Part 5 (1/2)

left, another, outside ace; and king, queen of the third suit.

ace, king, and one suit headed by ace; dependent upon score.

two trumps and two aces.

With the score at four-all or four-love in his favor, the dealer may play a lighter hand than any mentioned above, especially if it is his best.

Scores of three-all and four to two in dealer's favor require more than ordinary caution.

With score four to three in dealer's favor he may play a shade lighter than ordinary.

If it comes round to the dealer to make a trump, it is permissible to make it with somewhat less strength than would be required in the other three hands.

It is usually better with a fair hand to try for a point rather than to turn down for a euchre. If, however, the dealer is better at next, and holds both bowers of the cross-suit, it is good euchre to pa.s.s.

If the dealer adopts the turn-up without a.s.sistance and has right and another, and takes the first trick with his small trump, he should not lead the right unless he can follow with an ace.

Always be careful how you play your small cards, and never play false cards.

If the dealer adopts the turn-up, he should discard the lowest card of a short suit; for example, with three trumps, ace, seven of one suit, and outside king, discard the king. Some prefer to keep the king with score four-all with only two trumps in the hand. With two trumps (clubs), ace, seven of hearts, and king, seven of diamonds, discard the seven of diamonds.

With three trumps (clubs), ace, king of hearts, and ace of diamonds, discard the king of hearts, except when playing a lone hand, in which case discard the ace of diamonds.

When your partner a.s.sists, and you take the first or second trick, always give him a trump if he has not played one.

Give all the information possible to your partner by your play; for example, queen of clubs is turned up, and you are a.s.sisted and hold the king of clubs in your hand. If you or your partner take the first trick with a trump, play the king. If you hold both ace and king of clubs in your hand, play the ace.

If you hold ace and king of an outside suit, throw away the ace as soon as possible on your partner's trick, thereby showing him you have command of that suit. If, however, you see by the fall of the cards that your partner has no strength in his hand, you may conceal this information, since it will do him no good, and can only benefit your opponents. This, of course, applies to all four hands.

THE BRIDGE.

There is such a variety of opinion about the bridge that the writers do not feel confident enough to express any decided view about the matter.

It is a complicated question from a mathematical point of view, and they have never kept any record for a long enough period of time to be of any practical value.

They doubt, however, the expediency of keeping the bridge strictly.

If, however, the bridge is to be kept at all, it should be kept always, and in the same manner; otherwise you deceive your partner.

There is a growing tendency to abolish the bridge. The writers remember distinctly not long ago when every one kept the bridge; now the same players take their chances with two lay aces, or the ace and another in trumps. This, however, is purely a matter of taste, and is not offered here as an arbitrary rule.

Naturally, some hands will make four beyond a doubt; but it is much harder to get an imperfect lone hand through against two good players than against two inferior ones; hence the better the players, the less is the value of the bridge against the ordinary lone hand.

LONE HANDS.

It is impossible to absolutely define a ”lone hand.” With the score three-all, four-all, or any score in your favor, do not risk a light lone hand. It is our opinion that a great many points are lost by not taking your partner with you for a march.

With the score four-one or four-two against you, you may take a desperate chance.

If your opponents keep bridges tolerably strictly, you must, of course, be more careful if they have pa.s.sed.