Mr. Joshua Crane devised, developed, and promoted this bidding system, which was a system created in the early stages of the evolution of the game of bridge. He was an all-round talent in the sports world. He was proficient as a racquet ball player, riding horses / ponies playing the game of polo, sufficiently talented on the tennis court, a tried and true yachtsman, and also an expert player at the new game of duplicate bridge, which had evolved from auction bridge.

Biographical Data

He was also instrumental in changing the world of golf, which had stagnated to the upheld traditions of the past. In a few words, the efforts of Mr. Joshua Crane was to target rater's personal preferences, and introduce a flexibility serving a number of useful functions, including assuring that rankings are as neutral as possible as between different styles of architecture. Crane's objective ranking system, however, was anything but neutral. He baked into his rating methodology specific design preferences. That methodology had two main goals – first, to unmask the prejudices and subjectivity that had plagued golf architecture theretofore, and, second, to provide a roadmap for how courses should be modernized and improved.

Note: For a more complete introduction to his efforts targeted to improving the game of golf the reader should follow the online description of Mr. Bob Crosby.

In other words, Mr. Joshua Crane was born into the world of the wealthy, the upper society, enjoyed the best of educations, and had the time to devote in addressing older, established principles of the founders, who had possibly become unwavering in their assumed right to maintain the status quo and resolute in preserving the traditional.

Note: The picture below is of Mr. Joshua Crane from the year 1924. The second picture shows Mr. Joshua Crane on the golf course in the year 1928.

He authored the publication Common Sense in Auction Bidding, published in the year 1915 by the R. H. Hinkley Company of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. ASIN: B0008B520Y. Library of Congress: 15025846.This publication is more of a pamphlet since it contains 23 pages. It is in this pamphlet that the author describes his bidding methods.

Note: The pamphlet was re-published, also by the R. H. Hinkley Company of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, in the year c1923. Library of Congress: 23004284.

Of special note to the reader is the fact that the devised bidding system occurred during the transition from Auction Bridge to Duplicate Bridge and must be viewed from this perspective.

List of Publications

Common Sense In Auction Bidding, c1923, Publisher: R.H. Hinkley Company, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, LC: 23004284

Common Sense In Contract Bidding, c1915, Publisher: R. H. Hinkley Company, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, LC: 15025846; also Common Sense In Contract Bidding, 1932, Publisher: C.Arthur Pearson Ltd., London, England, LC: 33006553; also Common Sense In Contract Bidding, 1935, Publisher: C.Arthur Pearson Ltd., London, England, ASIN: B001TAH0IU

The Crane System of Contract Bidding-Advanced Method, 1937, Publisher: The Lewes Press

Parameters of the Crane Bidding System

The very concept of the personality of Mr. Joshua Crane was built upon the idea that all things need not necessarily be either complex or complicated. This is, in a sense, also the foundation of his idea to restructure the parameters not only of the scoring methods in the game of golf, but also the very layout of the golf course among other details.

Mr. Joshua Crane based his idea upon the working point count of 4-3-2-1 devised by Mr. Bryant McCampbell, which became first promoted in the year 1915 prior to the publication of his bidding system. The Working Point Count of 4-3-2-1 was greatly publicized, promulgated, and promoted by Mr. Milton Work in the early 1920s.

The entire foundation of the bidding method of Mr. Joshua Crane is based entirely upon the number of working points contained in the dealt hand. Only the total number of the high card points were important. Based on this count the following three principles were employed. The designation of the suit is based on the understanding that the opener would bid the longest suit. If the distribution is 4-3-3-3, then the opener would open with the 4-card suit. It is not important whether this four card suit was a Minor or Major suit.

1.	If the working points of the held thirteen cards are within the range of 12 to 15 high card points, then the bidding system required that the opening player open on the one level.
2.	If the working points of the held thirteen cards are within the range of 16 to 19 high card points, then the bidding system required that the opening player open on the two level.
3.	* If the working points of the held thirteen cards are within the range of 20 to 25 high card points, then the bidding system required that the opening player open on the three level.

* Note: With a three level opening bid the player had to use a certain judgment. A holding with 20 to 23/24 high card points would be opened with the best suit on the three level. However, if the holding contained a minimum of 25 high card points with balanced distribution, then these two parameters would necessitate an opening of 3 No Trump.

Note: Opening a Major suit did not demand that the suit consisted of a 5-card suit. The principle of the 5-card major suit opening was developed much later.

Note: It is possible that this bidding system was the first ever published bidding system to include also a distributional point count. Both the opener and the responder counted 3 points extra for a singleton, and 6 points for a void, but only after a trump suit had been established. No points and/or values were given for doubletons.

Examples

AQ43 KJ6 J73 Q76		KQJ AQJ9 QJ6 Q97		QJ AKQJ763 QJ Q9		A85 KQJ AQ8 AJ65		AQ4 KQJ AQ6 AK87
Bid		Bid		Bid		Bid		Bid		Meaning
1										The holding contains 12 to 15 high card points.
		2								The holding contains 16 to 19 high card points.
				2						The holding contains 16 to 19 high card points.
						3				The holding contains 20 to 25 high card points.
								3 NT		The holding contains 25 high card points and is balanced.

 

 

If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.