eral suggestions that it is believed will be found
applicable to a considerable percentage of hands, and that it is hoped
will prove useful.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLAY IN AUCTION AND BRIDGE

There is little difference between the play in Auction and Bridge,
although in Auction, due to the bidding, all the players have much
greater information regarding the strength and weakness of the various
hands.

There is one point of variance, however, worthy of consideration:--

In Bridge, the player of the open hand is generally striving for the
game as his only object. In Auction, the Declarer has two purposes in
view; first, to fulfil his declaration; and second, when the making of
the declaration does not in itself secure game, to obtain that also.

Naturally, the opponents of the Declarer play with exactly the opposite
idea, their first object being to prevent him from going game, and
their second, to keep him from fulfilling his contract.

PLAYING FOR GAME

The Declarer should never take a finesse or make any other play which,
if it succeed, gains one or more tricks, but which, if it fail, risks
the fulfilment of an otherwise assured contract. Having once made sure
of his bid, he should apply a similar rule to the winning of the game.
An extra trick counts comparatively little, but the failure to carry
out a contract or to capture a game may alter the result of the rubber.

The game is, of course, far more important than the contract, and the
Declarer, when he has a reasonable chance of obtaining it, should, if
necessary, risk his declaration. On the other hand, his opponents
should save the game beyond peradventure, even if by so doing they lose
an opportunity to defeat the Declarer.

A couple of examples will show this more clearly than pages of
explanation.

Suppose, the score being love, the Declarer, who has bid three Royals,
has about exhausted the possibilities of his cards. He has won eight
tricks and has the lead in his own hand, with an Ace and Queen of the
same suit in the Dummy. One more trick will fulfil his contract, two
will give him game. The development of the play has shown that the
adversaries will make the rest of the tricks whenever they obtain the
lead, and consequently, if he finesse and lose, the eight tricks
already taken will be all he will secure, his Ace will "die," and he
will be "one down."

He is without information as to the location of the King; neither
adversary has declared,