The advantage of the deal is enormous, and it is important to
utilise it properly to make the largest possible score with the
least possible risk. The make shows the great increase in percentage
of the good player over the poor one. More rubbers are lost by bad
makes than by bad play. The cautious man who passes “no-trumpers”
will lose many games by his extreme carefulness. The reckless man
loses even more by declaring “no-trump” when his partner must have
a “no-trumper” to pull him through. As the element of luck has a
potent influence on the result of a make, a sound declaration based
on the merits of the hand may be unsuccessful. No one can select
the winning trump every time, and an occasional loss must be borne
with equanimity for the sake of the many successes; the make that
will win with average strength in the dummy hand will pay in the
long run. Do not hope for too much, or expect too little assistance
from your partner; give him credit for no more and no less than the
average hand. If you question yourself--what will my partner probably
make it if I pass?--you will find it a great help in determining the
declaration. He will usually make it your weak suit, and it follows
that you may depend on him for protection in that suit.
A sound make may necessitate the sacrifice of the possibility of a
large score for the sake of positively winning the game. The chance
for the game takes precedence of all other considerations.
As Bridge is played for points, a fair amount of regard is also due
the honour score. A declaration that is apt to give honours to the
adversaries is a costly method of winning the game.
It is difficult for the beginner to understand the reason for certain
formulated rules for the makes, but it will pay the average novice
to accept the judgment of those who have learned by, often bitter,
experience. Sound makes will win in the long run, and the rules
should not be scorned merely because in a few hands the cards were
badly placed.
“NO-TRUMP” DECLARATION BY THE DEALER
While a good red declaration is always preferable to a doubtful
“no-trumper,” yet when a bold dash for the game must be made, a
forward “no-trump” declaration is the safest risk; and experience
certainly shows that what is called a doubtful “no-trumper” will
succeed more often than it fails. Such a declaration has a great
advantage over a light red make. There is a wider range for
assistance in the dummy hand. The make does not disclose the dealer’s
principal strength. It offers the adversaries a larger scope for
errors, and an error is more costly in a “no-trump” hand. The
opponents have no means of knowing their combined strength, and for
this reason their best suit may never be made; while the dealer
knows the suit to establish and can arrange the lead to bring it in.
In short, the dealer can utilise his strength and the adversaries’
drawbacks to the best advantage in a “no-trump” hand. As a logical
consequence, a strong player may take more chances in the make.
Your goal is the game, and at a love score, this can be reached with
fewest tricks at a “no-trump” declaration. Therefore, lacking a good
red hand, a “no-trump” declaration that with average strength in your
partner’s hand will secure the odd trick, will more often win than
lose.
What constitutes an average hand, and how much help should you expect
from your partner, are frequent inquiries. As the trick-taking value
of a hand may depend entirely on the distribution of the remaining
cards, these questions are difficult to answer. An average hand,
however, contains the equivalent of one ace, one king, one queen, etc.
An established suit that can be made before the adversaries obtain
the lead the second time is always a great advantage.
A “no-trump” make that is not protected in three suits is dangerous,
but, even if you are entirely void of a suit with real strength in
the other three, you can reasonably expect your partner to supply
protection in the missing suit. Aces are an important help in
establishing your suits, and are much greater strength than kings
or queens, which may be led through and captured. A no-trump make
without an ace is liable to score honours for the adversaries--in
rare cases 100 points--and is almost never sound.