as pinochle and poker.

Persons who have never given the subject much attention may be surprised to learn how little authority there is for the rules governing the majority of our popular games. If we except the table games, such as chess, checkers, billiards, backgammon and ten pins, and such card games as whist, bridge, auction, and skat, all of which are regulated by well-defined codes of laws, agreed upon by associations of prominent clubs, to govern championship contests, etc., we have very few games left which are not played in different ways in various localities.

This is undoubtedly because such games are learnt at the card table and not from books. A person who is shown a new game cannot remember all its details, some of which may not have been explained to him even. If he tries to teach it to others while his knowledge is in this imperfect state, he will naturally invent rules of his own to cover the points he has forgotten, or has never learnt, usually borrowing ideas from games with which he is more familiar.

The pupils of such a teacher pass on to others the game thus imperfectly learnt, and in a short time we have a number of corruptions creeping in, and the astonishing part of it is the insistence with which some persons will maintain that they alone have the right idea of the rules, just because so-and-so showed them the game, or because they and their immediate friends have “always played it that way.”

This does not alter the fact that the fundamental principles of every game are known and can be readily found if one knows where to look for them. The author is in possession of several hundred works in various languages—English, French, German and Italian—on nothing but indoor games, comprising probably everything ever printed on the subject that is worth preserving.

By tracing the history of a game and its development through the various books in which it is described, the game will always be found to belong to some distinct family, which has certain well-defined traits which must be preserved, no matter how much they may be altered in minor details. All games follow certain general principles, and the surest mark of error in the local rules of any game is inconsistency.

Pinochle is a striking example of this. In many places the players will not allow the same cards to be counted twice in the trump sequence, so as to meld 190; but they will count them twice in four kings and queens. They insist on the rule of at least one fresh card from the hand for each additional meld in one case, but totally disregard it in another, as when they meld 240 for the round trip, instead of only 220.

These local errors have crept into many of the Hoyles now upon the market, the works having probably been compiled from the individual knowledge of the author, limited by his experience in a certain locality. Many of these works devote much space to a certain game, which is evidently the compiler’s pet, and which is accurately described; while other and equally important games are full of errors and omissions, betraying a lamentable want of care in consulting the literature of the subject.

While the author of this work does not believe it possible to compile a work that shall be universally accepted as the authority on all games, as a dictionary would be on spelling, he deems it at least possible to select what seems the most common usage, or the best rule, preserving the true spirit of the game, and to describe it accurately and bring the whole up to date.

THE WHIST FAMILY.

The most popular card games of the present day undoubtedly belong to the whist family, which embraces all those played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, ranking from the ace to the deuce, one suit being trumps, and the score being counted by tricks and honours, or by tricks alone.

The oldest and most important of the group is whist itself. The game appears to be of English origin, its immediate parent being “ruff and honours.” This was an old English game in which twelve cards only were dealt to each player, the uppermost of the remaining four being turned up for the trump suit. Whoever held the ace of trumps could “ruff” or take in these four cards, discarding in their place any four he chose. As the game developed into whisk, or whist, this ruffing feature disappeared. There was no stock, the four deuces being discarded from the pack instead. Twelve cards were dealt to each player, and the last was turned up for the trump.

About 1680 a variation of the game known as “swabbers” came into vogue. The swabbers were the heart ace, club jack, and the ace and deuce of trumps. The players to whom these cards were dealt were entitled to a certain share of the stakes or payments, independent of the play for tricks and honours. This variety of the game did not long remain in favor, but gave way to make room for one of the most important changes, the restoration of the deuces to the pack, which introduced the feature of the odd trick. This took place early in the last century, and seems to have so much improved the game that attention was soon drawn to its possibilities for scientific treatment.

About this time whist was taken up by a set of gentlemen who met at the Crown Coffee House in Bedford Row, London; chief among whom was Sir Jacob de Bouverie, Viscount Folkestone. After considerable experiment and practice this little whist school laid down the principles of the game as being: “to play from the strong suit; to study the partner’s hand; never to force partner unnecessarily, and to attend to the score.” It is generally believed that Edmond Hoyle was familiar with the proceedings of this set, and on their experiences based his celebrated “Short Treatise on the Game of Whist,” which was entered at Stationers’ Hall in London Nov. 17, 1742.

The only works previous to Hoyle touching upon whist were the “Compleat Gamester” of Cotton, which first appeared in 1674, and the “Court Gamester,” of Richard Seymour, 1719. One of Hoyle’s great points was his calculation of the probabilities at various stages of the rubber. This seems to have been looked upon as most important in guiding persons in their play, for we find that Abraham de Moivre, a famous mathematician, used to frequent the coffee houses, and for a small fee give decisions on questions of the odds at whist.

Bath seems to have been the great rallying-point for the whist-players of the last century; but the passion for the game soon spread all over Europe. In 1767 Benjamin Franklin went to Paris, and it is generally believed that he introduced the American variety of the game known as Boston, which became the rage in Paris some time after the war of independence.

So popular did whist become in Italy that we find the boxes at the opera in Florence provided with card tables in 1790. The music of the opera was considered of value chiefly as, “increasing the joy of good fortune, and soothing the affliction of bad.”

A code of laws was drawn up about 1760 by the frequenters of White’s and Saunders’ in London. These seem to have remained the standard until “Cælebs” published, in 1851, the code in use at the Portland Club. In 1863 John Loraine Baldwin got together a committee at the Arlington, now the Turf Club, and they drew up the code which is still in use all over the world for English whist. In the United States, laws better suited to the American style of play were drawn up by the American Whist League in 1891, and after several revisions were finally adopted, in 1893, as the official code for League clubs.

The literature of whist saw its palmiest days at the beginning of this century. 7,000 copies of Bob Short’s “Short Rules for Whist” were sold in less than a year. Mathews’, or Matthews’, “Advice to the Young Whist-Player,” went through eighteen editions between 1804 and 1828. After these writers came Admiral Burney, who published his “Treatise” in 1821; Major A. [Charles Barwell Coles,] gave us his “Short Whist” in 1835. Deschapelles published his “Traité du Whiste” in 1839, but it gave little but discussions on the laws. “Whist, its History and Practice” by Amateur, appeared in 1843. General de Vautré’s “Génie du Whiste,” in 1847. “Cælebs” [Edward Augustus Carlyon] wrote his “Laws and Practice” in 1851. Then in rapid succession came “Cavendish” in 1863, James Clay in 1864, Pole and “Cam” in 1865. Campbell-Walker’s “Correct Card” in 1876; Drayson’s “Art of Practical Whist,” with its new theories of trumps; Fisher Ames, “Modern Whist,” in 1879; “Whist, or Bumblepuppy?” by “Pembridge” [John Petch Hewby], in 1880; G.W.P. [Pettes], in 1881; Proctor’s “How to Play Whist,” in 1885; and the “Handbook of Whist,” by “Major Tenace,” 1885. Then began the long list of American authors (Pettes has already been mentioned): “Foster’s Whist Manual,” by R.F. Foster, appeared in 1890; “Practical Guide to Whist,” by Fisher Ames, in 1891; Hamilton’s “Modern Scientific Whist,” in 1894, and in the same year, Coffin’s “Gist of Whist,” and “Foster’s Whist Strategy.” In 1895, Milton C. Work’s “Whist of To-day,” and “Foster’s Whist Tactics,” giving the play in the first match by correspondence; and in 1896, Val Starnes’ “Short-suit Whist,” and Howell’s “Whist Openings.” In 1897, Mitchell’s “Duplicate Whist.” In 1898, Foster’s “Common Sense in Whist,” and in 1900, Fisher Ames’ “Standard Whist.” Since then whist literature has given place to bridge.

In periodical literature we find whist taken up in the pages of the “Sporting Magazine” in 1793. The London “Field” has had a card column since December 6, 1862. Proctor’s work first appeared in “Knowledge.” The “Westminster Papers” devoted a great deal of space to whist games and “jottings” every month for eleven years, beginning in April, 1868. “Whist,” a monthly journal devoted exclusively to the game, began publication in Milwaukee in 1891; but gave it up when bridge supplanted whist in popular favor.

Whist rapidly became a “newspaper game.” The New York Sunday Sun devoted two columns every Sunday to the discussion and illustration of moot points in whist tactics, and the analysis of hands played in important matches. In a series of articles begun February 23, 1896, this paper gave to the world the first systematic statement of the theory and practice of the short suit game. In 1898 there were at least forty whist columns published in the United States. Two magazines devoted to whist and bridge are now published, one in Boston and the other in New York.

While the parent game has been pursuing this prosperous course, many variations have been introduced. One of the most radical changes in the game itself has been cutting down the points from ten to five, which occurred about 1810. Mathews mentions it in 1813 as having occurred since the publication of his first edition in 1804, and Lord Peterborough, the unlucky gambler, for whose benefit the change was introduced, died in 1814. Another great change took place in America, where they played for the tricks alone, the honours not being counted at all. Turning the trump from the still pack was first tried by a Welsh baronet, and is mentioned by Southey in his “Letters of Espriella.” This custom was revived for a time by the Milwaukee Whist Club, and is still sometimes seen in Europe under the name of “Prussian Whist.”

Altogether we can trace nineteen games which are clearly derived from whist. Duplicate, Drive, and Progressive whist are simply changes in the arrangement of the players and in the methods of scoring. Prussian whist introduces the cutting of the trump from the still pack. Dummy and Double-dummy are simply whist with a limited number of players, necessitating the exposure of one or more hands upon the table. The French game of Mort is dummy with a better system of scoring introduced. Favourite Whist simply changes the value of the tricks in scoring, according to the trump suit. Cayenne and Bridge introduce the first changes of importance. In Cayenne, the dealer and his partner have the privilege of changing the trump from the suit turned up; in Bridge they name the trump suit without any turn-up, and play the hands as at dummy. In Boston, and Boston de Fontainebleau, in addition to making the trump suit instead of turning it up, further departures are introduced by naming the number of tricks to be played for, allowing the player to take all or none without any trump suit, and by ‘spreading’ certain hands, without allowing the adversaries to call the exposed cards. French and Russian Boston are simply varieties of Boston. Solo Whist is an attempt to simplify Boston by reducing the number of proposals and the complications of payments, and eliminating the feature of ‘spreads.’ Scotch Whist introduces a special object in addition to winning tricks—catching the ten of trumps; that card and the honours having particular values attached to them. This variety of whist may be played by any number of persons from two to eight; and its peculiarity is that when a small number play, each has several distinct hands, which must be played in regular order, as if held by different players. Humbug Whist is a variety of double-dummy, in which the players may exchange their hands for those dealt to the dummies, and the dealer may sometimes make the trump to suit himself. German Whist is played by two persons, and introduces the element of replenishing the hand after each trick by drawing cards from the remainder of the pack until the stock is exhausted. Chinese Whist is double-dummy for two, three, or four persons, only half of each player’s cards being exposed, the others being turned up as the exposed cards are got rid of in the course of play.

All these varieties have been entirely supplanted and overshadowed by bridge. When they play whist at all, the English think there is nothing better than the original whist, counting honours, and playing to the score. The Americans think Duplicate superior to all other forms, especially when two tables are engaged, and four players are opposed by four others for a specified number of deals. We are inclined to agree with Clay that the French game of Mort is “charming and highly scientific.” He says English dummy is a “very slow game.”

Whether it is because the game has been found ‘slow,’ or because its more attractive forms are little known, it is certainly true that writers on whist pay little or no attention to dummy. The English authors mention it only in connection with laws and decisions. No American text-book makes any allusion to the game, and there is no reference to it in the American Whist League’s code of laws.

In the first edition of this work, written in 1895, the author ventured to prophesy that the day was not far distant when dummy would supersede all other varieties of whist among the most expert players; either in the form of the charming Mort or the fascinating Bridge. Very few persons who have played either of these games sufficiently to appreciate their beauties care to return to the platitudes of straight whist.

At that time, bridge was unknown in America except to the members of The Whist Club of New York and their friends. In the short space of ten years it has become the card game of the world; but in spite of its present popularity it has its defects, and it would not be surprising to see its place usurped by another game, not a member of the whist family, which has been steadily gaining ground among those who have the intellectual capacity for card games of the highest class, and that is skat.

The first text-book on bridge was a little leaflet printed in England in 1886, which gave the rules for “Biritch, or Russian Whist.” “Boax” came out with a little “Pocket Guide” in 1894, followed by “The Laws of Bridge” in 1895. The Whist Club of N.Y. published the American laws of bridge in 1897, and “Badsworth” came out with the English laws in 1898. In the following year, 1899, Archibald Dunn, Jr., gave us “Bridge and How to Play It,” and John Doe published “Bridge Conventions,” A.G. Hulme-Beaman’s “Bridge for Beginners” appearing in the same year. In 1900, “Foster’s Bridge Manual” appeared in America, reprinted in England under the title of “Foster on Bridge.”

In the years following, text-books on bridge came from the press by the dozen, the most notable authors being Dalton and “Hellespont” in 1901; Elwell and Robertson in 1902; Street and Lister in 1903. Many of the writers already mentioned published later and more complete works, embodying the results of time and experience. Foster’s Self-playing Bridge Cards were brought out in 1903. Elwell’s “Advanced Bridge” appeared in 1904 and Foster’s “Complete Bridge” in 1905.

While bridge has never been such a popular “newspaper game” as whist was in America, it has been much more so in England. Articles on bridge, for beginners chiefly, were published in 1905 and 1906 by the San Francisco Call, Pittsburgh Post Despatch, Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, Chicago Journal, St. Paul Despatch, Milwaukee Journal, Baltimore American, Houston Post, Indianapolis Star, and the N.Y. Globe. These were all edited by R.F. Foster.

Bridge Tournaments, offering prizes for the best play of certain hands were run by the N.Y. Evening Telegram, the N.Y. Globe, the N.Y. Evening Mail, and the Chicago Journal. A number of the weekly magazines offer similar competitions in England, but as a rule the problems in that country are of very poor quality.

About 1910 it became the fashion not to play spades, it being considered a waste of time to play a hand for such a small amount as 2 points a trick, so the dealer was allowed to score 2 for the odd and 4 for honours, regardless of how the cards were distributed, the hand being abandoned. The objection to this practice was that many hands were worth much more than 2 points, and in some cases the spade make would have gone game at the score. This led to the practice of playing “royal spades,” which were played at 10 and then at 9 a trick, sometimes with a penalty of 20 if the declarer failed to make the odd.

Shortly after this, later in 1910, there developed a decided rebellion against the dealer’s monopoly of the make, and in order to allow any player at the table who held good cards to get the benefit of them, whether he was the dealer or not, bidding for the privilege of making the trump came into vogue. This was the starting point of auction, its chief difference from the older game being that only the side that made the highest bid for the declaration could score toward game. The full number of tricks bid had to be made, and if they were not made, the adversaries scored in the honour column for penalties, the penalty being always the same, regardless of the trump suit.

The great disparity in the values of the suits as then played practically confined the bidding to the hearts and royal spades. This soon brought about another change, which was to raise the values of all the suits except spades and to cut down the no-trumper. This was done in 1912, and made it possible for any suit to go game on the hand. All the well known writers on whist and bridge came out with text-books on auction, and the newspapers took up the subject in weekly articles.

Although to many the game now seemed perfect, there were those that felt the helplessness of weak hands to offer any defence in the bidding against a run of no-trumpers or hearts and royals. To remedy this, F.C. Thwaites of the Milwaukee Whist Club suggested the introduction of the nullo. This was a bid to lose tricks, at no trump only, and its value was to be minus 10, that is, it was to be outranked only by a no-trumper to win. At first, this bid was largely used simply as an additional game-going declaration, and was strongly objected to by many leading players. But as its true place as a defensive bid became better understood it soon came into favour. In the nullo there are no honours, and the declarer scores the tricks over the book made by his opponents, which he forces them to take. Many interesting card problems have been built upon the nullo.

Toward the end of 1913 still another change seems to have suggested itself to some of the English players who were familiar with the Russian game of vint, and that is to play auction just as it is played up to the point of the lead to the first trick, but that no dummy is exposed, the four players holding up their cards and following suit just as they would at whist. Whether or not this game will ever become as popular as the combination of dealer and dummy, it is difficult to say, but appearances are against it.

There seems to be a growing tendency in America to adopt the English rule of cutting out the spade suit at 2 a trick, and making it always a royal spade, worth 9. The dealer is allowed to pass without making a bid, the lowest call being one club. If all pass, the deal goes to the left.

BRIDGE.

There are two principal varieties of this game; straight bridge, in which the dealer or his partner must make the trump, their opponents having nothing to say about it except to double the value of the tricks. The dealer’s partner is always the dummy, and either side may score toward game by making the odd trick or more. Auction bridge, in which the privilege of making the trump is bid for, the highest bidder playing the hand with his partner as dummy, regardless of the position of the deal, and his side being the only one that can score toward game, the adversaries scoring nothing but penalties in the honour column if they defeat the contract.

As this is the more popular form of bridge at the present time, it will be given first. Since the adoption of the higher value for the spade suit under the name of royal spades, and the change in the value of the suits, the game gradually came to be known as royal auction, but as that change is now universal, the name has slipped back to its original title.

AUCTION BRIDGE, OR AUCTION.

CARDS. Auction is played with a full pack of fifty-two cards, ranking A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2, the Ace being the highest in play, but ranking below the deuce in cutting. Two packs should be used, the one being shuffled while the other is dealt.

MARKERS suitable for scoring the various points made at Bridge have not yet been invented. Some persons use the bézique marker; but it is not a success. The score is usually kept on a sheet of paper, and it should be put down by each side, for purposes of verification.

PLAYERS. Auction is played by four persons, and the table is complete with that number. When there are more than four candidates for play, the selection of the four is made by cutting. These cut again for partners, and the choice of seats and cards.

CUTTING. The usual method of cutting for partners, etc., at auction, is to shuffle the cards thoroughly, and “spread” them face downwards on the table; each candidate drawing a card, and turning it face upwards in front of him. The four cutting the lowest cards playing the first game, or rubber.

SPREADING THE PACK.

The four having been selected, the cards are again shuffled and spread, and partners are cut for; the two lowest pairing against the two highest; the lowest of the four is the dealer, and has the choice of cards and seats.

TIES. As between cards of equal value in cutting, the heart is the lowest, diamonds next, then clubs and then spades.

POSITION OF THE PLAYERS. The four players at the bridge table are indicated by letters; A and B are partners against Y and Z; Z always represents the dealer, who always makes the first bid, A being the second bidder, Y the third and B the fourth.

DEALING. The cards having been properly shuffled the dealer, Z, presents them to the pone, B, to be cut. At least four cards must be left in each packet. Beginning at his left, the dealer distributes the cards one at a time in rotation until the pack is exhausted. When two packs are used, the dealer’s partner shuffles one while the other is dealt, and the deal passes in regular rotation to the left until the rubber is finished.

IRREGULARITIES IN THE DEAL. If any card is found faced in the pack, or if the pack is incorrect or imperfect, the dealer must deal again. If any card is found faced in the pack, or is exposed in any manner; or if more than thirteen cards are dealt to any player, or if the last card does not come in its regular order to the dealer, or if the pack has not been cut, there must be a new deal. Attention must be called to a deal out of turn, or with the wrong cards, before the last card is dealt, or the deal stands.

There are no misdeals in auction. That is to say, whatever happens the same dealer deals again. Minor irregularities will be found provided for in the laws.

The cards being dealt, each player sorts his hand to see that he has the correct number, thirteen; and the player or players keeping the score should announce it at the beginning of each hand.

STAKES. In auction, the stake is a unit, so much a point. The number of points won or lost on the rubber may be only two or three, or they may run into the hundreds. The average value of a rubber at auction is about 400 points. Any much larger figure shows bad bidding. In straight bridge the average is about 180. In settling at the end of the rubber, it is usual for each losing player to pay his right-hand adversary.

MAKING THE TRUMP. In auction, the dealer begins by naming any one of the four suits, or no trumps, for any number of tricks he pleases. Each player in turn to the left then has the privilege of passing, bidding higher, or doubling. When three players pass a bid, it is the highest made and is known as the Winning Declaration or Contract.

In order to understand the principles that govern the players in their declarations, one should be thoroughly familiar with the values attached to the tricks when certain suits are trumps. The first six tricks taken by the side that has made the winning declaration do not count. This is the “book,” but all over the book count toward making good on the contract, according to the following table:

WhenSpadesare trumps,each trick counts2points.
”Clubs” ”” ” ”6”
”Diamonds” ”” ” ”7”
”Hearts” ”” ” ”8”
”Royal Spades” ”” ” ”9”
”there are no trumps,” ” ”10”

The game is 30 points, which must be made by tricks alone, so that three over the book, called three “by cards,” will go game from love at no trump, or four by cards at hearts or royals. These are called the Major or Winning Suits. As it takes five by cards to go game in clubs or diamonds, and on account of the difficulty of such an undertaking, these are called the Minor or Losing Suits. An original bid of one spade can be made only by the dealer, and it simply means, “I pass.” That is, the dealer has nothing to declare on the first round of the bidding. [See note at foot of [page 58].]

RANK OF THE BIDS. In order to over-call a previous bid, whether of the partner or the opponent, the bidder must undertake to win the same number of tricks in a suit of higher value, or a greater number of tricks having the same aggregate value as the preceding bid. Players should restrict themselves to the same form of expression throughout, and all bids, even passing, must be made orally and not by gesture.

Let us suppose this to be the bidding: The dealer, Z, begins with “One spade,” second player, A, says, “I pass,” or simply, “No.” Third bidder, Y, says, “One club,” fourth player, B, “No trump.” The dealer, starting on the second round, says, “Two clubs,” supporting his partner’s declaration. Next player, A, who passed the first time, says, “Two royals.” Both Y and B pass, but the dealer, Z, says, “Three clubs.” Observe that while three clubs is worth no more than two royals, 18, the club bid offers to win more tricks than the royals and therefore ranks as a higher bid. A doubles three clubs. Y passes and B says, “Two no trumps.” As will be explained presently, doubling does not affect the value of the declaration in bidding, so two no trumps, worth 20, over-calls three clubs. Z, A and Y all pass, so two no trumps becomes the winning declaration and B is the declarer, A being the dummy, with Z to lead for the first trick.

In this example, had the bid been left at three clubs, doubled or not, that would have been the winning declaration, and the partner who first named that suit, Y, would be the declarer, Z being the dummy, although Z actually made the highest bid. It is only when the two players that have both named the winning suit are not partners that the higher bidder becomes the declarer.

DOUBLING. No player may double his partner, but he may redouble an opponent who has doubled. All doubling must be strictly in turn, like any other bid. Doubling does not affect the value of the bids, but simply doubles the value of the tricks or penalties when they are scored at the end of the hand. Suppose A bids two royals and Y doubles. B can take A out with three clubs, because, so far as the bidding goes, two royals are still worth only 18.

Any over-call annuls the double, or redouble. Suppose A says two hearts, Y doubles, B redoubles, and Z says two royals. The doubling is all knocked out, and if A were to go three hearts and get the contract, hearts would be worth only 8 a trick in the scoring unless Y doubled all over again. A double reopens the bidding, just the same as any other declaration, allowing the player’s partner, or the player himself in his turn, to take himself out of the double by bidding something else.

IRREGULARITIES IN DECLARING. If any player declares out of turn, either in bidding a suit or in doubling, either opponent may demand a new deal, or may allow the declaration so made to stand, in which case the next player to the left must bid, just as if the declaration had been in turn. If a player pass out of turn there is no penalty, and the player whose turn it was must declare himself. The player who has passed out of his proper turn may re-enter the bidding if the declaration he passed has been over-called or doubled.

If a player makes an insufficient or impossible declaration, either adversary may call attention to it. Suppose the last bid is three royals, and the next player says four clubs. This is not enough, as three royals is worth 27 and four clubs only 24. Unless the player in error correct himself at once, and make it five clubs, either adversary may demand that it be five clubs, and the partner of the corrected player cannot bid unless this five-club bid is over-called or doubled. A player correcting himself must stick to the suit named, not being allowed to say four diamonds when he sees that four clubs is not enough.

If an insufficient declaration is passed or over-called by the player on the left, it is too late to demand any penalty, and the insufficient bid stands as regular. Suppose A bids three royals and Y says four clubs, B and Z passing. A can repeat his bid of three royals if he likes, as that is enough to over-call four clubs.

If a player makes an impossible declaration, such as calling six diamonds over five no trumps, when it is clearly impossible to make any diamond declaration worth 50, either adversary may demand a new deal, or may insist that the last bid made by his own side, five no trumps, shall be the winning declaration, or he may force the player in error to declare a grand slam in diamonds and play it, his partner being forbidden to take him out.

METHOD OF PLAYING. The winning declaration settled, whether doubled or not, the player on the left of the declarer leads for the first trick, and dummy’s cards go down, the declarer playing the combined hands. The declarer gathers the tricks for his side, but either adversary may gather for the other. The first six tricks taken by the declarer make a book, and all over the book count toward his contract. The adversaries have a book as soon as they reach the limit of the tricks they may win without “setting” the contract. If the contract is four hearts, the declarer must win ten tricks, so that his opponents have a book when they get home three tricks. All tricks should be laid so that they may be readily counted by any player at the table.

DUMMY. Until a card is led by the proper player, the declarer’s partner has all the rights of any other player, but as soon as the player to the left of the declarer leads and dummy’s cards are laid on the table, dummy’s duties and rights are restricted to the following:

He may call attention to few cards played to a trick; correct an improper claim of either adversary; call attention to a trick taken by the wrong side; ask his partner if he have none of a suit to which he renounces; correct an erroneous score; consult with the declarer as to which penalty to exact for a revoke; and, if he has not intentionally overlooked the hand of another player, he may call his partner’s attention to an established revoke made by the adversaries, or to a card exposed by them or a lead out of turn made by them.

The Revoke. Should a player fail to follow suit when able to do so, it is a revoke, and the revoke is established when the trick in which it occurs is turned down and quitted by the side that won it, or when the revoking player, or his partner, in his right turn or otherwise, has led or played to the following trick. If a player ask his partner if he has none of the suit led, before the trick is turned down, the revoke may be corrected, unless the player in error replies in the negative, or has led or played to the next trick.

Dummy cannot revoke under any circumstances.

The penalty for the revoke depends on the side in error. If the declarer revokes he cannot score anything but honours as actually held, while the adversaries take 100 points penalty in the honour column, in addition to any they may be entitled to for defeating the declaration. If an adversary revokes, they score honours only, and the declarer may either take the 100 points, or he may take three actual tricks and add them to his own. If he takes the tricks, they may aid him in fulfilling his contract, as the score is then made up as the tricks lie, but the declarer will not be entitled to any bonus in case he was doubled.

Suppose Z is the declarer, and is playing three hearts doubled. He wins the odd trick only, but detects a revoke, for which he takes three tricks. This gives him four by cards, doubled, worth 64 points toward game, but he does not get any bonus for making his contract after being doubled, or for the extra tricks, because they were taken in penalty and not in play.

Exposed Cards. After the deal but before the winning declaration is settled, if any player exposes a card his partner is barred from bidding or doubling, and the card is subject to call. Should the partner of the offending player prove to be the leader to the first trick, the declarer may prohibit the initial lead of the exposed suit.

All cards exposed by the declarer’s adversaries after the original lead are liable to be called and must be left on the table, face upward. Exposed cards are those played two at a time, dropped on the table face up, or so held that the partner might see them, or cards mentioned as being in the hand of the player or his partner. The declarer is not liable to any penalty for exposed cards.

Leading Out of Turn. If either adversary leads out of turn, the declarer may call the card exposed, or call a suit when it is the turn of either adversary to lead. If the declarer leads out of turn, from his own hand or dummy’s, there is no penalty, but he may not correct the error unless directed to do so by an adversary. If the second hand plays to the false lead, it must stand. If the declarer plays from his own hand or from dummy to a false lead, the trick stands. In case the dealer calls a suit and the player has none, the penalty is paid.

Cards Played in Error. If any player but dummy omits to play to a trick, and does not correct the error until he has played to the next trick, the other side may claim a new deal. If the deal stands, the surplus card at the end is supposed to belong to the short trick, but is not a revoke.

OBJECT OF THE GAME. The object in auction is for the declarer to fulfil his contract, and for the adversaries to defeat it. The highest card played to the trick, if of the suit led, wins the trick, and trumps win all other suits. At the end of the hand the declarer counts up the tricks he has won over the book and if he has made good on his contract he scores the value of those tricks toward game. As soon as either side reaches 30, it is a game, but the hands are played out, and all the tricks counted.

RUBBERS. Three games, 30 points or more each, make a rubber, but if the first two are won by the same partners the third game is not played. The side that first wins two games adds 250 rubber points to its score.

SCORING. Apart from the game score, which is made entirely by tricks won on successful declarations, there are several additional scores that have no influence in winning or losing the game, although they may materially affect the ultimate value of the rubber. These are all entered under the head of “honour scores,” or “above the line.”

Honours are the five highest cards in the trump suit, A K Q J 10; when there is no trump, they are the four Aces. The partners holding three, four or five honours between them, or four honours in one hand, or four in one hand and the fifth in the partner’s, or all five in one hand, are entitled to claim and score them, according to the following table. It will be seen that their value varies according to the trump suit; and it must be remembered that this value cannot be increased by doubling.

TABLE OF HONOUR VALUES.

Royal spades are indicated by “R.”

Declaration♠♣♢♡RNo
trump
Each Trick Above 62678910
HONOURS {3 Honours41214161830
4 Honours82428323640
4 Honours (All in 1 hand)1648566472100
5 Honours1030354045
5 Honours (4 in 1 hand)1854637281
5 Honours (All in 1 hand)2060708090

Rubber 250, Grand Slam 40, Little Slam 20.

When one side has nothing but the odd honour, three out of the five, it is called simple honours. The value of simple honours is always the same as two tricks.

Slams. Little Slam is made by taking twelve of the thirteen tricks; it counts 20 points. Grand Slam is made by taking the thirteen tricks, and it counts 40. Either score must be exclusive of revoke penalties.

PENALTIES. If the declarer succeeds in making his contract, he scores below the line for tricks and above the line for honours according to the table of values already given, and he scores for as many tricks as he wins, regardless of the smaller number he may have bid.

But if the declarer fails to make good on his contract he scores nothing but honours as actually held, while his adversaries score 50 points penalty in the honour column for every trick by which the declaration falls short, no matter what the declaration was, but they never score anything toward game, no matter how many tricks they win, because they are not the declarers. They may, however, score slams.

If we suppose the winning declaration to be three hearts, and the declarer makes the odd trick only, holding simple honours, he scores 16 above the line, while the other side scores 100 points above the line for defeating the contract by two tricks, worth 50 each.

If the dealer is left in with one spade, he cannot lose more than 100 points, even if he is doubled, provided neither he nor his partner redouble. If the adversaries set the contract for one trick, the declarer loses 50 only, and even if he is set for six tricks, he can lose only the 100.

If any other declaration is doubled and fails, the adversaries score 100 points, instead of 50, for every trick by which they defeat the contract. If it is redoubled, they score 200. But if the declarer succeeds after being doubled, he not only scores double value for the tricks toward game, but he gets 50 points for fulfilling a doubled contract and 50 more for any tricks over his contract if he makes them. These figures are 100 in each case if he redoubles.

Suppose the declaration is three no trumps, doubled, and the declarer makes five by cards. He scores 5 times 20 toward game, aces as held, and then 150 in penalties, 50 of which is for fulfilling his contract and twice 50 for the two tricks over his contract.

KEEPING SCORE. Two styles of score-pad are now in general use. In one the tricks and honours are entered in the same vertical column, one above the other, and are all added in one sum at the end. In the other style of pad the tricks are in one column and the honours and penalties in another, so that four additions are required to find the value of the rubber, which is always the difference between the total scores after giving the winners of two games 250 points. The following illustration will show both styles of pad:

WETHEY
36
30
18100
16
8
40
36
250
42492
42
450
WETHEY
816
18100
4030
3636
83476166
876
250
42492
42
450

The scoring on which this rubber is won and lost was as follows: WE started with a contract to win one heart and made it, with simple honours, scoring 8 toward game and 16 above for honours. Then THEY set a contract for two tricks, getting 100 in penalties, against simple honours in royals, scored as 18 above for WE and 100 for THEY. Then THEY made four odd at no trump and 30 aces, winning the first game, under which a line is drawn.

On the next deal THEY made four odd in royals, with four honours, 36 each way, winning the second game and also the rubber, for which they add 250 points. Both scores are now added up and the lower deducted from the higher, showing that THEY win 450 points on the balance.

CUTTING OUT. At the conclusion of the rubber, if there are more than four candidates for play, the selection of the new table is made by cutting; those who have just played having an equal chance with the newcomers. The reason for this is that a Bridge table is complete with four, and that a rubber is usually too long, with its preliminaries of making the trump, and its finalities of settling the score, for players to wait their turn. A rubber at Short Whist is often over in two hands; but a carefully played rubber at Bridge sometimes occupies an hour.

CHEATING. Most of the cheating done at the bridge table is of such a character that it cannot be challenged without difficulty, although there is enough of it to be most annoying.

Some players will place an ace about four cards from the top when they shuffle the cards, so that when the pack is spread for the cut they can draw it and get the first deal. Second dealing is a common trick, especially on ocean steamers, marking the aces and slipping them back if they would fall to an adversary dealing them to the partner instead, who can go no trumps and score a hundred aces several times in an evening. Women are great offenders in trifling matters, such as asking the dealer if she passed it, when nothing has been said; looking over the adversaries’ hands as dummy, and then pushing dummy’s cards forward, as if arranging them, but in reality indicating which one to play. A great deal of petty cheating is done in putting down the score, and also in balancing it by cancellation. In large charity games, some women are so eager to win a prize that they will stoop to all manner of private signals, and some go so far as to make up a table and agree to double everything, so that some one of the four shall have a big score. Another common trick in so-called social games is to have a stool pigeon to overlook the hand of another and signal it up to the confederate who is playing.

There may be some remedy for this sort of thing, but so far no one seems to have found it; or at least they lack the courage to put it in practice and expose the offenders.

SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY. The great secret of success in auction lies in sound bidding, so that no bid shall have a double meaning and the partner may be able to rely absolutely on the information which the bid should convey. The complications of the situation are so numerous, owing to the variations introduced by each succeeding bid as the players over-call one another, that it would be impossible to cover them in a work of this kind, and the student would do well to consult some such work as “Whitehead’s Conventions,” which covers every situation that could possibly arise in the bidding.

A few general hints may be of assistance in showing the principles that govern the more common situations.

The Dealer’s Bids may be divided into four parts; a spade, a losing suit, a winning suit, and no trumps. The one-spade bid simply means, “I pass,” but it does not signify that he will not be willing to bid on the second round. It has nothing whatever to do with the spade suit.

The dealer should never call any suit on the first round of bids unless he has two sure tricks in it. If it is a losing suit, he may have just those two tricks and nothing else, and the shorter the suit the better, but the tricks must be A K, or K Q J, or A Q J. If it is a winning suit he must have at least five cards of it and a trick or two in some other suit to back it up.

If the dealer bids two spades, he shows two sure tricks in a short spade suit and a sure trick outside. If he bids three spades he shows five or more spades and strength enough outside for royals, but denies two sure tricks in the spade suit itself. The dealer should bid no trumps when he has not length enough to bid hearts or royals, but has a hand as good as three aces, well protected in three suits.

The Second Hand should declare just as if he were the dealer when the dealer starts with one spade. He may even go no trump on a lighter hand. When the dealer bids a suit, second hand should over-call only when he can make his contract or wishes to indicate a lead in case third hand should go to no trumps. Second hand should never take the dealer out of a losing suit with a winning suit unless he has seven tricks in his own hand. If the dealer bids no trump, second hand should pass, unless he is prepared to over-call any further bid for three tricks.

Third Hand is not obliged to take the dealer out of a spade, and should not do so unless he is a trick or two stronger than he would have to be to declare as dealer. But the dealer must never be left in with a two or three spade bid. If third hand cannot do any better, he should declare a royal. When the dealer bids no trump, third hand should take him out with any weak five card suit and nothing else, simply to warn him that there are no winning cards in the hand. Always take him out with five cards in a winning suit, no matter how strong the rest of the hand.

Take the dealer out of one suit with another suit only to deny his suit. Take him out of a winning suit with no trump, only to deny his suit and show strength in each of the three other suits. If the dealer bids no trump and second hand calls a suit, double if you can stop the suit twice, otherwise show any good suit of your own, but do not go two no-trumps unless you can do it all yourself. Leave that to your partner. Do not assist your partner’s suit bids with less than three tricks if second hand over-calls.

Fourth Hand bids on the bidding much more than on his cards. He should never take the dealer out of a spade that both second and third hand have passed unless he can go game. If the dealer bids a losing suit, second and third hands passing, leave him in unless you can go game and are not afraid of a shift. If the dealer bids a winning suit, second and third hands passing, make any sound declaration. If the dealer starts with no trumps, show any suit that might save the game if led at once by your partner.

Subsequent Bids. Any suit bid on the second round but not on the first, shows length without the tops. When a winning suit is taken out by the partner, a losing suit bid on the second round shows tops in it. Any suit rebid on the second round, without waiting for the partner’s assistance, shows six or seven sure tricks in hand.

Never bid a hand twice, unless its strength is greater than indicated by the first bid. Having bid a club on ace king alone, that is the end of it. If you have an outside ace, which the club bid did not show, you can assist your partner once on that trick, but no more. Having assisted your partner’s suit bid with three tricks, do not bid again unless you have a fourth trick in hand, but if he rebids his suit without waiting for you, you may assist on one trick, especially a high honour in trumps.

Do not double unless you have a certainty and are not afraid of a shift. Do not give up a fair chance for going game yourself just to double an adversary, unless you are sure of 200 in penalties at least, and do not give up the rubber game for less than 300. Always remember that a double may enable an adversary to go game, and will often show the declarer which hand to finesse against.

Free Doubles are opportunities to double when the declarer will go game anyhow if he makes his contract, but they should never be made if there is any chance that he may shift.

Free Bids are anything better than a spade by the dealer, or anything that over-calls a previous bid, because no one is forced to bid on the first round. A Shout is a bid that is a trick more than necessary to over-call the previous bid. It shows a solid suit, or five or six sure tricks in hand. In a losing suit it is a loud call for the partner to go no trumps if he can. A free bid in a losing suit shows the high cards; in a winning suit it shows the tricks in hand.

A Forced Bid is one that is necessary to over-call, such as two diamonds over a heart. This does not mean that the caller would have bid two diamonds originally. A player who must indicate a lead against a no-trumper makes a forced bid.

The Original Lead. The first card must be played before dummy’s hand is exposed.

OPENING LEADS. The position which we have first to consider is that of the eldest hand, usually designated by the letter “A,” who sits on the declarer’s left.

Selecting the Suit to Lead. If your partner has declared a suit, lead the best card you hold of it, regardless of number, unless you have an ace-king suit of your own, in which case lead the king first and have a look at dummy. If partner has not declared anything, lead your own suit. With high cards not in sequence, such as ace-queen, king-jack, or even queen-ten, in every suit but trumps, lead the trump.

There is a great difference between playing against a trump declaration and against no-trumpers; because in the first case the leader is opposed to unusual trump strength and his object must be to make what he can of his winning cards, before the declarer gets into the lead and discards his weak suits, so as to be ready to trump them. But in the second case, there being no trumps, the leader’s object should be to get a suit established against the dealer, if he can, and the longer the suit is, the better. The dealer’s strength in a no-trumper is usually scattered, and he may often be found with a weak or missing suit, which is generally the suit in which the eldest hand or his partner is long.

We shall first consider the leads against trump declarations, because they are more common and are also the more useful. If a player makes a trump-hand lead against a no-trump declaration, he will not do nearly so much harm as if he make a no-trump-hand lead against a trump declaration. For that reason, if a player cannot master both systems of leading, it is better for him to learn the leads against trumps than those against no-trumps.

Rules for Leading High Cards. With such a suit as A K Q 2, no one need be told not to begin with the deuce. Whenever a player holds two or more of the best cards of a suit he should play one of them. If he holds both second and third best, playing one of them will force the best out of his way, leaving him with the commanding card.

The cards which are recognised by bridge players as high, are the A K Q J 10, and if we separate the various combinations from which a player should lead each of them, a study of the groups so formed will greatly facilitate our recollection of them.

In the first group are those containing two or more of the best cards. In this and all following notation, the exact size of any card below a Ten is immaterial.

So far as trick-taking is concerned, it is of no importance which of the winning cards is first led; but good players lead the King from all these combinations in order that the partner may be informed, by its winning, that the leader holds the Ace also.

In the second group are those containing both the second and third best, but not the best.

The King is the proper lead from these combinations. If it wins, the partner should have the Ace; if it loses, partner should know the leader holds at least the Queen.

Both these groups, which contain all the King leads, may be easily remembered by observing that the King is always led if accompanied by the Ace or Queen, or both. Beginners should follow this rule for leading the King, regardless of the number of small cards in the suit.

There is only one combination from which the Queen is led,

when it is accompanied by the Jack, and there is no higher card of the suit in the hand. Whether the ten follows the Jack or not, does not matter. With any two high cards in sequence, the lead is a high card when playing against a declared trump.

The Jack is never led except as a supporting card. It is always the top of the suit, and the suit is usually short. The object of making such an opening is to avoid leading suits headed by two honours which are not in sequence. These are good Jack leads:

The Ten is led from one combination only:—

The Ace should not be led if it can be avoided; but it is better to lead it from suits of more than four cards, so as to make it at once. If the Ace is accompanied by the King, the King is the card to lead, not the Ace. If the Ace is accompanied by other honours, such as the Queen or Jack, it is better to avoid opening the suit, unless you have five or more cards of it. But if you do lead a suit headed by the Ace, without the King, be sure that you lead the Ace, when playing against a trump declaration, or you may never make it.

All such combinations as the following should be avoided, if possible, as more can be made out of them by letting them alone:—

But with three honours, A Q J, the Ace should be led.

Rules for Leading Short Suits. It will sometimes happen that the only four-card suit in the leader’s hand will be trumps or a suit headed by honours not in sequence, which it is not desirable to lead. In such cases, if there is no high-card combination in any of the short suits, it is usual to lead the highest card, unless it is an Ace or King. Many good players will not lead the Queen from a three-card suit, unless it is accompanied by the Jack. All such leads are called forced, and are intended to assist the partner, by playing cards which may strengthen him, although of no use to the leader. The best card should be led from any such combinations as the following:—

Small-card Leads. If the suit selected for the lead does not contain any combination of high cards from which it would be right to lead a high card, good players make it a rule to begin with the fourth-best, counting from the top of the suit. This is called the “card of uniformity,” because it indicates to the partner that there are remaining in the leader’s hand exactly three cards higher than the one led.

Should the player be forced to lead any of the undesirable combinations shown on the last page, he would begin with the Ace if he held it; otherwise he would lead the fourth-best. In each of the hands shown this would be the four, and this card would be led, even if there were five or six cards in the suit. From this hand, for instance, the five is the proper lead:—

Rules for Leading Second Round. If the leader wins the first trick, having the best of the suit in his hand, he should follow with the winning card; but if he has several cards which are equally winning cards, he should lead the lowest of them. This is an indication to the partner that the card led is as good as the best; therefore the leader must hold the intermediate cards. When a King wins, your partner knows you have the Ace, if he does not hold it. Then tell him what he does not know, that you have the Queen also.

Suppose you have led the King from these combinations:—

Your partner knows you have the Ace, because your King wins. From the first, go on with the Jack, which is just as good as the Ace, but tells your partner you have not only the Ace but the Queen, still in your hand. From the second, go on with the Queen, the card your partner does not know, which tells him you still have the Ace, but not the Jack. If you have not the Queen, you will have to go on with the Ace, and your leading the Ace will deny the Queen.

If you have not the best, lead one of the second and third-best, if you hold both:—

From the first of these, having led the King, if it wins, go on with the ten, whether you have any smaller cards or not. From the second, if the King wins, go on with the Jack, which denies the ten, but tells your partner you still have the Queen. No mistake is more common among beginners than leading a low card on the second round, on the assumption that the partner must have the Ace. If you have led from King and Queen only, you must go on with the fourth-best; because you have not both the second and third-best. This fourth-best is the card that was the fourth-best originally. Having led the King from this:—

the card to follow the King is the six, if the King wins the first trick.

The Fourth-best. From any combination of cards, if you have not the best, or both the second and third-best, in your hand for the second round, lead your original fourth-best. From all the following, the proper lead on the second round would be the fourth-best, in each case the four of the suit:

Leading Trumps. A trump lead is sometimes adopted when all the plain suits are bad ones to lead away from, such as A Q, or A J, or K J in each and no length. If a player holds high cards which are not in sequence, such as the major tenace, ace and queen, it is very probable that the declarer holds the king. By refusing to lead such suits, and waiting for them to come up to the tenace, the declarer’s high card may be caught and a valuable trick saved. When a good player opens his hand with a trump, right up to the declaration, his partner should lead his best supporting cards boldly up to dummy’s weak suits.

The Pone’s Leads. When the pone gets into the lead, if he does not return his partner’s suit, he should open his own suits according to the rules already given for all the high-card combinations. If he has no high-card combination, it is usually better for him to lead some card that will beat Dummy than to lead his fourth-best. Suppose he wishes to lead a diamond, in which he holds Q 10 8 4 3; Dummy having the 9 and 6 only. It is better to lead the ten of diamonds than the fourth-best, because if the declarer does not follow with an honour, your partner will not have to sacrifice an honour to keep Dummy from winning the trick with the 9.

After the opening lead, when Dummy’s cards are exposed, the knowledge of his cards may change the aspect of the game greatly; but the proper cards to lead to and through Dummy will be better understood in connection with the play against no-trumpers.

No-trump Leads. The chief difference in the leads against no-trumpers is, that there is no hurry to make your aces and kings, the chief thing being to make some of the smaller cards good for tricks. When you are long in a suit, if you lead out the winning cards first, your partner may have none to lead you later on, and if you cannot make every trick in the suit before you lose the lead, you may never make anything but your one or two high cards.

The difference in the leads at no-trump is covered by a very simple rule; if you have only two honours in sequence, do not lead either of them, but begin with the fourth-best, even if your honours are the Ace and King. But if you have three honours in the suit, two of them in sequence, always lead an honour against a no-trumper.

The exception to this rule is, that when you are so long in the suit that you may catch some high cards with your high cards, you lead them first. With six or seven in suit to the A K, for instance, lead the King, on the chance of dropping the Queen. With seven in suit headed by the Ace, lead the Ace, but never with less than seven without the King. With six in suit, you may lead the King from K Q, without either Jack or 10; but with less than six in suit never lead the King from K Q unless you have the 10 or the J also.

THIRD HAND PLAY. The leader’s partner must do his best to inform his partner as to the distribution of his suit. The method of doing this is entirely different when there is a trump from that which is adopted when there is no trump. In the first case, all your partner wants to know is, who is going to trump his suit if he goes on with it. In the second case, what he wants to know is his chance for getting his suit cleared or established.

With a Trump. When third hand makes no attempt to win the trick, either because his partner’s or Dummy’s card is better than any he need play, he plays the higher of two cards only, the lowest of three or more. This is called playing down and out. Suppose third hand holds 7 and 2 only, and the lead is a King. The 7 is played. The leader goes on with the Ace, denying the Queen, and the third hand plays the deuce. If the Queen is not in the Dummy, the declarer must have it. In any case, the leader knows that if he goes on, his partner, the third hand, can trump that suit.

With three cards, the lowest falling to the first round, followed by a higher card, will show the leader that the third hand still has another of that suit.

It is not necessary to play down and out with an honour, because the leader can read the situation without it. Suppose third hand holds the J 5. He plays the 5 to the first round, because one of his two cards is an honour. The leader goes on with the Ace, and the Jack falls. Now the third hand must have the Queen or no more, and no matter which it is he can win the third round, with the Queen or with a trump.

Against No-Trumpers. When there is no trump, the third hand uses what is called the Foster echo. This consists in playing always the second-best of the suit, when no attempt is made to win the trick. Suppose the leader begins with the King. Third hand holds 10 8 7 4, and plays the 8. This marks him with only one card higher than the 8, and is a great exposer of false cards played by the declarer.

On the second round, the rule is, always to keep the lowest card of the suit until the last. If third hand held four originally, 10 8 7 4, his play to the second round is the 7, keeping the 4. If he held 10 8 7 only, his play to the second round would be the 10, keeping the 7. This makes it clear to the leader how many and what he holds.

High Cards Third Hand. When the third hand tries to win his partner’s lead, he does so as cheaply as possible. That is, holding both King and Queen, he plays the Queen, not the King. If his cards are not in sequence, he should always play the best he has. With Ace and Queen, for instance, he must play the Ace if the King is not in the Dummy. To play the Queen would be to throw it away if the declarer has the King. If the leader has the King, third hand gets out of his way by giving up the Ace.

FOSTER’S ELEVEN RULE. In trying to win tricks as cheaply as possible, third hand may often be guided by the Eleven Rule, which can be applied to any lead of a small card.

By deducting from eleven the number of pips on any low card led by his partner, the pone may ascertain to a certainty how many cards there are higher than the one led, which are not in the leader’s hand. This rule, which was invented by R.F. Foster in 1881, in connection with the game of whist, is now used by everyone with any pretensions to being a bridge player. The rule itself is this:—

When the eldest hand leads any card which is not an honour, deduct the spots on it from eleven. From the remainder thus found, deduct the number of cards, higher than the one led, which are not in your own hand nor in Dummy’s in that suit. This final remainder is the number of cards which are in the declarer’s hand which are higher than the card led. The principal thing to remember is, that it is only the cards higher than the one led that you need trouble about. To illustrate:—

Suppose you are third hand, and your partner leads the seven of clubs, Dummy lays down the Q 9 2, and you hold A J 3, thus:—

Deducting seven from eleven, you find it leaves four. These four cards, higher than the one lead, are all in sight, Q 9 in Dummy; A J in your own hand, therefore the declarer cannot have any card higher than the seven. If he has, your partner’s lead is not his fourth-best, as you will see if you lay out the cards.

RETURNING SUITS. When the third hand returns his partner’s suit, he should lead the higher of two cards, and the lowest of three, unless he has a card which will beat anything Dummy may hold in the suit, in which case he should always beat Dummy.

PLAYING AGAINST DUMMY. Some of the fine points in bridge arise in situations which require a careful consideration of the Dummy’s cards.

There are three great principles in playing against Dummy:—

1st. Lead through the strong suits, and up to the weak.

2nd. Do not lead through a fourchette.

3rd. Do not lead up to a tenace.

These rules must not be blindly followed in every instance. They are simply general principles, and some of the prettiest coups arise from the exceptional cases.

Leading Through Dummy. The eldest hand, when he does not deem it advisable to go on with his own suit, may be guided in his choice by the strength or weakness of certain suits in Dummy’s hand. The play against Dummy is especially important at no trumps.

Suits which it is good policy to lead through are A x x x, K x x x, or any broken sequences of high cards.

Suits in which Dummy is long, or holds any of the regular high-card combinations, should be avoided; winning or high sequences being especially dangerous. To lead such suits through Dummy’s strength is an invitation to partner to force you in the suit led.

It is not necessary for you to be strong in a suit which you lead through Dummy; and if you are both weak, is often advantageous; especially if it avoids leading one of his strong suits.

With A Q 10 x; Dummy having J x x x; play the 10. If partner has the King you make every trick in the suit.

With A Q 10 x; Dummy having K x x; play the Q. If Dummy passes, you make two tricks; if he covers, you have tenace over the Jack.

With A 10 9 x; Dummy having J x x x; play the 10. If partner has the K, your A 9 is tenace over the Q.

With A J 10 x; Dummy having Q x x x; if the suit must be led, play the Jack; but such positions should be avoided, except in the end game, or when you play for every trick.

With A J 10 x; Dummy having no honour in the suit; if you must lead the suit, play the 10.

In trumps, with K Q x x; Dummy having A J x x; play the Queen. If Dummy wins with A, play a small card for the second round, and he may refuse to put on the J. The declarer not having the 10, would make Dummy cover; but nothing is lost if he does, and it marks the 10 with your partner.

With King and others of a suit in which Dummy has not the Ace; avoid leading the suit until the Ace has fallen.

With King alone, play it if Dummy has the Ace; keep it if he has not.

Trumps. If a player in this position is strong in trumps, he should keep quiet about it and let the maker of the trumps develop the suit. False-carding is perfectly legitimate in trumps, and will deceive the declarer more than your partner.

End Games. There are cases in which it is necessary to play as if partner was known to possess a certain card, for unless he has it the game is lost. For instance: You want one trick, and have Q 10 x x, Dummy having K x x, of an unplayed suit. The Queen is the best play; for if partner has any honour you must get a trick; otherwise it is impossible.

You have K x in one suit, a losing card in another, and a winning card. You want all four tricks to save the game. Play the King, and then the small card; for if your partner has not the Ace and another winning card you must lose the game.

You have a losing trump, and Q x x of a suit in which Dummy has K 10 x. If you want one trick, play the losing trump, counting on partner for an honour in the plain suit. If you must have two tricks, lead the Queen, trusting your partner to hold Ace.

Leading up to Dummy. The best thing for the third hand, or pone, to do, when he does not return his partner’s suit, and has no very strong suit of his own, is to lead up to Dummy’s weak suits, and to lead a card that Dummy cannot beat, if possible.

The general principle of leading up to weakness suggests that we should know what weakness is. Dummy may be considered weak in suits of which he holds three or four small cards, none higher than an 8; Ace and one or two small cards; or King and one or two small cards. In leading up to such suits, your object should be to give your partner a finesse, if possible; and in calculating the probabilities of success it must be remembered that there are only two unknown hands, so that it is an equal chance that he holds either of two unknown cards. It is 3 to 1 against his holding both, or against his holding neither. Of three unknown cards, it is 7 to 1 against his holding all three, or none of them; or about an equal chance that he holds two of the three; or one only.

If Dummy holds any of the weak suits just given, you holding nothing higher than the Ten, you should lead it. Suppose you have 10 9 6; Dummy having A 3 2. The K Q J may be distributed in eight different ways, in any of which your partner will pass your Ten if second hand does not cover. In four cases, second hand would cover with the King, and in one with the Queen and Jack. In the remaining three your partner’s hand would be benefited.

If Dummy has King and one or two small cards, it is not so disadvantageous to lead up to the King as would at first appear; because it is forced out of his hand on the first round, unless declarer plays Ace, and it is usually good policy to force out Dummy’s cards of re-entry early in the hand.

In leading from high-card combinations, the usual bridge leads should be followed; but exceptions must be made on the second round when certain cards are in Dummy’s hand. For instance: With A K J and others, it is usual to stop after the first round, and wait for the finesse of the Jack. This is obviously useless if the Queen is not in Dummy’s hand. So with K Q 10, unless Dummy has the Jack; or K Q 9, unless Dummy has the 10. The lead from A Q J should be avoided if Dummy has the King.

With A Q 10 and others, J in Dummy’s hand, begin with the Queen.

With A J 9 and others, 10 in Dummy’s hand, lead the Jack.

With A J 10, Dummy having K Q x, play the Jack, and do not lead the suit again.

In trumps, with K Q and others, if Dummy has the J singly guarded, begin with the King as usual, but follow it with the Queen instead of the smallest; for declarer may have passed in the hope of making a Bath coup with both Ace and Jack. In plain suits this is a dangerous lead, as declarer having Ace, and wishing to force Dummy, would hold his Ace as a matter of course.

With short suits, such as K x, Q x; or even with King or Queen alone, the honour is a good lead if Dummy has no court cards in the suit. The Queen is rather a better lead than the King, the only danger being that second hand holds fourchette.

With Q J x, or J 10 x, one of the high cards should be played. With Q 10 x, Dummy having Ace or King, the Queen should be led.

With K 10 x, Dummy having Jack, the suit should not be led.

With such combinations as K x x x, Dummy having Q x, the suit should not be led.

When you have a suit which is both long and strong, such as A K x x x, and Dummy has no honour in the suit, it is a common artifice to underplay, by beginning with the smallest, if playing against no-trumps and you have a card of re-entry. This should not be done unless you have the general strength to justify such a finesse.

If you open a long suit, Dummy having only small cards, and your partner wins with Q, J, or 10, and does not return it, he has evidently a finesse in the suit and wants it led again.

End Games. In the end game there are several variations which are made possible by the fact that the cards on your right are exposed.

With A J x, Dummy having Q x x, the small card should be led.

With Q x, and an odd card, Dummy having K x x of the first suit; it is better to play the odd card; but if for any reason this should not be done, lead the Q, hoping to find A 10 with your partner.

The state of the score must be a constant guide in all end games. For instance: You hold Q 10 x, Dummy having J 9 x. If you want only one trick, play the Queen; but if you want two, play the small card.

SECOND HAND PLAY. The easiest position to play as second hand, is, of course, with the Dummy on your left, because Dummy’s cards will show what is best to be done. If a small card is led, you having King, put it on if Dummy has not the Ace; unless you want partner to get the lead. If Dummy has only two cards of the suit, neither of them the Ace, always play your King.

When the declarer leads a suit it is often important to count how many he and your partner can possibly hold. For instance: You have four, K x x x; Dummy has four, A J 10 x, and declarer leads the Queen. It is useless to play your King; for either the Queen is a singleton, and the declarer cannot continue the suit, which will compel Dummy to lead it to you eventually; or, the third round will be trumped, perhaps by your partner. If you have only two small cards with the King, put it on the Queen. You cannot save it, but you may establish your partner’s 9.

In the last three tricks, if you find yourself with a doubtful card, and the best and a small card of a suit which the declarer leads through you, win the trick and lead the doubtful card, for if the declarer held the best of that suit he would have led it first, to be sure of a trick.

Dummy on the Right. When Dummy leads through you, your skill in avoiding any traps the declarer may be setting for you will depend on your knowledge of how he manages his hand, and your ability to infer what he holds.

As a general principle, it may be assumed that any high card led by Dummy forms part of a combination, the unseen part of which is in the declarer’s hand. If Dummy leads a Queen from Q x x, you holding A J x, it is almost a certainty that the declarer holds the King. If you have A K x, the dealer must have J 10 and several others. If you have K x x, the declarer probably holds Ace, or a long suit headed by J 10.

When Dummy leads strengthening cards, they must be to give the declarer a finesse. If he leads a small card from small cards, some high-card combination must be in the declarer’s hand. In such cases it is useless for you to finesse. If you have any sequence superior to the card led, cover with the lowest. There should be no false-carding in this, because your partner is the only one that can be deceived.

With A K and others, play the King, whatever Dummy leads.

With A Q and others, Dummy having nothing higher than the 9, play the Ace.

With K Q 10, play the Queen on a small card led, unless Dummy has the Jack.

With A J 10 x, play Ace if Dummy has no honour in the suit. But if Dummy leads the 9, cover with the 10; if it loses, you lie tenace over the declarer.

With A J x, play the Jack on a 9 led. This prevents the finesse of the 9, and retains command of the suit. If Dummy has both K and Q, play your Ace. It is useless to play the Bath coup, for the declarer knows your cards, and your partner only is deceived.

With K x x, if Dummy has not the Ace, do not play the King, no matter what is led.

With Q x x, unless Dummy has both A and K, do not play the Queen. If your partner has the Jack guarded, one of you must make a trick. If Dummy has A J, and leads J, put on the Queen; it may make the 9 or 10 good in your partner’s hand.

With A x x, Dummy leading Jack, play the Ace.

With any fourchette, cover the card led.

If Dummy remains with one or two small cards of a suit that has been led, and you have the best, play it on the second round. Dummy’s play is evidently for the ruff, and if the declarer has not the second best, your partner has.

If you have King, and only one or two small cards, Dummy leading Queen from Q 10 x x, play your King. You cannot save yourself; but you may make the 9 good in partner’s hand. If you have three or more small cards, do not play the King, for either partner or the declarer must be short in the suit. So if Dummy leads Jack from J 10 and others, play the King with a short suit. If partner has Queen you establish it; if not, you cannot make a trick in the suit.

With short suits it is usually best to cover an honour with an honour; but with several small cards, such as K x x x, Dummy leading a singleton Queen, you should pass.

With K 10 x, Dummy having J and others, play honour on honour; small card on small card, whichever Dummy leads.

It is often important for the second hand to cover with what is called an imperfect fourchette. A true fourchette is the card immediately above and below the one led; such as K J over the Q, or Q 10 over the J. An imperfect fourchette is the card above the one led, and another next but one below it; such as K 10 over a Q led, or Q 9 over a J led. Covering forces the opponents to play two honours to win one trick, and will often make an intermediate card good in your partner’s hand.

THIRD HAND PLAY. In addition to the methods of echoing on the partner’s leads of high cards in the suit first opened, third hand must be ready to adapt himself and his play to any change of suit and will require constant practice in putting himself in his partner’s place, asking himself what the object is in leading certain cards through Dummy’s hand. The inferences from the conventional leads should be sufficiently familiar to need no further explanation; but even good players occasionally overlook indications that partner holds certain cards. For instance: A leads a small card; Y, Dummy, holds Q x x, and plays Q. You play the King and win the trick. This marks not only the Ace, but the Jack in partner’s hand; because the declarer would not play a twice guarded Queen from Dummy’s hand if he had the Jack guarded himself.

False cards should be avoided by the third hand as much as possible. The declarer will give your partner enough to puzzle over without your adding to the confusion. There are some exceptions in trumps. For instance: You have K Q x; Dummy has A J x x, and your partner leads. Unless Dummy plays Ace, you should put on the King, and change the suit.

If you hold Ace and others in a plain suit, partner leading Jack, pass it if Dummy has no honour. Perhaps by winning the second round you can give the invited force. With any other honours than the Ace, pass a partner’s Jack led.

If partner leads you a suit of which he knows, or should know, you have not the best, he must have a good finesse in the suit which he does not lead, and you should take the first opportunity to lead that suit to him.

In returning partner’s suits, some modification may be suggested by the condition of Dummy’s hand. For instance: With K x x; Dummy having A Q J x; if you win, third hand, on Dummy’s finesse, you may be sure your partner’s lead was a weak suit. If Dummy is weak in the two other plain suits, your partner may have a good finesse in one or both of them.

When your partner wins the first round of an adverse suit, and immediately returns it, he is inviting a force.

Dummy on the Left. When the player is third hand with Dummy on his left, his chief care will be to divine his partner’s object in leading certain cards up to Dummy.

The general principles of inference are the same as in the preceding case, and cards may often be inferred in the same manner from the evident intention of partner. For instance: You hold K x x; partner leads J, declarer covering with Queen. A glance at Dummy’s cards shows him to have 10 x x; so your partner may be credited with A 9. You have x x; your partner leading Q, covered by declarer with K, and Dummy having J x x. You may credit your partner with A 10. You have x x; your partner leads Q and declarer wins with Ace; Dummy holding 10 x x. Your partner must have J 9 and others, and the declarer has the King.

There are several cases in which you should not allow Dummy to win the trick. If you have only one card of a suit in which your partner leads Ace then Queen, and Dummy has the King twice guarded, trump at once, if you can to prevent Dummy from getting into the lead. Your partner leads Queen; you holding A 10 x, and Dummy having K x x. Let the King make on the first round.

If your partner leads a small card up to strength in Dummy’s hand, he is either inviting a force, or trying to establish a long suit. Under such circumstances, if you have the Ace, play it, and lead a second round of the suit immediately, which will settle the question.

If you have Q J 10 of a suit in which partner leads King, play the Jack, so that he will count you for Q or no more, and will not go on with the Ace.

IN GENERAL. Both the adversaries of Dummy should adopt the usual tactics for unblocking, etc., especially in no-trumpers, and in some cases Dummy’s exposed cards will make the matter more simple. For instance: You hold A Q alone, of a suit which partner leads. If you are the pone, and Dummy has not the King, play Ace and return the Queen.