Part 8 (1/2)

a The dealer may either make the trump or pa.s.s the declaration to his partner.

b If the declaration be pa.s.sed to partner, he must make the trump.

Should the dealer's partner make the trump without receiving permission from the dealer, the eldest hand may demand,

1st. That the trump shall stand, or 2d. That there shall be a new deal.

But if any declaration as to doubling, or not doubling, shall have been made, or if a new deal be not claimed, the declaration wrongly made shall stand. The eldest hand is the player on the left of the dealer.

Should the dealer's partner pa.s.s the declaration to the dealer, it shall be the right of the eldest hand to claim a new deal or to compel the offending player to declare the trump; provided, that no declaration as to doubling has been made.

If either of the dealer's adversaries make or pa.s.s the declaration, the dealer may, after looking at his hand, either claim a new deal or proceed as if no declaration had been made.

A declaration once made cannot be altered.

DOUBLING, RE-DOUBLING, ETC.

The effect of doubling, re-doubling, and so on, is that the value of each trick above six is doubled, quadrupled, and so on.

After the trump declaration has been made by the dealer or his partner, their adversaries have the right to double. The eldest hand has the first right. If he does not wish to double, he may ask his partner, ”May I lead?” His partner shall answer, ”Yes,” or ”I double.”

If either of their adversaries elect to double, the dealer and his partner have the right to re-double. The player who has declared the trump shall have the first right. He may say, ”I re-double” or ”Satisfied.” Should he say the latter, his partner may re-double.

If the dealer or his partner elect to re-double, their adversaries shall have the right to again double. The original doubler has the first right.

If the right-hand adversary of the dealer double before his partner has asked ”May I lead?” the declarer of the trump shall have the right to say whether or not the double shall stand. If he decide that the double shall stand, the process of re-doubling may continue as described above.

The process of re-doubling may be continued indefinitely.[A] The first right to continue the re-doubling on behalf of a partners.h.i.+p belongs to that player who has last re-doubled. Should he, however, express himself satisfied, the right to continue the re-doubling pa.s.ses to his partner.

Should any player re-double out of turn, the adversary who last doubled shall decide whether or not such double shall stand. If it is decided that the re-double shall stand, the process of re-doubling may continue as described in this and foregoing laws. If any double or re-double out of turn be not accepted, there shall be no further doubling in that hand. Any consultation between partners as to doubling or re-doubling will ent.i.tle the maker of the trump or the eldest hand, without consultation, to a new deal.

[A] In some clubs, doubling ceases whenever the value of the odd trick exceeds one hundred points; in other clubs the limit is placed at two hundred points.