J
THE OMAHA SUNDAY HKK: FETUJUAUY f, 1010.
AUCTION BRIDGE EVOLVBC
adversaries sit tight and wait for their prey
In this manner. The writer saw this hand
not long ago, Z having dealt.
H-10 T R i
O-IO 7 4 3.
I Nine.
8-9 C 4 2.
One Proof ii that the Value of a
Rubber ii Less.
A long, long rest for your faithful friend the horse
MUCH OCCASION FOB ARGUMENT
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H-K J.
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I-K 8 5.
B A K Q.
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C K J S.
I-A Q 7 4 i
Hat fttlll Dlapatcd Polat la the
Op-nlng Rid from Weak Hand
One ftrhool Wko lifinl
One In o Trump.
There la evolution In everything appar
ently, even In card rmc, and auction
hiidRA iMini to bo undergoing a gradual
process of development.
One of the bmt evidences ofithe chanRog
In the fact that we are continually reducing-
the value of tho rubber, which shows
that we are constantly eltmiitatlnK our
ml-takes. Whon II. II. Ward of Woston.
captain of the champion American club
team, and famous a the beat bridge
player In the United States, first took up
auction he kept careful records of the re
aults. He found, among; other things, that
the average value of all the rubbers played
during one month early lost year was a
tain of 650 points for the winners as against
an average gain of 170 In bridge.
Since that time he has found that with
the growing experience of the players, the
better understanding between partners and
a more systematic study of the tactics of
the gome the value of rubber has been
steadily an J surely reduced, until now It
Is very little more than double that of the
average In bridge, ranging between 400 and
400 points.
The greatest element of loss at auction
la easily traceable to the misunderstand
ings of partnets In thu bidding. Instead
of supporting each other In the scheme
which Is best suited to their hands be
ginners are continually working at cross
purposes.
One of the chief attractions of auction
bridge la that you can get all there Is to It
out of your cards and If you manage them
well and If your partner does not step in
and spoil It all. When you have very good
hands you can play them for all they are
worth, and If they are pretty bad you can
frequently, by Judicious bidding, coax the
adversaries to undertake with their cards
Juat one trick more than they are able to
eat, and so. defeat a dcvl&ratluii. In bridge
you win nothing unless you get the odd
trick yourself. In auction you may get
only three or four tricks out of the thir
teen and still score all there is to score on
that deal.
Hut nothing la ao annoying, after you
cauuousiy joined your adversaries
have
along until they have undertaken to make
three tricks In hearts when two In hearts
Is all their hands are really worth, as to
have your partner step In and overbid
their three hearts, under the mistaken Idea
that you wanted to play the hand your
self. The fundamental difficulty In auction
bridge was soon discovered to be the
Initial bid by the dealer. So forcibly was
this brought home to many good players
that It was suggested to abolish the rule
compelling him to make a bid of some
kind; but that would spoil one of the fine
points of the game and render many deals
void. The trouble Is not that the dealer
cannot declare on his own cards, but that
It Is so ' necessary for hla partner to be
able to distinguish between bids that are
merely waiting bids and those that are
invitation bids. In the first class the
dealer wants to come In again and show
his true colors after he has heard what
others have to say; In the second class
he wants to Induce his partner to make
the real declaration, especially no trumps.
The first theory of the game was for
the dealer to declare one spade when he
was not strong enough to call a red suit
or no trumps. A bid of one trick In any
other suit meant winning cards In that
suit, not length, and one In clubs usually
meant at least three sure tricks In It. but
not enough outside to go no trumps. The
penalty being then unlimited, the second
hand always passed a spade bid and if
the dealer's partner did not aay something
the fourth hand would pass also, unless
he had a sure game hand, and, they would
let the 'dealer struggle with his spade
make. No matter how good the hands
held by the adversaries, their strength was
Infinitely better employed in defeating
spades at fifty points a trick than In win
ning upon any declaration of their own,
because the spade maker was always giv
ing them odds of 28 to 1 and could not pos
sibly go game himself.' ,
To remedy this the committee on laws
decided to limit the losses on an original
bid of one spade, whether doubled or not,
to 100 points. This completely knocked the
bottom out of the tactics of the "insur
ers," who sat tight and said nothing when
one spade was bid. The opportunities for
picking up penalties of 400 or 500 points at
a time suddenly and permanently disap
peared. When the dealer bid one spade
and his partner had nothing the partner
aid nothing, and between them they were
very glad to get off so cheaply as to lose
only 100 points In honors, their adversaries
scoring nothing toward game.
The adversaries soon found that It was
not worth while to waste their strength
on such small gains. The only remedy they
had was to get into the bidding them
selves, and so sure was the dealer that
they would bid something If they had the
BtrengUi and third habit passed, that the
dealer took advantage of the new condi
tion of. things thus brought about, and
gradually got Into the habit of bidding one
spade as a starter, no matter what he had,
confidant that he would have an oppor
tunity to bid on the full value of his hand
when It came around to him again. In
stead of bidding one spade on nothing at
all, the dealer would bid one spade onuu'
thlng short of seven or eight sure tricks
In his own hand, without any assistance
from hla partner. It was only when he
feared that no one else had anything that
he bid freely himself.
This evolved another complication, be
cause when the adversaries knew that one
spade dll not mean weakness they passed,
and left the dealer to play his big hands
with nothing but spade for trumps when
he might have gone game with a legiti
mate declaration. The dealer's tactics be
livg to bid spades with a view to shifting
when it came around to him again, the ad
versaries' tactics were to refuse him this
opportunity to change and It became neces
sary for the dealer's partner to "pull him
out'' of his one spade bid. This led to the
established convention that If the dealer
bid one spade, third hand must overcall It,
so as o give the dealer a chance.
If the third hand had anything he named
the suit. If his hand was very bad he
conveyed that Information by bidding two
spades. While this opened the door for the
dealer to shift. It also shut the door on his
refuge, because tho penalties on a bid of
two spades are unlimited. If the dealer let
It stand at two spades, having nothing, he
was In for a heavy loss, with no possi
bility of anything but the moat trlfltngi
gain, as he was laying odds of 26 to 1 on
his ability to get eight tricks out of two
worthier hands. If he shifted he often
went deper Into the hole, as he had no
Idea what he was doing, his partner's bid
simply declaring weakness In high cards
without naming any suit In which he might
have at least length.
Borne surprising things happen when the
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s-io s r.
55 bid one spade, A passed, although
he tiarf U tin Immluip mml V tilrl l'n
spades, to show that he had nothing, but
to give tne dealer the conventional op-
nnrtlinltv in KM vhnl hla hand was
actually worthy. B passed, so as to let tha
cieuier go Oft per into tne noie it ne wisnea
tn. hut t h A ttn lr nattutxA nnrl A rlmililefl.
All having passed, A led three rounds of
trumps and the only trick Y and Z mmle
was the nine of spades. Having undertaken
to win eight tricks and getting one only,
they lost 700 points.
While It Is quite true that A and I) could
have' made a grand slam at no trumps
with foi-tv aces, that In a lnntr vbt from
708 points In penalties and spade honors.
i ne saa part or tne nana is that naa eitner
V nr Z Itnnwn that hla tuirtnpr hfl.il an
many hearts they could not .have lost
more man one trick, even if hearts naa
hnen ftmihlnil AnH It la voru unllltalv that
either adversary would have doubled with
only two trumps in band.
A few doses of this kind soon make
it apparent that there should be some way
of making third hand leave things alone
when tho dealer does not want to be
"pulled out."
Several pyatema aro now on trial that
huve this for their object. The moat radi
cal theory of all seems to be that the
dealer should never name a suit, not even
spades, unless he Is actually strong in It,
siretigtn in auction bridge, it must be re
membered, belnir a term which la nnnflnnri
to aces and kings on the first round of the
bidding. Length in suit is not shown until
the final calls.
If the dealer has a sure trick In anariaa
says this school, he should name spades;
not Otherwise. On the same nrlncInU that
he names other suits that have sure tricks
in them, he should call spades, making; no
exception for that suit. The old wav to
show great strength In the spade suit,
With nothinir to sunnort It. wna tn hid torn
spades originally, so as to distinguish It
irom tne weak one-spade bid. The Idea
Of the two-snade lilrl la t,i mat tha nartriAp
to go no trumps If the spade suit will help
htm out. One In clubs hod the same In
vitation In It and meant Vgreat strength.
According to the new school one In
spades is enough to show strength In It,
and tllA nnlv thlnrr in with on all
worthless hand Is not to name any suit.
because there Is no suit that has a sure
trick in it. As the dealer must malm a. hirf
of some kind the only tiling left for him
is to bid no suit; that is, no-trumps.
This may seem like madness to soma
but It can be supported by some very in
genious arguments. A no-trumper cannot
lose any more than a snade. aa tha nannitv
Is only fifty points in either declaration.
tne no-trump call 'has the a-rrat a.
vantage that even If the adversaries know
it means weakness. If they want to play
tnelr cards they will have to Hit Iwn tririta
In anything they name. Another and a spec-
lai advantage is that it never deceives the
third hand, who has none of the old dif
ficulty of guessing whether the one spade
meant weakness or only waiting. The no
trump bid effectually shuts him un an
tells him that It Is not necessary to pull
mo ueaier out, ana that If he bids he will
have to do the work on his own cards.
One of the effects of evolution la aen
in thfj dregs left In the . average bridge
player's mind of his respect for no-trumn-
ers. To bid no-trumrs on nnthina- ati-ivu
him as absurd and conlur-a
fearful losses. But these are largely Imagi
nary. Take the example hand Drinted
above and suppose that the dealer had bid
one no-trump on Z's cards. It la dnnhj
and A-B make a grand slam. Hooray!
What of it? The dealer undertook to make
seven tricks. He made none. im. 7w
points, exactly as it was when he bid one
in spades and his partner pulled him out.
Those who did not like this v.t.m
who never heard of It looked round for
some other way out of the daJera aeti.
cultles with his partner and they hit upon
the plan of reversing the old order of
inings ana Diaamg- two spades on the bad
hands and one spade on tha-strona- .n..
suit
The trouble with this system, whir .
used for a long time by the Boston ni.v.
era, was that In order to pull the dealer
out of his weak bid. the third hand h.-
lng nothing for himself, was obliged 'to by
miee spaucs,,and as thres spades are worth
six points, it forced the dealer to un in
tricks In clubs or diamonds and limited
mm to hearts or no-trump for single
trick bids; Tills laid hlrn open to attack.
as things evolved further. rnH.nn.
pointed out to the Boston players that an
original bid of one club would ha i..t u.
good a signal of distress aa two spades
and had the enormous advantage of allow
ing the partner to pull the dealer out with
a bid of two spades, which Is better as a
bia than one club, although both hnvn th.
same point value, four. The striking ad
vantage of the one-club bid. h
that It leaves the dealer free to overcall
hla partner's two In spades with a single
trick bid in any suit, and tha nfh-
are not likely to leave a player In with
a one trick bid If they have anything them
selves. Experience shows that one trick
oias, unless they are no-trumuers. are varv
seldom played.
This seems to be as far as thev have
got, neither school having been ahla t
convince the other as yet. Those who be
lieve in the original no-trumD as th uf..t
bid for showing the Dartnrr that
not want to be pulled out, have the very
good argument on their side that it Is the
only bid that says Just that, ami that if
the third hand has nothing it is more than I
probable that the other side has something
worth while and will want to play k.
While the no-trump bid is perfectly In
telligible to them as a bluff. It still forces
thuin to undertake to will eight tricks In
any suit they name, and If they don't name
anything they will never win the game.
Wasted to Knew tke Uraad.
The Rev. Dr. Pockman, . weli known
New Jersey cidi-gyman, told a story at a
men's club mating In Jersey City of one
of his .early attempts to Inculcate prohibi
tion sentiment in an audience to which he
was talking In another part of the state.
As an example of the evil effest of liquor,
he told of taking a little worm and placing
It in a glass of water. The worm enjoyed
the bath, swimming around gayly. 11
took the worm out of the water and placed
It in a glass of whisky which he had on
the table beside the water. After a few
contortions the worm gave up the battle
and was fished out dead. Just as the rev
erend doctor was about to explain the ex
ample a. man wlih a deep bass voice in the
back of the room shouted out: "jJay doc
tor, what brand of whisky was that?"
New York Tribune.
Cyaleal Jabs. '
Beauty Is only skin deep, but some women
are deeper than they look.
All the world may love a lover, but It
ha es to buy weddhfg presents for hlra.
It takes a lot of nerve for a fellow to
propo.. , ,irl. but h. ,houl(, ,av Bom
Times, niergeacle-.-.New Yofk
A
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aid.
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$75
1M
T
OUR
GUARANTEED
SERVICE PLAN
MAKES SATISFIED
CUSTOMERS.
15 .
A FIXED MINIMUM
MONTHLY COST
FOR CARE,
ADJUSTMENT AND
STORAGE.
A safe, sane, simple, power wagon with a fixed and
unvarying cost of upkeep that will cut down the
expense of deliveries to the dealer 661 per cent.
. With the advent of the Van Dyke a new economic condition
is created that affects the profits of every dealer in America who
delivers his own merchandise.
The Van Dyke not only settles for all time the question of
quick, cheap deliveries, but, what is infinitely more important, it
enables the dealer to know twelve months in advance exactly what
it will cost him to keep his car continuously in perfect condition.
You know in advance percisely what your Van Dyke will cost
you for the ensuing month figuring it with a great deal more
accuracy than you now can the care and upkeep of a horse and
.wagon.
To every merchant who employs two or more wagons the
Van Dyke means a new element of saving and of profit a reduc
tion of 66 per cent in the cost of getting his goods to the cus
tomer. Only one thousand Van Dyke cars can be allotted to a limited
number of leading cities during the current season.
. In every city in which they are installed the Van Dyke guar
antee of continuous service at a minimum monthly cost will bo
enforced.
It solves positively and permanently the problem of deliv
eries; and ushers in the dawn of a day that will consign the old
fashioned delivery wagon to the scrap heap, and relegate tho
horse to the period of well-earned rest.
One size and one type only all the facilities of the great Van
Dyke plant at Detroit centered in the perfection of a car for light
delivery purposes capable of carrying a thousand pounds.
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(and for nothing else) in every detail of chassis and body.
Learn how the expense of maintenance is absolutely fixed
how you can assure yourself that your cars will be kept sweet,
clean and in perfect condition every day at a specified charge.
Let us prove to you that one Van Dyke (driver, upkeep and
all) will do as much work as three or perhaps four horses and
wagons at a much smaller cost and a fraction of the bother, time,
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This advertisement appears simultaneously in twenty-five
cities. The immediate response and investigation of dry goods
dealers, department stores, grocers, launderers, butchers, bakers,
confectioners, etc., etc., will determine the number of cars allotted
to each city.
Cover or stake bodies will be furnished regularly; especially
built bodies to suit the requirements of. your business will be
charged for at the actual additional cost of building above our
regular bodies.
We are now appointing agencies in the leading cities and will
welcome applications from established motor car dealers who can
sell cars.
Use the coupon for particulars.
f t -.... -
NEW DETROIT FACTOIIV OF THfcfvAN 1VKE MOTOIt CAR CO.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Wheel Ilaue .... 80 inchee.
Tread SO inche ,
Motor 4 llore by 4-Inch Stroke, double opposed.
Ignition Magneto
Lubrication .... Force Feed by pump
Radiator Vertitle Tube
rump Gear I'mnp, direct driven
Control . Hpnrk and Throttle on steering wheel.
Transmission . . Friction Drive
Hearings Rear Axle, Hyatt Roller
Hearings Front Axle, Halls
Rear Axle Hvvel (.ear, Solid Type
Front Axle .... I Ilcani
(ear Ration ... O to 1
Steering (iear . Hark and 1 'in Ion
Tires UOxIJl. , choice of Solid or 1'iioumatlc
Equipment .1 Oil Lamps and Horn and complete set of Tools
Color Optional
llody Choice of too or stake body
Price of Car . . . f 750
Van
Pyk
yMr Car Com
oany,
CAPITAL 51,000,000.00
Executive Offices: 1221 Ford Building DETROIT, MICHIGA
VAN DYKE
M O T O It CAR
CO.. 12.13 Ford
Hldg., Detroit, Mich.
I shall be glad to
have you send me full
particulars about the
Van Dyke Delivery wagon,
and your guaranteed ser
vice plan. J .
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Address
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