One of the most remarkable features of Auction is the extraordinary desire, exhibited by a large percentage of players, to play the combined hands. This comment is not applicable to a strong player, who, for the good of the partnership, is anxious to get the declaration himself, in order that during the play two or three tricks may not be presented to the adversaries, but is intended for the general run of cases where the partners are of equal, or nearly equal, ability.
A player, before determining to overbid his partner's call, should remember that one of the greatest pleasures of the game is facing the Dummy, especially when the declaration is apt to be successful, and he should assure himself beyond peradventure that, in bidding his own suit in preference to advancing his partner's, he is not in any way influenced by his own selfish desires. He should be sure that, with the positions reversed, he would thoroughly approve of just such action by his partner; and, if his partner be the better player, he should also convince himself that his suit is at least two tricks stronger, as his partner's superior play probably makes a difference of at least one in favor of his declaration.
It should be put down as axiomatic that, when a partner takes out a Heart or Royal with a bid of another suit, he denies strength in the suit originally declared and announces great length with probably four honors in the suit he names; also, that when a Heart or Royal is taken out by a No-trump declaration (except with a four-Ace holding), not only is weakness in the declared suit announced, but also the fact that every other suit is safely stopped.
This must not be understood as a suggestion that a partner should seldom be overbid. Quite the reverse. The informatory school of modern bidding, which attempts, as nearly as possible, to declare the two hands as one, has as an essential feature the overbidding of the partner in an infinite number of cases. It is against the foolish and selfish instances which occur with great frequency that this protest is directed.
When the Dealer bids two Spades, he gives explicit information regarding the contents of his hand.[9] The Third Hand is, therefore, practically in the position of having twenty-six cards spread before him, and the question of what he should declare is not apt to be at all confusing.