Auction of To-day | Page 7

in preference
to one of the three declarations of higher value, which are spoken of as
"game-going" declarations.
There is very little declaring to the score in Auction, as the majority of
deals in which the contract is fulfilled score game, so that most of the
time the score is love. In a certain percentage of cases, however, there
is a score, and it affects the bidding to the following extent:--
If it be 2 or more, Diamonds should be treated as Royals or Hearts
would be at love; if it be 6 or more, Clubs should be similarly treated.
If it be 3 or more, Royals, with a holding of five or more, should be bid
in preference to No-trump, even with all the suits stopped, and if it be 6
or more, Hearts should be similarly treated.
When the score reaches a higher figure, such as 16, for example,
holding five Diamonds, Hearts, or Spades, suit bids should be given the
preference over No-trumpers.
The reason is plain. The winning of the game is the object of the bidder;
when that is in sight with a suit declaration, No-trump should not be
risked unless in the higher declaration the fulfilment of the contract be
equally sure.

The establishment of an adverse suit is the rock which sinks many a
No-trumper. There is little chance of this with a suit declaration.
Therefore, especially when it does not require any more tricks to go
game, the suit should be selected, if the No-trump present any element
of danger.
The state of the score never justifies an original bid which would not be
conventional at love. In other words, while being the possessor of a
score may make it wise for a bidder to select a suit instead of a
No-trump, it never justifies his calling a suit in which he has not both
the length and strength requisite for a declaration with a love score.
Bidding by the different hands is so varied in its character that each
must be considered as practically a separate subject, and they will,
therefore, be taken up seriatim. In all cases where the score is not
especially mentioned, it should be understood that neither side is
supposed to have scored.

II
ORIGINAL DECLARATIONS BY THE DEALER
The Dealer, in making the initial declaration, obtains a valuable
strategic position whenever his hand justifies an offensive bid (i.e.,
anything but one Spade); but when he is compelled to assume the
defensive, this advantage passes to his opponents. By any declaration
which shows strength, he materially aids his partner and places
difficulties in the path of his adversaries. A No-trump is naturally his
most advantageous opening.
There are many hands in which the strength is so evenly divided that
the advantage of playing the Dummy enables the player who "gets to
the No-trump first" to make good his declaration, and frequently, in
such equally balanced hands, one No-trump is the only bid that can be
made. One No-trump eliminates all adverse calls of one, and sometimes
when the strength of the opponents is considerable, but divided, results

in shutting out a productive declaration. The Dealer, therefore,
whenever his hand warrants it, should grasp his good fortune and
declare his strength.
He should not, however, rashly assume the offensive. There is no way
in which he can more thoroughly deceive his partner, create greater
havoc with the bidding of the hand and cast deeper distrust upon his
future declarations than by using the keynote bid to announce strength
which his hand does not contain.
He must thoroughly understand the conventional declarations, and
when in doubt should bid one Spade, as the damage which is apt to
result from an overestimation by his partner of his winning cards is
much greater than any benefit gained by starting the attack.
THE BID OF ONE NO-TRUMP
The Dealer is justified in basing his declaration upon the assumption
that his partner has one-third of the high cards not in his own hand. He
may, therefore, bid one No-trump with any holding better than the
average whenever he has
(a) Four suits stopped.
(b) Three suits stopped and his hand contains an Ace.
(c) Three King suits, all of which contain in addition either Queen or
Knave.
(d) A solid five-card Club or Diamond suit and another Ace.
The first question to determine is what, from the standpoint of the
Declarer, constitutes a guarded or stopped suit.
That an Ace comes under that head is self-evident.
So also must a King, if accompanied by one small, because the lead
comes up to the Declarer, and the King must either be able to win the
trick or be made good.

A Queen and one other manifestly will not stop a suit, and a Queen and
two