n making the initial declaration, obtains a valuable
strategic position whenever his hand justifies an offensive bid
(_i.e._, anything but one Spade); but when he is compelled to assume
the defensive, this advantage passes to his opponents. By any
declaration which shows strength, he materially aids his partner and
places difficulties in the path of his adversaries. A No-trump is
naturally his most advantageous opening.

There are many hands in which the strength is so evenly divided that
the advantage of playing the Dummy enables the player who "gets to the
No-trump first" to make good his declaration, and frequently, in such
equally balanced hands, one No-trump is the only bid that can be made.
One No-trump eliminates all adverse calls of one, and sometimes when
the strength of the opponents is considerable, but divided, results in
shutting out a productive declaration. The Dealer, therefore, whenever
his hand warrants it, should grasp his good fortune and declare his
strength.

He should not, however, rashly assume the offensive. There is no way in
which he can more thoroughly deceive his partner, create greater havoc
with the bidding of the hand and cast deeper distrust upon his future
declarations than by using the keynote bid to announce strength which
his hand does not contain.

He must thoroughly understand the conventional declarations, and when
in doubt should bid one Spade, as the damage which is apt to result
from an overestimation by his partner of his winning cards is much
greater than any benefit gained by starting the attack.

THE BID OF ONE NO-TRUMP

The Dealer is justified in basing his declaration upon the assumption
that his partner has one-third of the high cards not in his own hand.
He may, therefore, _bid one No-trump with any holding better than the
average_ whenever he has

(_a_) Four suits stopped.

(_b_) Three suits stopped and his hand contains an Ace.

(_c_) Three King suits, all of which contain in addition either
Queen or Knave.

(_d_) A solid five-card Club or Diamond suit and another Ace.

The first question to determine is what, from the standpoint of the
Declarer, constitutes a guarded or stopped suit.

That an Ace comes under that head is self-evident.

So also must a King, if accompanied by one small, because the lead
comes up to the Declarer, and the King must either be able to win the
trick or be made good.

A Queen and one other manifestly wi