The Difficulties of the Double at Auction

And Some Examples of English Bidding

R. F. FOSTER

"OH, Mr. Ketcham," she began, immediI I ately after they had been introduced at the house party, "I have been so anxious to meet you. I hear you are such a wonderful bridge player," and the widow beamed upon him with one of her most bewitching smiles.

Mr. Ketcham could only bow his acknowledgments, wondering if he were going to be asked to make up a rubber with a lot of women who knew nothing about the game.

"I want to ask what you think of all this doubling business? I cannot understand it at all. I played with Mr. Groslam last night, and he doubled almost everything, and they simply slaughtered us. I don't know what to do with doubles."

"The doubler is supposed to be responsible for the result, as he practically forces you to bid. Did he not have doubling hands?"

"Oh, I suppose his doubles were all right; but I did not know what to do with them. I never did know. It is the most maddening thing the way people tell you you should have done something else, when they double. I wish it had never been invented. I sat up half the night studying some of the hands he scolded me about. Nothing went right. We got set when we had a game hand. We lost a little slam when we could have made four odd, and we went down eight hundred on one hand, when all we should have lost was about sixty."

"You must have had shocking bad luck, or he must have made some very bad doubles. I thought Groslam played a pretty sound game. Tell me something about the hands."

"I'll get a pack of cards and see if I cannot recollect some of the worst ones." Five diamonds to the nine, four hearts to the jack, a singleton club and ace king jack of spades were laid out. "The bidding went this way. My partner bid no trump. Both second player and I passed, but the one on my left bid two spades. This my partner doubled. Now, it is the rule to go no-trump if you can stop their suit twice, is it not?"

"Quite right. You should bid two notrumps."

"Lovely! I am so glad you agree that my bid was all right. Well, the player on my left doubled. My partner did not seem to understand it at all, so he finally passed, and the player on my right bid three clubs. What do you think of that?"

"As he had not made any declaration so far, I suppose he forgot that a double of more than one no-trump means business."

"Well, my partner went back to three notrumps, thinking the double of my bid was asking a bid, I suppose, and the player on my left doubled that, and we got set two hundred. Let me show you the other hands."

"I do not exactly see what your partner could call you down for on that hand. Rather a nervy double by fourth hand, but at clubs he goes down only one trick. You can surely go game in diamonds, if you catch the jack."

"That's just it. Mr. Groslam says I should have called the diamonds over three clubs, because I had only one club. All he can make at no-trumps is the odd trick, no matter which suit is led, spade or club; but if he does not double, I will call the diamonds. But now look at this one."

"The dealer bid two hearts. My partner doubled, and third hand went three hearts. The answer to the double is to go no-trumps if you can stop the suit twice, is it not?"

"Quite right. If they do not lead the suit up to you, they will have to lead one of your partner's suits. What happened?"

"What happened? Why the dealer doubled. My partner studied a bit and bid four spades, and was doubled, so I went back to no-trumps and we lost a little slam!"

"Great Scot! How did that happen?"

"Well, the lead was the spade jack, and I put on the king. A heart was led through me, and another spade gave them four more spade tricks. Another heart through me, and five hearts registered. Fortunately I kept a club in one hand and a diamond in the other."

"Of course your partner blamed you for covering the jack of spades. That cost you three tricks, but only if the dealer's partner overtook twice to lead hearts through."

"No, I don't believe he noticed that play at all. He called me down for not bidding the diamonds when they doubled the spades. He said his double showed he had every suit but hearts. If I bid five diamonds we go down one only."

"Very lucky your last call was not doubled, or you would have lost about a thousand on that hand. No wonder you do not like the double. What was the hand on which you lost eight hundred, I think you said it was?"

"Why, that was a hand in which Mr. Groslam doubled a two-heart bid. I have four to the jack; four to the jack in another suit, four to the ten in another suit and a singleton spade. As I could not stop the hearts twice, I called the diamonds, the higher ranking suit. The player on my right doubled, so I called the clubs. The player on my right doubled that, the dealer and my partner saying nothing. I gave it up, and passed. So did the dealer. Mr. Groslam studied quite a bit and finally went four no-trumps over my four clubs doubled. Of course they doubled that. Here are the other hands.

"That double certainly started something; but he was right in guessing you might be able to stop the hearts. Of course that was the lead?"

"Yes, and on the dealer's three winning hearts my partner shed his two hearts and a club; the dealer's partner, two diamonds. When the dealer led the spades, my partner let them go for two rounds. Then he led a small diamond, hoping to get dummy in to make the heart; but the queen went up second hand and the rest of the spades made."

"What was your partner discarding?"

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"He got down to the lone ace of clubs and three diamonds, I remember, because when the club came through and he led a diamond, the player on my right put on the ace and made his clubs. We got only two tricks out of it, and we bid to take ten!"

Mr. Ketcham could not repress a laugh. One's misfortunes are always more or less amusing to others.

"I suppose it is funny," remarked the widow. "What would you have done with my hand?"

"I am sure I don't know. They can go game at hearts and they can beat you at any declaration. The double seems to be at the bottom of it."

"I am glad you agree with me. Let's go in and watch the dancing. No more bridge for me for a week."

"We might take on the Griswolds for a rubber or two. They said they would be free about nine o'clock."

"That would be splendid. Suppose we do."

Bidding in England

IT is interesting to note that according to the latest advices from London it would appear that they have no "authorities" on the game over there, but decide such questions as the proper calls on certain hands by arranging a sort of plebiscite, allowing the great British public to settle the matter.

The editor of the Sunday Times picked out half a dozen hands and asked for an opinion on the correct call by the dealer, there being no score. He got about three hundred answers. As giving an idea of what they think is good calling in England, these answers are interesting. Readers of this magazine are at liberty to compare what would be in my judgment the proper bid, which is stated as "American," and the various bids made by the British card-players, who seem far from agreed on the matter. I should be glad to have readers of this magazine express an opinion on any or all of the six hands.

The chief difference seems to be in the fact that observant players in this country have learnt the importance of having at least one sure trick at the top of the suit they call, and of having length in a major suit.

Answer to the March Problem

'T'HIS was the distribution in Problem No. XXXIV, which was one of R. C. Mankowski's compositions.

There are no trumps and Z leads. Y and Z want four tricks. This is how they get them.

Z leads the club nine, which Y wins.

Y leads the diamond queen (the ten will not solve) B wins and returns the diamond, following with the jack of clubs, upon which Y discards a heart. Now Y must make three tricks in spades.

The false solution is for Z to start with the club six, as that allows B to give up the jack, after which B can throw Z back into the lead with the club eight.

The false continuation is for Y to lead the ten of diamonds instead of the queen, as this allows B to win with the king and return the jack, before leading the club, which would give Y a diamond discard. Now if Y leads a heart. A makes two hearts and B makes a spade and a club. If Y leads the top spade, A wins the second round, makes a heart, and puts B in with a club. If

Y leads the small spade, B wins with king, makes a heart and returns the spade. All these defeat the solution.