In view of the (rump strength being so important, it is seldom adble to bid a very weak four-card in five-suit Bridge, specially in royals, spades or hearts where, most game contracts will be played.
It is equally seldom, correct to raise partner's opening bid with only three trumps no matter how strong, until partner has rebid the suit. It is, however, of such great value to find a good trump suit (since the widow will work its greatest good for declarer), that when holding four cards in partner's suit (if royals. spades or hearts) it is wise to raise the suit bid in preference to making smother response, jin royals, spades or hearts, a miédabie suit should be five cards in Jength. sally it should be as good as Kxxxx or QJxxx, possibly Q 10 Xxx. A four-ard suit should be strong, AKxx or KQJx, With the necessity for seting up tricks in outside suits, it is a dangerous task for the declarer to set himself, of establishing a weak four-card™ trump suit, as there will seldom be time. and if trumps cannot be led the opponents are likely to get in some unexpected ruffs.
In diamonds or clubs, any minimum four-card suit may be bid as in contract; QIxx or better, and should be bid ju preference to shading the requirements for showing a major suit, The "Widow"
The "widow" must of course be taken into consideration when bidding.
If the exposed car is an ace, king or queen, or a card of the suit bid by declarer, it should be consider" as part of declarer's hand and counted into the requirements for making a bid. If the widow is not an, honour or part of the trump suit, it should not be counted as part of declarer's hand. There is, of course, a great danger of overbidding unless the two partners realize that both of them Cannot at the same time make use of the widow for creating extra suit length, voids or singletons in their hands. Both of them can be sure, however, that the widow placed will add at least one trick to the playing strength of the hand, Scoring Table No trump Royals Spades [carts Diamonds ' unumm Cubs Game: 120 points below the line. Rubber bonus:
When the opponents do not score 700 500
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.