Most good players make it a fixed principle of conduct never to redouble. It is not worth the risk, and may scare the birds off nto' another call. "If you hold an altogether exceptional hand, however, and are mathematically certain' you can make your call, a redouble is on rare oceasions.'useful, not only as a fine scoring device, particularly if the doubled call' is so high' that there chance of the opponents shying me to another call, but more particular= ly as a signal to your partner to leave well alone. T always something on a redouble when my partner is one of the triple-expansion idiots given to dashing in to the rescue of a doubled small-slam hand, "And if by evil chance 0 down, and he demands why T redoubled, in. the simplest possible language I tell him. Te helps to relieve one's feelings, and has 1 distinctly educative effect, Doubling has no terrors, nstrumont levelled against them= selves, to sonnd callers. But im agine the sensations of the player, Whose partner has called three trumps on the strength of his own call of one diamond, and been promptly doubled, if he' knows ho must expose a clammy hand minus the top honours in the suit: he call ed! One point of erucinl strategy T emphasize strongly. When you are the dealer, with your opponents score hovering around grime and rubber, it is your plain duty of Jhumane citizenship not to utter the deathknell "No cal" or, to be quite correct and according' to Cocker, 'No bid," unless you really have nothing on earth. At that. stage with the taste of the bitter dust al" most in your poor partner's mouth, consideration for him, and for your own "now propre ani pocket, Aietates that, i gallant, you' should be bold solute, Then, if ever, is the time to mention one nostrump, if you have the ghost of " balanced hand, or a suit, always provided you held the indispensable ace, however thin its supports, The American Convention And, if the opponents are the dealers, and make a firsteall no-trump bid, ponder your own hand carefully. "If you have a reasonably safe suit, ace-held, call it. If you have no' special suit, but a fairly sound all-round hand, T recommend, on this occasion only, an American nformative double. But you must be quite sure your partner will be alert. to the inchietable obligation, fas an officer and a gentleman, of taking you out of this double, which so obviously courts disaster,—by Didding his longest suit, be "it 90 poor even as five to the nine. I fam aware that sll the pundits this side of God's Own Dry Country condemn this, but Tam also aware that, in the' out and thrust of [first-class club play, it is being regularly used. But, "ladies and gentlemen, always with a rear disleretion. Tt is no magic formula, You must hold a reasonably promising all-round hand. Otherwise there will be blue murder.
(To be Continued)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.