R-My Bridge Book-Read The Book.htm

When Betty Ingledew, my dear partner until her death in April 1990, saw my notes, she strongly advised me to publish them. If they are to be published, it is thanks to her and her spirit.

********************

And my thanks to my wife Elaine for helping me to correct my terrible English.

İ.Rami AYDIN --Ret'd Pharmacist BSc.--

41 Broadleas Park, Devizes, Wilts. SN10 5JA UK

E-mail 1 : rami.aydin@btinternet.com

Web : http://www.rami.aydin.btinternet.co.uk

In Turkish :

E-mail 2 : disardan.turkiye@btinternet.com

Web : http://www.Disardan-Turkiye-Ingiltere.co.uk

I gave up playing Bridge in Ankara, Turkey in the early 70s, when there was another boom in new systems and conventions, and pretentious players were springing up all over the place. At that time I thought to myself that it was not worth trying to learn all these new systems and conventions unless I were to give up my job / my pharmacy and become a full time Bridge player. And, in addition, I have always looked on the extreme use of these completely artificial systems and conventions as cheating; trying to take advantage of one's opponents' honesty and naivity by bewildering them with bids which don't mean what they should.

After retiring early and coming to this country in 1981 I found here in Devizes kind people and a friendly atmosphere in which to play the occasional game of Bridge, at the Crown Centre and at Devizes Bridge Club of which I am one of the founder members and proud to be so.

I make no claim to be an expert (I wouldn't want to be one anyway), probably I am not even a very good player, but I have always wanted to play well and I have always enjoyed the game.

During the time I have played Bridge I have noticed that lots of Bridge players, including the good ones and myself, still don't know or can't remember some small points about the game. And because not everyone can deal with hundreds of books and hundreds of systems and conventions whenever and wherever necessary, the most helpful way of tackling the problem is to have a handy, small size REMINDER of the most commonly used and accepted rules, and the system most widely played in this country: ACOL.

This is what I aimed to do. I am not writing a book; I have prepared a pocket guide for my own use, to carry with me as a reminder. To do this I collected some information from Bridge documents and experts' books and put it together in the present format, using my own knowledge and experience of the game as well. So, if anyone remembers or recognises anything from my booklet, I ask their forgiveness beforehand.

When my Bridge friends saw this guide,they advised me to get it published; they felt sure that its handy size and shape and the information in it would be appreciated by many Bridge players for their own practical and short‑term needs too. After being helped and reminded by the notes in this guide, the player can then go on to consult the more comprehensive books of the experts.

Of course, to try to squeeze Bridge into a small format guide like this seems an impossible task when hundreds of books can not do it. I personally do not believe that Bridge will ever be formulated by mathematical and unchangeable rules; probably not even the most sophisticated computers will be able to formulate such rules because of the impossibility of feeding the computer with all the data. Here we come to the most amazing statistic of Bridge; the total number of hands that can be distributed among the four players is: (29 digits)

53.644.737.765.488.792.839.237.440.000

If you multiply these possibilities by other variables; such as position of players, playing conditions, different systems, conventions, opening leads, signals etc. not to mention personal factors such as nervousness, tension, differing skills and experience, different playing techniques of players, you can see how fascinating and UNPREDICTABLE Bridge is.

If I tell you that according to Dorothy Hayden; "Mathematicians aren't particularly good players and sometimes make very poor players, and that as a class, lawyers are better players than any others." probably you will understand what I mean when I say that Bridge is an unpredictable game. That is why there are so many systems and conventions invented and so many books written by experts; to try to solve the problems of the game, and make it more enjoyable. (But unfortunately sometimes they make it more confusing.) Thus everyone playing Bridge should accept from the outset that every hand is different and unique, and therefore may or may not fit the rules.

I have a Computer and one of the best Bridge programs; and play it sometimes. I get really surprised when I see it playing stupidly lots of times. I suppose programing a computer to play Bridge must be horrendous because of the facts and factors I mentioned above. I hope you will not blame me for calling my computer an idiot !

So if Bridge is a challenging and difficult game in itself, you must defend the concept of Bridge by persisting in playing it in the normal and natural way. Otherwise it is going to be murdered by these fanatics of really artificial conventions and you will be left aside.

Middle aged people will remember the book "Calling a Spade a Spade" written by Ben Cohen and Rhoda Barrow (Lederer). It says:

".....using the straightforward common‑ sensical natural bidding of the Acol System, which means calling a spade a spade, not a bloody shovel or a diamond, or any other fancy name, the right contract can unerringly be achieved even in the most difficult situations."

Poor old Ben and Rhoda; did you know that nowadays these fancy conventions and playing methods are called "Scientific (!), Semi-scientific (!) etc."; let alone Spades or bloody shovels. What jargon ! We were not taught Bridge as a Science because everyone knew that Science usually needs definite descriptions accepted by everyone."

There are three statements about Bridge which I like very much. The first is:

"THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO EVERY RULE."

Interestingly you can find this sentence in every book and after every rule.

If you like, you can make this statement the only Definite Rule.

This being so, do not be strictly bound by points and rules, use them as indicators, if you want to play Bridge. If you don't want to play Bridge, although you are sitting at the table, there are lots of players, even including your partner, who can make you into a real spectator during the game or someone who fills the fourth seat. They can do this by their continuous bids in a confusingly wide range of conventions while you are sitting there waiting for one extra point in order to bid. Try to evaluate your hand taking every value factor into account within the ethics and present rules of the game.

Do not upset anyone or let them upset you over one less or one extra point or over a mistake, as if they never make one; it is a marvellous game and you should enjoy it.

Maybe we would make Bridge a lot easier if we could say that "Anyone who has got a certain number of points is going to make a certain score, so there is no need to play the hand !!!"

My second favourite statement is by Rixi Markus:

"BID BOLDLY, PLAY SAFELY."

But you should not of course bid in a foolhardy way. You can compensate for your boldness with your careful and safe play. And to my mind you should give utter importance to "CARD READING".

If you look carefully and think about what is being played or discarded, you will be surprised to see how much they are telling you.

You can't learn from bad players; so try to find a good partner who is on the same wave‑length as you and who is tolerant. Of course you will discuss briefly the hands just played in order to learn your mistakes or to tell others theirs. This should be done, though, without making a mountain out of a mole‑hill or without looking down on your Bridge companions. All of us make mistakes. Do not demoralize yourself or your partner if you want to continue playing.

But never play with anyone who says he or she never makes mistakes and does not want to discuss the hand.

Good players are more predictable than any other types; especially if you are playing the same tune. The ones you must be more careful about are the ones who use extreme conventions and poor players who are unpredictable in the way they play.

The third statement is:

"EVEN HOMER NODS."

But Homers can easily find excuses for their own mistakes without you realising that some of them are nonsense! The sad thing is that their chance of winning is increased by the fact that their opponents are intimidated. Listen to this true story:

"An expert went into a Grand Slam contract missing the Ace of his trump suit, and was left undoubled. When the person who held the Ace of trumps was asked why she didn't double the contract, the dear old lady said: 'You don't know Mr.X; he always redoubles.' "

I think that these, my three favourite statements, can be your defence and weapons against such people. Use them wisely and reasonably.

Losing can be turned into success if you are able to get something out of it.

I am sure most players will find mistakes (including language) and short‑comings in this guide. First of all, as I said before, I am not an expert just a practical player. Secondly, most of the mistakes probably come from my own concept of Bridge and the Acol System and my way of playing it. It is obvious by now that I prefer ACOL to all other systems. Please forgive me for any short‑comings; I would be happy to receive any constructive criticism.

I should like to take this opportunity of acknowledging my gratitude to the great masters of Bridge from whose books I have learned such a lot : Ely Culbertson, Charles H. Goren, Dorothy Hayden, Edgar Kaplan, Rhoda Lederer, Victor Mollo, Terence Reese, Albert Dormer, Hugh Kelsey, Rixi Marcus.

İ.Rami AYDIN

Devizes; March 1984

=============================

PS : I started writing my notes in 1984 and added, changed, and upgraded things over the years. But it looks as if the main idea, the main structure of my work and the main building stones of the game haven't changed a lot. The game of Bridge is much as it was 50-60 years ago. And I still get great pleasure, and still learn from the books of , for example, Ely Culbertson or Charles Goren.

Some years ago, I contacted several publishers to get my work published, but none of them were interested. Some refused in a kind way and wished me success; but others obviously wanted to say, "Who do you think you are?" .

Now, I have decided to get it published myself. I hope you will enjoy my little book, and find it useful. I especially advise you to read the "TIPS & TACTICS" section with care

İ.R.A --- November 1998.

THE HISTORY OF BRIDGE Contents

That Bridge developed from Whist everyone knows; but what are the origins of Whist? Authorities are a bit hazy on the origins of the game. Some say Eastern Europe or Russia, some India. The name "Bridge" has no clear origin either, though it is sometimes linked to the Russian "Biritch, or Russian Whist".

We do know, however, that over a thousand years ago, playing cards were in use in China. By the 13th Century they were found in Europe, and by the 15th Century we know of card games played in England with names that sound oddly familiar: Triumph (Trump), Ruff and Honours, Whisk and Swabbers, and Whisk itself. It seems clear from the references to these games that they are the ancestors of Whist.

During the 17^th Century Whisk or Whist, as it became known, grew in popularity and during the next century firmly established itself in the coffee houses and clubs of London as the game to play and bet on.

The first book on Whist appeared in 1742 : "A Short Treatise on Whist" by Edmond Hoyle. This famous book helped to spread the popularity of the game to Europe and to the United States. In its heyday Whist was thought of just as seriously by the society ladies and gentlemen who played it as Bridge is today by its devotees. By the beginning of the 19th Century Whist was a truly international game, the expert at that time being the Frenchman Guillaume Deschapelles.

In the mid 19th Century, Henry Jones, known by his pseudonym Cavendish, wrote many books on Whist and his system of leads, including the lead of "The Fourth Best", remain standard to this day. It was Cavendish who directed the first Duplicate Tournament in London in 1857.

Another clue about the origins of Bridge comes from Colonel Study. He claimed that he learned Bridge when he was serving in the British Army at Plevna in 1879 during the Russian-Turkish war where the British and the Turks were allies. This would explain why Whist was Russian for which there is no other evidence. He, and all other officers who played with him would associate the game with Russia. And most possibly these people are the origins of the famous pamphlet of "Biritch, or Russian Whist" which was published on 1886. As the game became popular in the upper class clubs of Istanbul at a very early date, it is reasonable to conjecture that Colonel Studdy and his friends learned it from Turkish officers or vice versa.

It was towards the end of the 19th Century that Bridge as we know it started to emerge. Three important changes involved were that the Dealer (or his partner) was given the right to name the trump suit, that the opponent could double and the dealer redouble, and that the hand of dealer's partner was exposed: the origins of the ideas of declarer and dummy. The introduction of this so‑called Bridge or Bridge Whist into the clubs of London around 1894 is sometimes attributed to Lord Brougham. The notion of competitive bidding was introduced around 1904 and the new form of the name was Auction Bridge. This soon ousted Bridge Whist, although the parent game Whist continued to be played side by side with the Auction Bridge.

The influence of the French game Plafond on Bridge was crucial; it introduced in about 1918 the notion of bidding a game before scoring a game, that is, only counting towards a game those tricks that were contracted for in the auction. These features of Plafond were absorbed by the famous American Harold Stirling Vanderbilt into Bridge. He combined the best features of the French game and Auction Bridge with a new scoring system, including a new idea of Vulnerability, and around 1925 Contract Bridge came into being in New York. Within a few years

Vanderbilt's methods were universally adopted. All other forms of the game were gradually eclipsed, and since 1930, though there have been a few changes in the scoring, the form of Contract Bridge has remained basically the same.

Since Vanderbilt, Ely Culbertson and Charles H. Goren have been the two men chiefly responsible for making Contract Bridge an International success, the former being the founder of Bridge World Magazine, both being expert players and writers of numerous works on Bridge and outstanding international authorities on the game.

PS:

Lots of English friends ask me the difference between "Auction Bridge" and "Contract Bridge". It sounds to me as if they are questioning why there should be a difference between the words Auction and Contract and consequently their game of Bridge when they both have Auction and Contract elements in them. Don't they both reach the same target, an agreed Contract by Auction anyway?

It looks reasonable, but it is a fact that Auction Bridge needed many improvements in the techniques of bidding and valuation, and in the end this gave birth to Contract Bridge.

For example the most important difference is this:

In Auction all the dealer has to do is to bid one NT or one of his suit; all his partner has to do is to pass. After this bidding, the game proceeds and the declaring side takes the full benefit of all the tricks they make. Their contract and game is secure from the beginning and they may even score a Slam Bonus, as if they had valued their hand up to that point and bid for it.

But in Contract, the dealer must estimate the value of his hand as precisely as possible and bid it; not just one and then stop; but 2, 3 or even more. The partner too must try to find the real value of his hand, and show it, rather than an easy and comfortable "No Bid". They will score according to what they bid. They can't score a game that wasn't bid; while in Auction, game and even Slam can be scored below the line even when not bid.

Lots of logical and challenging improvements were added to Auction Bridge and these improvements have continued over the years and are still continuing, more than I can describe in my little book. Just think of the complexity of today's Bridge!

Bridge literature is very rich. Anyone who wants detailed information on any part of Bridge can easily find a source.

GLOSSARY OF BRIDGE TERMS Contents

ABOVE THE LINE : All scores except for tricks bid and made are entered above the line on the score sheet.

APPROACH BID / APPROACH FORCING: Style of bidding -system- a short suit by way of approach (with caution), --the bid at the one-level of an as yet unnamed suit to force partner for a reply. Any such bid must not be passed.

AUCTION : The period of bidding.

AVOIDANCE : A play made to prevent the more dangerous opposing hand from gaining the lead.

BALANCED HAND : An evenly distributed hand with no singleton or void.

BARRED : Stopped from bidding by a legal penalty

BELOW THE LINE : The place on the score sheet where the tricks bid and made are entered.

BID : An offer to win at least a specified number of tricks over and above six.

BIDDABLE SUIT :A player's holding in a suit that meets the systemic requirements for a bid.

BLANK A SUIT : Discard all cards held in that suit

BLANK SUIT : Absence of any cards of that suit from the hand.

BLOCKING : A situation in which the high cards in one hand, unaccompanied by low cards, prevent playing winners in the same suit from the opposite hand.

BOOK : The number of tricks (6) a side must win before it can score by winning subsequent tricks.

BROKEN SEQUENCE : 3 cards of which the 2 highest ranking are in sequence and the third is one card out of sequence. (K‑Q‑10)

BUSINESS DOUBLE : A double which is made in the expectation that the opponents will go down. (As opposed to take‑out double). The effect of the double is to increase the penalty if the contract fails. Also called "Penalty Double".

CALL : Any bid, double, redouble or pass.

CASH : Lead and win tricks with established cards.

COMMUNICATIONS : The ability of partners to pass the lead to each other.

COMPETITIVE BIDDING : An auction in which both sides take part.

CONDONE : Waive penalty for an irregularity.

CONTRACT : The final bid of the auction. The obligation to win a certain number of tricks.

CONTROL : The commanding position or card in a suit, such as A, K, void, or singleton that will enable the player to win the first or second round.

CONVENTION : An agreement to give an unnatural or unusual meaning to a certain bid or play.

CROSS-RUFF : To ruff back and forth between the partnership hands; enabling the partnership to make their trumps separately.

CUE-BID : A bid made after trumps have been agreed, to show first round control rather than a genuine suit; also, overcall in a suit bid by the opponents.

DECLARER : The player who for his side first bid the denomination named in the contract, and who plays the hand.

DEFENDER : Either of the opponents who play against the declarer.

DEFENSIVE BIDDING : Bidding by the side which did not make the opening bid.

DENOMINATION : Nature of contract, either suit or no‑trumps.

DELAYED GAME RAISE : A jump bid to game in ope-ner's suit following a simple first‑round change of suit, by which time responder has heard opener's rebid.

DEUCE : Any two‑spot.

DISCARD : To throw away a card in a suit which is neither the suit led nor trump.

DOUBLE FINESSE : Finesse against two missing cards.

DOUBLETON : The holding of only 2 cards in a suit. Value is immaterial.

DRAW : To play off; in the trump suit, to lead trumps till the opponents have no more.

DROP : The fall of a specific card, usually of honour rank, when a card of higher rank is led.

DUCK : The play of a low card and refusal to win a trick for tactical reasons when a higher card is held.

DUMMY : The hand opposite to declarer. Laid on the table face upwards immediately after the opening lead.

ECHO : Play high and then low, to signal partner you wish a suit continued, or to enable him to count the number of cards you hold in that suit.

END-PLAY : Tactical situation towards the end of a hand, usually by passing the lead to an opponent when few cards remain forcing him to lead disadvantageously.

ENTRY : A card that enables a player to win a trick to permit him to lead from a particular hand.

ESTABLISH : (A suit or a card) To promote the lower cards of a suit to the rank of winners by forcing out adverse higher cards.

FACE CARD : Any King, Queen or Jack (picture cards)

FALSE CARD : A card played out of natural sequence, usually in an attempt to deceive opponents about the position of the true card. Rough rule is; Declarer should always false‑card; defenders never.

FINESSE : An attempt to win or establish a trick with a card which is neither the highest that you hold in a suit nor in sequence with your highest. Such as A.Q. in the hope that the missing K. lies with the previous player.

FIRST ROUND CONTROL : The holding of an A. or void, which guarantees no immediate losers in that suit.

FIT : Good mutual support in the combined hands of a partnership.

FORCE‑OUT (KNOCK‑OUT) : The concession of a trick to a master card in an opponent's hand in order to establish tricks in the player's hand.

FORCING BID : Any bid which unconditionally demands a reply from partner. eg., Forcing one round; Forcing to game; Forcing to slam.

FREAK :A hand or deal with wildly unbalanced distribution

FREE BID : A free bid, raise, rebid or response is one that follows an intervening bid by the right‑hand opponent.

One made voluntarily not under any systemic compulsion.

GRAND COUP : A trump reducing play that involves trumping one's own winning card. A double grand coup repeats this play.

HIGH-LOW ; PETERING : See ECHO.

HOLD-UP : The refusal to take a trick when able; tactical manoeuvre usually aimed at cutting the opponent's communication.

INFORMATORY DOUBLE : A systemic double made primarily to give information to partner.

INITIAL BID : Opening bid.

INTERMEDIATES : Useful cards between high and low ones, such as 10, 9, 8.

INTERVENING BID : A bid made by an opponent after one player has bid and before his partner has responded.

IRREGULARITY : Any departure from a law of correct procedure.

JUMP BID : A bid "One‑level higher" than necessary to over‑call the previous bid.

DOUBLE JUMP : "Two‑level higher"

JUMP SHIFT : A single jump bid in a new suit made by a player who has previously bid a different suit or whose partner has done so.

KIBITZER : An onlooker. Should be unobtrusive, but is frequently not.

LEAD : The first card played to a trick.

LEAD‑DIRECTING BID OR DOUBLE : A bid or double of an opponent's bid, made specifically to direct partner's attention to the lead required.

LIMIT BID : A bid that conveys the full values of the hand within a narrow range of strength; both upper and lower limit.

LONG CARD : One left in a hand after opponents are exhausted of the suit.

LOSER : A card that can not win a trick.

MAJOR SUIT : Either Hearts or Spades.

MASTER CARD : The highest card of a suit remaining live or unplayed.

MATCH-POINT : Unit of scoring in Duplicate Bridge, won by surpassing the score of another pair holding the same cards.

MCKENNY : (Convention). The discard of a high or a low card asking for the lead of a high, or low-ranking suit.

MINOR SUIT : Either Diamonds or Clubs.

NEGATIVE DOUBLE : Informatory or Take‑Out double

NEGATIVE RESPONSE : A response which by convention denies certain values or strength, made in answer to a forcing bid from partner.

NEW SUIT : A suit which has not previously been bid.

NO BID : A call indicating no desire to make a bid, double or redouble.

NONVULNERABLE : Not having scored a game.

ODD TRICKS : Tricks won by declarer in excess of six (Book).

OFF SIDE : (A card which is) in unfavourable position for a winning finesse.

ON SIDE : (A card which is) in favourable position for a winning finesse.

ON SCORE : Having a part‑score towards game.

OPENER : The player who makes the first bid of the auction.

OPENING BID : The first bid of the auction other than a pass or, in play, the first lead.

OPENING LEAD : The card lead to the first trick by the player on the left of the declarer.

OPTIONAL DOUBLE : A take‑out double which partner may well leave in, usually because it is made over a high bid.

OVERCALL : Bid by a defender over an opponent's opening, before partner enters the auction.

OVERRUFF (OVERTRUMP) : To ruff a trick with a higher trump than the previous player.

OVERTAKE : To play a card higher than the present winning card played by the partner.

OVERTRICK : A trick made in excess of the named contract.

PART-SCORE : A contract, a score below the line less than game.

PASS : No bid.

PASSED HAND : A player who has passed when he could have opened the bidding instead.

PASSED OUT : (A deal) thrown in because all four players in succession passed.

PATTERN : The distribution of the four suits in a hand of thirteen cards.

PENALTY : 1) Points lost by a side that has failed to make a contract.

2) After an infraction of the rules, the handicap placed by law on the offending side.

PENALTY CARD : A card illegally exposed by a defender, left face up in front of him.

PENALTY DOUBLE ; BUSINESS DOUBLE: A call by a player implying that the opponent's contract will be defeated and penalty will be increased.

PENALTY PASS : Pass that converts a take‑out double into a penalty double.

PETER ; PETERING : A signal, also called Echo or High‑Low, to convey a message to partner. For example to show a doubleton or encourage partner to continue that suit.

PIANOLA : A hand that plays itself automatically and cannot go wrong.

PLAIN SUIT : A suit other than trumps.

PLAYING TRICKS : Tricks that you are likely to win if you play the contract in your selected denomination.

POINTS : Units of scoring.

POINT COUNT : Method of hand valuation, based on Honour Cards, Distribution or both.

POSITIVE RESPONSE : A response to partner's forcing bid showing certain values as compared with negative response.

PRE-EMPTIVE BID : An unnecessarily high level bid (3 or higher) made not to show strength but to make it difficult for the opponents to compete.

PREFERENCE : A bid which chooses between two trump suits suggested by partner, nor necessarily showing support.

PREMIUMS : All scores other than for odd tricks.

PREPARED BID : A bid made out of the natural sequence (possibly on a 3‑card suit) in the hope that the player will be able to bid accurately on the next round.

PROTECTIVE BID : A bid made by fourth‑in‑hand, following two passes, and based on the presumption that partner has undisclosed strength.

PSYCHIC BID : A bluff bid based on nonexistent values to confuse the opponents.

PUMP : Shorten an opponent's trump holding by forcing him to ruff.

QUANTITATIVE BID : A bid which asks partner to go on; showing the top limit of the hand, generally a Slam invitation.

QUICK TRICKS : High cards or combinations of high cards that will win a trick on the first or second round.

RAISE : Direct support for partner, as by raising him in the same suit (or NT).

RE-BID : 1) The second and subsequent bid made by a player. 2) Bid one suit twice.

REBIDDABLE SUIT : A suit long enough and strong enough to be bid and re‑bid without support from partner.

RE-DOUBLE : Call that can be made only following an opponent's double, increasing penalties if the contract fails, and increasing trick score and bonuses if the contract succeeds.

RE-ENTRY : A card with which a hand can eventual ly gain the lead after having lost it.

RENOUNCE : Play a card not of the suit lead.

REVERSE : To re‑bid (by either opener or responder) in a new suit higher in rank and at a higher level than the first suit.

REVOKE : Fail to follow suit when able to do so; fail to play a card as required by a law of correct procedure or by a proper penalty.

RUBBER : The winning of the first two out of three games by one side and is credited with bonus points.

RUFF ; TO TRUMP : To play a trump when a suit other than trumps is led.

RUN A SUIT : Keep on playing winning cards of one suit.

SACRIFICE : Over-bid deliberately, expecting to go down, but to lose less in penalties than the value of an opposing contract.

SCORE : The accumulated total of points won by a side.

SEPARATE SUITS : Two suits which do not adjoin in rank, so that both suits could be bid at the same level if partner responds in a suit which ranks in between.

SEQUENCE : Two, more commonly three, or more cards of the same suit in unbroken order. "Sequential Cards."

SET : To defeat a contract. A "One‑trick set" is down one.

SET-UP : Establish a long suit, or honours as winners, by forcing out superior enemy cards

SHADED BID : A bid made on somewhat less than the normal requirements.

SHIFT : Play a different suit from the one started by the partnership.

SHORT CLUB : The opening bid in a three card Club suit.

SHORT SUIT : A holding of less than four cards in a suit.

SHUT-OUT BID : A pre‑emptive bid.

SIDE CARD : Any of a plain suit.

SIDE STRENGTH : High cards in plain suits.

SIDE SUIT; (PLAIN SUIT) : 1) A suit other than trumps. 2) A secondary suit held by the declarer.

SIGNAL : Any convention of play whereby one partner properly informs the other of his holdings or desires.

SIGN-OFF : A rebid which indicates that the hand contains no additional values other than those already shown, and unwillingness to bid any further.

SINGLETON : A suit holding of only one card. Value is immaterial.

SOLID SUIT : A suit which can be run without loss.

SPLIT HONOURS : Play one of several honours in sequence when following to a trick as second hand.

SPOT CARD : A card other than an honour. (9,8,7,6 etc.)

SQUEEZE : A situation, an end‑play in which a player is forced to discard a vital card, a winner, or cards that protect winners thereby causing him to lose a trick.

STOPPER : A card or combination of cards that will interrupt the run of the opponents' suit and that will win a trick.

STRIP : A play by the declarer to eliminate from his own hand, from dummy the cards in one or two suits.

STRONG HAND : A hand which has more values than those needed for the bid made.

SUFFICIENT BID : One high enough legally to supersede the last previous bid.

SUIT-PREFERENCE SIGNAL : An advanced signal indicating which suit to switch to.

SUPPORT : 1) Sufficient cards in partner's suit to justify a raise, 2) A bid which shows such values.

SYSTEM : The conventional methods of bidding between partners on the requirements for various bids and tactical procedure in various situations.

TABLE : An alternative word for DUMMY. "The lead is on the table" means that dummy must lead to the next trick. Also a card is "tabled" when it is placed face upwards on the table.

TAKE-OUT : A bid in a different denomination from that bid by partner.

TAKE-OUT DOUBLE : A double made not for penalties, but for the partner to bid his best suit or NT.

TEMPO : Unit of time in the play.

TEMPORIZING BID : A bid made in an unplayable suit, in order to show strength or mark time before suggesting where to play the contract

TENACE : Combination of cards not in sequence, such as A‑Q, held over K.J, whose trick‑winning power depends on where the missing card lies and who has the lead. The word has no connexion with 'Ten' and 'Ace' though, in certain circumstances, a tenace could consist of A.10.

THROW-IN : A deal that results in no bids being made. The deal passes to the player on the left.

TOUCHING CARDS : are equals, cards in sequence.

TOUCHING SUITS : are those next to each other in rank.

TRIAL BID : A bid used to investigate whether partner can assist with a weak spot.

TRICK : The four cards played in rotation by the four players.

TRUMP : Suit named in the contract that wins over any other suit; a card of that suit; to play such a card when another suit has been led (To ruff).

TRUMP COUP : An advanced play, forcing a defender to ruff and be overruffed, thereby capturing a trump.

TRUMP-ECHO : The high‑low signal used in the trump suit to indicate possession of another trump.

TWO-SUITER : A hand containing five or more cards in each of two suits.

UNBALANCED HAND : A hand containing a singleton or void, or one or more dominantly long suits.

UNBLOCK : To play or discard a card that would otherwise prevent the run of a suit or win a unwelcome trick.

UNDERBID : A call that understates the value of the hand; also, in law, an insufficient bid.

UNDERTRICK : Each trick by which declarer falls short of making his contract.

VOID : The holding of no cards in a suit. Blank suit.

VULNERABLE : State of pair that has scored one game.

WAITING BID : Used in approach-forcing systems. The calling of an, as yet, unbid suit to force partner to call again. Used in the hope of getting a better picture of his hand before deciding the contract.

YARBOROUGH:A hand containing no card higher than a 9

SOME PROBABILITIES Contents

FASCINATING FIGURES AND FACTS.

The total number of hands can be distributed among the 4 players in a very large number of different ways. And the number of possibilities runs to 29 digits:

53.644.737.765.488.792.839.237.440.000

The chances of being dealt some interesting and special holdings:

‑-All 4 players each holding a 13‑card suit occurs 1 time in every:

2.235.197.406.895.366.368.301.560.000 deals

and they say, to play this number of deals could take 100 trillion years.

Holding of a 13‑card specified suit (i.e.Spades)	1 in 635.013.559.600
Holding of a 13‑card unspecified suit	1 in 158.753.389.899
Holding a Yarborough	1 in 1.827
Holding all 5 honours in one unspecified suit	1 in 504
Holding all 4 Aces	1 in 378
Holding 4 honours in a specified suit	1 in 22
Holding a void	1 in 19
Holding a singleton	1 in 2

HAND PATTERNS :

There are 39 hand patterns; they range from the most frequent, which is 4‑4‑3‑2, to the most rare, which is 13‑0‑0‑0. The frequencies of some of the most frequent patterns are not always the most balanced ones.

4--4--3--2	22 %
5--3--3--2	16 %
5--4--3--1	13 %
5--4--2--2	11 %
4--3--3--3	11 %
6--3--2--2	6 %
6--4--2--1	5 %
6--3--3--1	3 %
5--5--2--1	3 %
4--4--4--1	3 %
7--3--2--1	2 %
6--4--3--0	1 %
5--4--4--0	1 %
5--5--3--0	1 %
6--5--1--1	1 %
7--2--2--2	1/2 %
The remaining 23 patterns total roughly: 3 %

DISTRIBUTION OF CARDS IN THE TWO UNKNOWN HANDS (Suit Divisions)

*If you & partner have together in one suit*	*Out-standing Cards*	*The remaining cards of that suit in opponents’ hands will be divided*
11 cards	2	1 -- 1	52 %
		2 -- 0	48 %

10 cards	3	2 -- 1	78 %
		3 -- 0	22 %

9 cards	4	3 -- 1	50 %
		2 -- 2	40 %
		4 -- 0	10 %

8 cards	5	3 -- 2	68 %
		4 -- 1	28 %
		5 -- 0	4 %

7 cards	6	4 -- 2	48 %
		3 -- 3	36 %
		5 -- 1	15 %
		6 -- 0	1 %

6 cards	7	4 -- 3	62 %
		5 -- 2	31 %
		6 -- 1	7 %
		7 -- 0	1/2 %

5 cards	8	5 -- 3	47 %
		4 -- 4	33 %
		6 -- 2

CONTENTS Return to Homepage

INTRODUCTION Contents

THE HISTORY OF BRIDGE Contents

GLOSSARY OF BRIDGE TERMS Contents

SOME PROBABILITIES Contents