Bridge; its Principles and Rules of Play Part 18

104. Unless a pack be imperfect, no player shall have the right to call for one new pack. If fresh cards are demanded, two packs must be furnished and paid for by the player who has demanded them. If they are furnished during a rubber, the adversaries shall have their choice of new cards. If it is the beginning of a new rubber, the dealer, whether he or one of his adversaries be the party calling for the new cards, shall have the choice. New cards must be called for before the pack is cut for a new deal.

105. A card or cards torn or marked must be replaced by agreement or new cards furnished.

BYSTANDERS

106. While a bystander, by agreement among the players, may decide any question, yet he must on no account say anything unless appealed to; and if he make any remark which calls attention to an oversight affecting the score, or to the exaction of a penalty, he is liable to be called on by the players to pay the stakes on that rubber.

SPADE CONVENTION

I.--Where players agree "not to play spades" the rule is, that if the spade make is not doubled, the hand shall be played where either side is 20 or over.

II.--If the third hand player ask, "Shall I play?" or should he lead out of turn, or should the eldest hand lead without asking permission to play, the spade maker may take two on the score or may call a lead and require the hand to be played out.

III.--Should the third hand player double before his partner asks permission to play, the spade maker may decide whether the double shall stand or not; but the hand must be played out.

ETIQUETTE

It has been truthfully said that there is no game in which slight intimations can convey so much information as that of Bridge. In justice to those who, by their manner, give information, it may be stated that most of the apparent unfairness at the Bridge table is unintentional.

Hesitation and mannerisms, however, cannot be too carefully avoided; such a breach of etiquette is an offence for which the adversaries have no redress except perhaps a refusal to continue the play.

It is obviously a greater fault to take advantage of information thus given. A play in your judgment may be perfectly sound, but you leave yourself open to criticism if it is in any way contingent on information obtained from your partner's manner.

Cultivate uniformity in your style of play; let there be no remarkable haste or hesitation in making or pa.s.sing; try always to use the same formula of words, and do not call attention to the score after the cards have been dealt.

Remember that any undue hesitancy in regard to doubling will deprive a fair-minded partner of the privilege of so doing. Such delays are too frequent at spade declarations.

Emphasise no play of your own and show no pleasure or displeasure at any other play.

Do not ask to have the cards placed unless it is solely for your own information.

It is an offence either to revoke purposely or to make a second revoke in order to conceal the first.

The dealer's partner should not call attention to the score nor to any card or cards that he or the other players hold, and neither should he leave his seat for the purpose of watching his partner's play.

When there is an unusual distribution of the cards, no remarks of any kind should be allowed.

After a hand has been played, it may be discussed to the common benefit; but the bore who is continually blowing up his partner to show his superior knowledge, together with the player who interrupts the game to discuss the play, should be ostracised from the card-room. Superiority of skill is shown by the play of the cards, not by mannerisms.

It is often difficult to refrain from showing _pleasure_ at the accomplishment of a desired purpose, but undue elation is most aggravating to the adversaries.

Do not make a dig at the adversaries by confiding to your partner that your success was due to an ill-judged play of the opponent.

It is not good form to complain of poor cards, as you imply that the adversaries profit by your weak hands and not by their skill.

The better players rarely criticise unless asked to do so; it is usually the inexperienced player who offers an astonis.h.i.+ng amount of gratuitous and unsought-for advice.

Do not tell your partner, after seeing all the cards, what he should have done, but think what you would have done in your partner's place.

Do not criticise at all, but if you must, criticise fairly.

GLOSSARY

=Book.=--The first six tricks won by the same partners.

=By-cards.=--The number of tricks won, more than six, or over the "book,"

is the number "by-cards." For instance, eight tricks are equal to two by-cards.

=Card of Re-entry.=--A winning card which will bring into play another suit. Sometimes the re-entry is in the suit itself, but when a suit with a re-entry is spoken of it means that the re-entry is in another suit.

=Command.=--The best card or cards of a suit. The ability to stop the suit at any time.

=Covering.=--Putting a higher card on the trick when not the last player.

=Discarding.=--When unable to follow suit, throwing away some card of another suit which is not trumps.

=Doubling.=--Increasing the value of the trick points.

=Doubtful Card.=--Cards which may or may not win the trick. The king is led, and you do not know who holds the ace; the king is therefore a doubtful card.

=Dummy.=--The player whose cards are exposed on the table. The dealer's partner.

=Duplicate.=--A modification in which each hand is played more than once, usually in tournaments.

=Echo.=--Playing a higher card before a lower, when no attempt is made to win the trick.

=Eldest Hand.=--The player on the dealer's left.

=Established Suit.=--A suit in which the partners can win every trick, no matter who leads it.

=Exposed Card.=--Any card which is shown, but is not played to the trick, such as two cards played at once, one of which is an exposed card.

=False Cards.=--Playing the ace, holding the king, or any similar attempt to conceal the cards held.

=Finesse.=--Any attempt to win a trick with a card which is not the best in the hand, nor in sequence with it.

=Forcing.=--Making a player trump a suit which he does not want to trump.

See Ruffing.

=Fourchette.=--The cards above and below another card. A Q are fourchette over the K.

=Fourth-best.=--Counting from the highest card in the suit.

=Going Over.=--Doubling the value of the trick points.