passing goulashes at contract

LELIA HATTERSLEY

the player is given some timely and constructive advice on how to master them

It has been less than a year since the thrill of Passing Goulashes captured the imagination of a large portion of the Contract playing world. In the meantime at least a dozen varieties of this outlaw game have sprung up to succeed each other in popular favor.

The Goulash of the moment, is the One, Three, Two. It begins with the conventional Goulash deal, which is followed by an exchange between partners, first of one card, then three, and, lastly, two.

If we are to continue diversifying Contract with Passing Goulashes (and, from all over the country, come indications that we must) let us stick to this One, Three, Two, the sequence which most safely lends itself to general play. Here a player with even a modicum of card sense can hardly wander so far astray as completely to wreck his partner's hands, and pocket-book, by faulty passes. At the same time, more than any other Goulash, the One, Three, Two gives skillful players the opportunity to build up extraordinarily interesting hands.

The theory of all Passing Goulashes is the same. Partners strive either to develop one dominating hand which will justify a game or slam bid or to prepare an adequate defense against a game or slam bid from their opponents.

Passing Goulashes are too new and have been too changeable to be standardized. Following are some suggestions as to the strategy which I have developed and found helpful in the management of a One, Three, Two Goulash.

In passing One, Three, Two the first card exchanged between partners invariably indicates the suit which each desires to collect. This should be a suit of some length (not less than four) and, if possible, strength. The highest card should be passed, thus definitely informing the partner of the top strength or weakness of the suit. In his next pass of three cards, each player, as a rule, returns the card he has received from his partner, adding to it any of the suit which he may hold. Where there is more length than can immediately be returned, the highest cards of the partner's suit should be given first, the lowest being reserved for the final pass. To illustrate:*

Should North err in returning, in the above hand, the 9 and 2 of Spades, with his partner's Ace, South would assume that he held no more. By first giving the Jack and 10, North does not deny additional Spades.

*As the exchanges are confusing and difficult to follow from a diagram, it is suggested that the reader lay out the cards and actually make these exchanges as indicated.

Having only one Heart to return with his partner's Ace, South must add a card of another suit. It is generally advisable that the side suit chosen be one which can be continued in the final pass. South should choose the Clubs to clear his hand of an undesirable suit. He does not hesitate to sacrifice his partner as it is improbable that North can develop a powerful Heart-holding with only one in South's hand; while the chance remains that North has Spades to build up South's suit. It might be noted here that in passing a side-suit the order should always be —highest cards first. In this way it is often possible to show the partner that an entire suit has been cleared, information which might prove valuable for defensive or offensive play. Thus, South should give the 10 of Clubs, followed by the 7 and 2.

On receiving his partner's last consignment of Spades, South's hand is built up for a Small Slam against any defense which East and West will be likely to prepare.

On their first pass East and West exchange the Queen of Diamonds and the Ace of Clubs. With his partner's Queen of Diamonds, West returns the 4 of that suit and the 9 of Hearts. On his final pass, he gives the 4 and 2 of Hearts. East has a peculiarly unfortunate hand, being at the end forced to burden his partner with some wretched side card. As both are equally worthless, East should give a Diamond with his final Club rather than shorten his defense in a Major suit.

Opening the bid, South would declare Six Spades. Knowing definitely that he must lose three tricks, West should pass, if vulnerable. Not vulnerable he should make a sacrifice bid of Seven Clubs. He does not run the danger, sometimes present in these sacrifice bids, of forcing his opponent up to a Grand Slam at Spades as he has a sure set for that declaration.

In their first exchange, partners often call for the same suit. Without some understanding as to which shall accumulate the suit, potentially powerful hands may be ruined by a continual exchange. No crossed wires will occur if it is agreed that the partner passing the higher card shall invariably be elected to collect the suit. Beginning with this type of exchange, hands often develop Slam bids. Here is an example:

North and South have exchanged the Ace and King of Spades. The probability of developing a Grand Slam by establishing a crossruff becomes apparent to South when on the second pass North gives the Jack, 9 and 8 of Diamonds, an indication that he is clearing his hand of that suit. After returning his partner's Ace of Spades with the Queen and Jack, South's proper pass is his singleton Heart and the 10 of Spades. The rest of his Spades he retains for ruffing. North, on his third pass, gives South his two remaining Diamonds, one of them the 2.

East and West can readily build up a Grand Slam in Clubs. Their misfortune lies in having the lower valued suit. Whether or not East opens with a Grand Slam bid (a moot question when holding a minor suit), South should immediately declare the Grand Slam at Spades which he alone knows can be made.

The possibility of developing a successful cross-ruff should always be kept in mind. Another strategy too often overlooked is the construction of a No Trump hand. These hands frequently result from finding your partner minus your long suit and strong in one or two others which you lack. Suppose you are dealt the following hand:

J-5 A-K-Q-9-7-5 Q-10 A-K-Q At the outset you hope for a game or a slam at Hearts. You pass the Ace of Hearts and receive the King of Spades. When you pass your partner's King of Spades with the Jack and 5, he returns your Ace of Hearts, accompanied by the King and Jack of Diamonds. This means that there are seven Hearts against you, doubtless massed in one hand as is usual in a Passing Goulash. You should therefore prepare for No Trump play with a final pass of the Ace and King of Hearts. No matter what last cards your partner sends over, you will always have a thoroughly sound game bid at No Trump.

(Continued on page 118)

(Continued from page 102)

A less frequent holding which immediately suggests No Trump development is a hand containing three suits of unusual strength, none of which has length. This distribution may be indicated by first passing an extremely low card from your one weak suit (nothing above a five spot). With the following hand, J-2 9 A-K-Q K-Q-J-9 A-Q-10-2, the pass of the 2 of Spades is an unmistakable clue to your No Trump holding; the card cannot possibly be the top of a long suit. If he has adequate defense in Spades and has not already indicated that suit,your partner can give you his best Spades.

Occasionally the deal brings you a dominating bid. I have found no way of indicating this on the first pass without sacrificing a more necessary signal. On the second pass, however, a super hand can be shown by retaining your partner's initial card. Some constructive work by South is shown here:

After giving the Ace of Spades and receiving the Ace of Clubs, South passes the 10 of Diamonds, accompanied by 2 small Spades. He retains the Ace of Clubs to show his invincible hand. The small Spades he expects his partner to return on the final pass which might otherwise wreck his hand. In this particular instance no possible passes by East and West can set South's Grand Slam. A Slam bid which might be set by an adverse ruff is always a gamble. The risk is lessened if your side suit happens to be a minor. A major is more often massed in one hand.

When it becomes obvious that your side lacks a strong bid, the question of defense must be considered. Your own hand, combined with the information conveyed by your partner's first two passes, often reveals the adversary's suit and enables you to decide whether to mass that suit or divide it for a cross-ruff. The hands in which the defensive cross-ruff most often proves ef. fective are those lacking Aces and Kings. Here is an example:

East and West having exchanged only Queens, can guess that North and South hold the strength and that the adverse bid will probably be in Hearts. Each clears his hand of his partner's suit, and on the final pass, West gives his partner two Hearts. Thus East and West are prepared for a defensive cross-ruff which can win four tricks against the Heart bid which South will almost inevitably build up. South's natural procedure would be to clear his hand of Clubs and the two small Diamonds, while North passes all of his Hearts and one Spade.

If South were ultra-conservative, he would content himself with his sure game—at No Trumps. Being human, it is more probable that he would immediately declare a small slam at Hearts.

When bidding a Passing Goulash, it is advisable to show at once the full strength of your hand. No conventional signal bids should be employed, as information is conveyed so clearly in the exchange of cards. Initial or supporting bids simply show strength not known or previously indicated to your partner. In short the most successful players of Passing Goulashes are those who discard all effort to apply to these hands the strategy of Contract.

Whether you play Goulashes with approval or disapproval, whether you enjoy them or not, you will do well to face the fact that you are meeting problems in an extremely difficult game.