HOW TO PASS Part I
por ELY LENZ source The Rotarian Magazine, 1942
An anonymous
benefactor sets forth the rides and regulations for the use of this bridge
tool.
IT IS A MIRACLE to me that, in all the literature of bridge, there is not
a single chapter on How to Pass. It is true that passing is
mentioned. "In such a
case, pass" is frequently quoted, and "Pass, instead of doubling" is another
phrase we meet, but there is absolutely nothing on how one should pass.
Such neglect is absurd. It is like saying, "On falling into a lake, swim,"
without any instruction on how to keep above water. Imagine a textbook on
surgery that told the eager student that trepanning was necessary and let it
go at that, without any illustrations or advice on how to do it! Yet passing
is as necessary to a bridge player as trepanning is to a sturgeon more, in
fact, for trepanning is seldom indicated, yet every hand of bridge
necessitates three passes before it can be played.
I do not speak of tournament bridge, for that is not a game at all, but a
miniature battle played with cards and dirty looks instead of guns and
bayonets. I refer to the family or bridge-club game the friendly game, as my
wife sarcastically calls it.
Let us first look at the pass with intent to pass, or The Pass Direct.
You are West, and South has dealt. You pick up your cards and arrange them.
They are -Spades: J 8 5 2; Hearts: 9 4; Diamonds: 10 7 5; Clubs: Q 9 6 3.
South passes. The question arises: How should you pass?
Don't just say, "By,- O r, '1 pass." Look at your cards hard. Moan with
anguish. Screw up your face into a grimace of utter despair. Then say,
firmly, "PASS!"
This leaves your partner with a clear understanding that this is not a trap
pass, nor a reluctant pass, but an out-and-out no-bidding-values pass.
Suppose he was planning to bid on three honors. This will tell him, in one
simple word, that he cannot count on you for anything but grief.
If, in spite of your warning, he insists on bidding, just leave your hand in
a bundle before you and mutter, "Pass," at every opportunity. Even if it
isn't your turn, interject a "Pass" into the bidding now and then. Thus you
convey in no uncertain manner the information that you have an absolute bust.
The next hand, you are still West, you deal and pick up -Spades: A K1043;
Hearts: 9732; Diamonds: 104; Clubs: J 7. Almost a biddable hand, but not
quite. But how to get the information across to your partner? Merely passing
won't do it. And The Pass Direct will mislead him.
So here we adopt the technique of The Informative Pass. Look over your hand
carefully. Then look directly at your partner and say, "How many spades will
it take to give us a game?" Of course, as you already know, he will
answer, so you look regretfully at your hand and say, "Then I pass."
By this maneuver your partner knows you have strength in spades and
practically nothing else. It isn't enough strength..., so it must be one-and-a-half
or two honor tricks in spades only. With this information he is much better
equipped to make his first bid. If he says, "One heart' you can go to
two, which shows him that your spade pass meant control of the suit
and something in his suit as well.
Another form of the Informative Pass comes up on the third hand.
You look at your hand and find Spades: A Q 4; Hearts: Q 9 8 6; Diamonds: K
2; Clubs: K J 10 5. North bids one diamond, your partner passes in such a
way you cannot tell if he means it or is stalling, South bids one heart, and
it is up to you. Instead of bidding on this round, you can pass the burden
to your partner together with much information if you hesitate a moment, and
then say brightly, "Have we anything on game?" This immediately tells your
partner that you have a fairish sort of hand, and if he has anything at all,
he should bid it, and thus give you a chance to carry it on, but that if he
has nothing, it might be best for you both to shut up.
Closely allied to The Informative Pass is The Lead-Directing Pass* Let us
suppose you hold ace-king-queen of spades, but haven't had a chance to show
them, because the level is too high by the time it reaches you. Turn an
astonished face to your right and demand, "Did you say three spades?" in a
shocked and incredulous tone. Of course, he will correct you, and you can
then laugh lightly and remark, "I didn't think you did I pass." Naturally,
your partner, who, it seems, will have first lead, will promptly lead spades,
unless he is an absolute ass.