Auction of To-day | Page 8

others is not apt to do so unless the leader hold both Ace and King.
Queen and three others is, however, comparatively safe, and Queen,
Knave, and one other is a most satisfactory guard.
Knave, Ten, and two others surely stops a suit, but Knave and three
small is about as unreliable as Queen and two small. It, therefore,
becomes evident that the Dealer, to count a suit as stopped, must have
in it one of the following holdings:--
Ace. King and one other. Queen and three others. Queen, Knave, and
one other. Knave and four others. Knave, Ten, and two others.
Some experts, with three suits stopped, bid No-trump with exactly an
average hand, but experience has shown that this is advisable only
when supported by exceptional skill, and cannot be recommended to
most players. The average holding of high cards is one Ace, one King,
one Queen, and one Knave. From the average standpoint it is
immaterial whether they are all in one suit or divided. Any hand
containing a face card or Ace above this average is a No-trumper,
whenever it complies with the other above-mentioned requirements.
When the average is exceeded by holding two Aces, instead of an Ace
and King, a No-trump should be called, but two Kings, instead of a
King and Queen, or even a King and Knave, is a very slight margin,
and the declaration is doubtful for any but the most expert. A hand with
two Queens instead of one Queen and one Knave, while technically
above the average, cannot be so considered when viewed from a
trick-taking standpoint, and does not warrant a No-trump call.
In bidding No-trump with three guarded suits, it does not matter which
is unprotected. For example, the minimum strength of a No-trumper
composed of one face card more than the average is an Ace in one suit;
King, Knave, in another; and Queen, Knave, in a third. This hand
would be a No-trumper, regardless of whether the suit void of strength
happened to be Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, or Spades.
The above-described method of determining when the hand sizes up to
the No-trump standard is generally known as the "average system," and

has been found more simple and much safer than any of the other tests
suggested. It avoids the necessity of taking the Ten into consideration,
and does not involve the problems in mental arithmetic which become
necessary when each honor is valued at a certain figure and a total fixed
as requisite for a No-trump bid.
The theory upon which a player with possibly only three tricks declares
to take seven, is that a hand containing three sure tricks, benefited by
the advantage derived from having twenty-six cards played in unison,
is apt to produce one more; and until the Dummy refuse to help, he
may be figured on for average assistance. The Dealer is expecting to
take four tricks with his own hand, and if the Dummy take three
(one-third of the remaining nine), he will fulfil his contract. Even if the
Dummy fail to render the amount of aid the doctrine of chances makes
probable, the declaration is not likely to prove disastrous, as one
No-trump is rarely doubled.
It is also conventional to declare one No-trump with a five-card or
longer Club or Diamond suit,[2] headed by Ace, King, Queen, and one
other Ace. This is the only hand containing strength in but two suits
with which a No-trump should be called.
[2] With a similar suit in either Spades or Hearts, Royals or Hearts
should be the bid.
As a rule a combination of high cards massed into two suits does not
produce a No-trumper, although the same cards, divided into three suits,
may do so. For example, a hand containing Ace, Queen, Knave, in one
suit; King, Queen, Knave, in another, and the two remaining suits
unguarded, should not be bid No-trump, although the high cards are
stronger than the example given above with strength in three suits.
Admitting all the advantage of the original No-trump, even the boldest
bidders do not consider it a sound declaration with two defenseless
suits, unless one of the strong suits be established and the other headed
by an Ace. The reason for this is easily understood. When the
adversaries have a long suit of which they have all the high cards, the
chances are that it will be opened; but if not, it will soon be found

unless the Declarer can at once run a suit of considerable length. When
a suit is established by the adversaries, the Declarer is put in an
embarrassing position, and would probably have been better off playing
a Trump declaration. It is a reasonable risk to trust the partner to stop
one suit, but it is being much