, has the right to pass
the previous declaration, or double, or redouble, or overcall by making a
declaration of higher value any number of times till all are satisfied, the
actual play of the combined hands (or what in ordinary bridge would be
dealer and dummy) resting eventually with the partners making the final
declaration; the partner who made the first call (however small) in the
suit finally constituting the trump (or no-trump) plays the hands, the
other being dummy. A declaration of a greater number of tricks in a suit of
lower value, which equals a previous call in value of points (_e.g._ two in
spades as against one in clubs) is "of higher value"; but doubling and
redoubling only affect the score and not the declaration, so that a call of
two diamonds overcalls one no-trump even though this has been doubled. The
scoring in auction bridge has the additional element that when the eventual
player of the two hands wins what was ultimately declared or more, his side
score the full value below the line (as tricks), but if he fails the
opponents score 50 points above the line (as honours) for each under-trick
(_i.e._ trick short of the declaration), or 100 or 200 if doubled or
redoubled, nothing being scored by either side below the line; the loss on
a declaration of one spade is limited, however, to a maximum of 100 points.
A player whose declaration has been doubled and who fulfils his contract,
scores a bonus of 50 points above the line and a further 50 points for each
additional trick beyond his declaration; if there was a redouble and he
wins, he scores double the bonus. The penalty for a revoke (unaffected by a
double) is (1) in the case of the declarer, that his adversaries add 150
above the line; (2) in the case of one of his adversaries, that the
declarer may either add 150 points above the line or may take three tricks
from his opponents and add them to his own; in the latter case such tricks
may assist him to fulfil his contract, but shall not entitle him to any
bonus for a double or redouble. A revoking side may score nothing either
above or below the line except for honours or chicane. As regards the
essential feature of auction bridge, the competitive declaration, it is
impossible here to discuss the intricacies involved. It entails, clearly,
much reliance on a good partner, since the various rounds of bidding enable
good players to draw inferences as to where the cards lie. The game opens
the door to much