Correct contract bridge / by E.V. Shepard ; including the official Laws of contract bridge adopted by the Whist Club, New York, and by all the leading clubs in America.

PROBABLE RESULTS

I97

THE RULE OF THREE
Divide by 3 the total honor tricks missing jrom
your hand. Unless the one-third average obtained
slightly exceeds the amount you require for game,
you lack game probabilities.
Experienced players often know without rules
whether the best opening bid is one, two, or more.
Less well trained bidders require more definite information to steady their contracting. The following hands illustrate proper opening bids on hands
of differing types.
AKIo8654 - 4 2 0KQJ o5
The above hand contains 5Y4 honor tricks and
has a total strength of io probable tricks. There
are just three vital cards missing that are needed
for a grand slam (4 Q, 4 A, and 0 A). Partner's chances in 703 to hold these essential honors
are: to hold none, 200; just one, 325; just two, I56;
to have all three, 22. To jeopardize an almost certain game for such meager chances of making a slam
would be poor strategy. The proper opening bid
is 4-Spades.
The right opening bid on the next hand shown
is 3-Hearts:
4 6 V AQJ8653 * K72 0 96
The hand has a probable value of just seven
tricks, asking partner to win two tricks for fulfillment of contract and to assist, regardless of trump
strength, upon three probable tricks. Applying
your rule of three, you note that partner should have