Chapter IV: Part 4

This part of the game merits much more consideration than a cursory knowledge of Bridge would suggest. The ordinary Bridge player is confused by the many difficulties attendant on discarding, and his cards are apt to be injudiciously thrown away. It would greatly simplify the discard if you were always to throw away your lowest card or to follow some other hard-and-fast rule; but, unfortunately, the discard is so affected by the particular situation and by the previous play as to preclude the possibility of establishing such a rule. When you advise the beginner to throw away a high card instead of a two spot, the situation appears to him hopeless; he fails to realise that at times high cards have little value, and, to obtain the lead, honours and even smaller cards must be properly protected.

When opposed to the dealer, it should be your aim both to protect your hand and to give your partner information. As the eldest hand, your opening lead indicates strength or weakness; any subsequent discard is simply the card that you can best spare, and is not intended to convey any definite information. As the original leader, it is important that you know your partner’s suit, and this information he should convey to you by a recognised system of discarding decided on before beginning the game. Thus the discard from the strength or from weakness refers only to the first card thrown away by the younger hand.

There are three methods of discarding used by Bridge players, each having the same object--to protect the hand and to give information.

1st. Strength both with a trump and at “no-trump.”

2d. Strength with a trump and weakness at “no-trump.”

3d. Weakness both with a trump and at “no-trump.”

Some merit may be claimed for each; but there is a wide difference of opinion regarding the relative values of these discards. In Whist, as well as in Bridge, there has always been more or less discussion on this point. It can, however, be stated that the foremost authorities on Whist have uniformly agreed that with strength declared against you, the best discard is from your strong suit.

THE DISCARD AGAINST A DECLARED TRUMP

The great majority of Bridge players use the strength discard against a trump declaration, and there is little doubt that this is sound. It is imperative that you protect honours in the weaker suits, for rarely will your long suit be brought in against the dealer.

The claim made by those who use the weak discard against a trump make is that it permits them to throw away a short suit, and thus eventually to establish a “ruff.” When a player is discarding from strength, this “ruff” can be obtained with equal facility by the proper use of the reverse discard.

Without a doubt the weak discard should be used on a spade declaration that has been doubled either by you or your partner. In this case, trump strength is probably with you, not against you. The same argument cannot be used, however, on a doubled heart, diamond, or club, whereas spades may have been declared from weakness, the other declarations indicate trump strength.

THE DISCARD AT “NO-TRUMP”

The writer has placed himself on record as being in favour of the strength discard, and since doing so has seen nothing that would tend to change his views on this subject.

A theory of good play may be so unfortunately worded as to convey a mistaken impression, and it is amusing to hear the various methods of discarding discussed by players of little experience; not long since, a hand was published to illustrate the loss of one trick by discarding strength, when an ace is first lost by bad play, and the discard so palpably wrong as to insult the partner’s intelligence.

To those who have not taken the time to analyse hands thoroughly, the discard of a card that may possibly make, naturally seems the waste of a trick; but consider how seldom a suit, not led originally, is brought in against a “no-trump” make; remember that you do not expect to win on the adversary’s make, but only hope to minimise your loss, and that often in trying to save all the cards of your long suit, honours in the weaker suits are unguarded which, if properly protected, would have won tricks.

An objection that is raised to discarding from weakness at “no-trumps” is that one discard does not positively show your strong suit. In many hands, to be sure, your partner can obtain the information from the cards in dummy, but at times, when one suit has been led and another discarded, your partner is left in doubt as to the suit to lead, and a wrong guess may result in serious loss.

Again, the discard from weakness may betray your partner’s hand, by giving information that will enable the dealer to finesse successfully. The dealer is more likely to have strength in your weak, than in your strong suit.

The discard from weakness is of no material help to your partner in discarding, as you may hold a high honour in your weak suit, while with the strength discard, your partner, when he is forced to protect his hand, does not fear to unguard honours in your suit.

If you were to play a hundred deals of “no-trump” hands, making the first discard from the weak suit, and then replay the hands making the first discard from strength, the result would be overwhelmingly in favour of the strength discard. It is impossible to make the first discard from weakness uniformly without unguarding honours in the adversaries’ suits, and only the novice attempts to do so.

To say that one should always make the discard from weakness or from strength is wrong both in theory and in practise. No hard-and-fast rule can be followed without loss. With confidence that an intelligent partner will read your discards, you can allow common sense and reason to dictate the occasions to deviate from the rule.

You should aim first, to protect your hand; second, to give your partner information; and, third, to keep your long suit. In the majority of hands, it is immaterial whether you discard from strength or from weakness, but in those which show a difference, the strength discard does not in any hand lose more than one trick, while the loss occasioned by the discard from weakness varies from one to four tricks in a hand.

If you use the strength discard and find it advisable in any particular hand to throw away your weak suit, you can always do so by using the reverse discard. This is also true when the weak discard is used, but, unfortunately, in the latter case, two cards from your strong suit must be thrown away.

No matter what system of discarding you may use, occasionally a trick will be lost, but after an analysis of over ten thousand deals the writer is of the firm opinion that the discard from strength at “no-trump” will lose less than the discard from weakness.

HINTS ON DISCARDING

If three suits have been led or shown, do not attempt to discard from strength. You question your partner’s intelligence. If your only four-card suit contains but one honour, do not indicate strength unless you are particularly desirous of having that suit led to you.

When you have no suit that you are anxious to show, discard from the suit led originally by your partner, or even, when it is obviously established, from the adversary’s suit. This implies that you have no strength to indicate, but you are protecting your hand.

It is bad policy to discard all the cards of one suit, as it betrays any strength your partner may hold.

As the younger hand, infer from your partner’s discards what suit he is guarding.

When the dealer can lead through a king in your hand, try to keep it twice guarded.

It would be unwise to discard from an established suit if you hold a sure re-entry card; as all you require is the lead, the best discard is from the suit containing the re-entry card.

If you hold a tenace or strength in a suit over the dummy hand, it may be a better discard than your longest suit.

When your partner has shown a four or five-card suit, don’t look to him for much further strength.

Protect all four-card suits even if they are but to the nine or ten, and remember a jack or ten twice guarded will often block the dealer’s suit.

Watch the dealer’s discards and protect the suit that he is saving.

THE REVERSE DISCARD

In discarding, the play of a high and then a lower card reverses the original meaning of the discard. If you adopt the strength discard, and wish to throw away your weak suit at “no-trump” do so by discarding first a high and then a lower card. If you use the weak discard and wish to protect your weak suits, discard first a high and then a lower card from your strong suit.

The reverse discard may be used when it is shown that two discards can be made.

DISCARDING BY THE DEALER

The discard offers fewer difficulties to the dealer whose two hands reveal the suit that should be protected, and show the cards that can be conveniently spared.

In a “no-trump” hand it is especially necessary to guard all weak suits; not forgetting that a four-card suit to the ten will often block the opponent’s lead.

The second suit that they will open is often shown by the adversary’s discards; and this, too, will aid you to prepare a proper defence.

When you hold trump strength discard losing cards from one hand on winning ones in the other.

At times it may be necessary to discard high cards to unblock a suit and to protect honours in another suit.

In discarding endeavour to conceal both your weakness and your strength; you may often mislead your opponents and tempt them to lead to your strong suit.

THE DEALER’S PLAY

The dealer’s play of the twenty-six cards is undoubtedly the most interesting that Bridge offers; the skilful management and keen perception required to combine the two hands against adversaries ready to take advantage of the slightest error, make this part of the game correspondingly difficult. With no partner to mislead, the dealer can use strategy to deceive the opponents, while he gains the same information from each adversary’s play as if he were the partner of both. His opportunities to draw inferences are almost innumerable, and give him occasional openings to prepare clever pitfalls for the unwary adversary.

The opening lead--Is it from a long suit or a short suit? What honours are held by the original leader? What cards are placed by the third hand play? These are all questions that must be premised by a thorough knowledge of the correct leads and third hand play. In addition, the dealer must be familiar with the most advantageous play of the various combinations or cards, must locate honours by his adversaries’ discards and arrange the lead accordingly; must know how to unblock as well as how and where to make entry cards. A knowledge of trump management--to know when to lead and when not to lead trumps--is no small part of the dealer’s requirements.

A hand that is well and quietly played merits commendation, which partner and opponents seldom hesitate to bestow.

COMBINING THE HANDS OF DEALER AND DUMMY

As dealer, whether you are playing a trump or a “no-trump” declaration, take a mental stock of the cards you hold early in the hand, and decide from which hand each combination should be led.

Although at times it may be impossible to arrange the lead, it may be stated here that the advantages that accrue from the correct play of most combinations of cards, are obtained by invariably leading a suit from the weak to the strong hand; in most cases the high card from the weak.

The four most important combinations and those that are held most frequently are:

A Q J
A K J
A J 10
K J 10

ACE, QUEEN, JACK COMBINATION

Perhaps with no one of these combinations can you so often gain tricks as by the correct play of ace queen jack.

These cards may be held in four different ways.

+------------------+-------------------+
| _In One Hand._ | _In the Other._ |
+------------------+-------------------+
| A Q J | x x x |
| A Q x | J x x |
| A J x | Q x x |
| A x x | Q J x |
+------------------+-------------------+

With this combination either in a trump or in a “no-trump” hand endeavour to catch the adversary’s king by leading the highest card from your weak hand toward the ace; if the king is not played second in hand you can lose nothing by taking the finesse; for when it is guarded in the fourth hand the king will win no matter how the cards are played. The advantage of leading the high card is that, if you retain the lead, you can again lead from the weak hand.

Better results will, of course, be obtained if you hold ace queen jack ten, or even ace queen jack nine in the two hands; otherwise the adversary, by covering the honour led, may eventually establish a ten or nine against you.

If you hold ace, queen, and two or three small cards in one hand and jack and small cards in the other, the best play of the combination is to lead a low card up to the ace queen; if the finesse is successful, the lead of the ace may capture a once-guarded king without establishing a ten or nine for the adversaries. But if pitted against weak players, on account of their well-known dislike of sacrificing a high card, the lead of the jack toward the ace queen is advisable.

The number of cards in the suit will often influence you in taking or not taking the finesse. With eight cards or fewer in the two hands, the finesse is practically obligatory. With nine cards in the two hands, the finesse should usually be taken. With ten cards in the two hands, it is largely a matter of luck. With ace queen and jack in one hand and small cards in the other there is a slight percentage in favour of the finesse. Otherwise try to gain information by leading the highest card toward the ace, and if it is not covered, play the ace on the chance of finding the king alone.

If you do not hold the jack it is a losing play to lead a queen toward the ace. This is a common mistake and should be carefully avoided.

With ace, queen, ten and nine in the two hands, it cannot be considered altogether bad play to lead the queen toward the ace; but if this is done it may be necessary to take a finesse on the second round. The adversaries’ discards, however, will often show you how this combination should be played.

ACE, KING, JACK COMBINATION

This combination can be held in four different ways:

+-----------------+-----------------+
| _In One Hand._ | _In the Other._ |
+-----------------+-----------------+
| A K J | x x x |
| A K x | J x x |
| A J x | K x x |
| K J x | A x x |
+-----------------+-----------------+

With the first arrangement of this combination the lead should come from the weak hand and the jack should be played. In the second the jack may be led from the weak hand toward the ace king; although unless you also hold the ten, little can be gained by this play, for if the adversary covers the jack with the queen, as he should, the ten will be established against you. In the two remaining cases a low card should be led up to the jack.

With each of these combinations, unless you hold nine cards or more in the combined hands, the finesse should be taken.

With ace jack in one hand and the king in the other, or with king jack in one hand and ace in the other, unless you also hold the ten of the suit, do not lead the jack toward the ace; for if the adversary covers the jack with the queen, the ten is established against you.

If you hold nine cards in the two hands it is not sound play to finesse; with but four cards against you the queen will probably fall in two rounds of the suit.

ACE, JACK, TEN COMBINATION

These cards may be held in four different ways:

+------------------+------------------+
| _In One Hand._ | _In the Other._ |
+------------------+------------------+
| A J 10 | x x x |
| A J x | 10 x x |
| A 10 x | J x x |
| A x x | J 10 x |
+------------------+------------------+

As there are two high cards against this combination, you must take a double finesse. The play is similar to that given for the previous combinations. Lead the high card from the weak hand, and, unless it is covered, pass the trick; then wait until the suit can again be led from the weak hand, and take a second finesse.

KING, JACK, TEN COMBINATION

There are three ways in which these cards may be held:

+------------------+-----------------+
| _In One Hand._ | _In the Other._ |
+------------------+-----------------+
| K J 10 | x x x |
| K J x | 10 x x |
| K x x | J 10 x |
+------------------+-----------------+

In each of these cases the play is practically the same; lead the highest card from the weak hand and finesse. If by the finesse you succeed in forcing the ace, wait until the suit can be led through the queen.

If you hold this combination with nine or more cards of the suit, it is often difficult to determine whether a finesse should or should not be taken; if you play the king and it wins the first trick, you may drop both ace and queen on the next lead.

MISCELLANEOUS COMBINATIONS

If you hold a sequence of three high cards in the combined hands, while, of course, it is better form to lead from the weak hand, it makes but little difference from which hand the suit is led. Therefore, if you cannot conveniently place the lead, do not hesitate to lead from the strong hand. Should you, however, hold a sequence of two high cards in one hand with small cards in the other, for instance:

+------------------+-------------------+
| _In One Hand._ | _In the Other._ |
+------------------+-------------------+
| K Q x | x x x |
| Q J x | x x x |
+------------------+-------------------+

it is always advisable to lead from the weak hand. Should the queen win in the first combination, wait until you can again lead the suit from the weak hand.

COMBINATIONS TO BE AVOIDED.

+------------------+-----------------+
| _In One Hand._ | _In the Other._ |
+------------------+-----------------+
| Q x x | A x x |
| J x x | A x x |
| Q x x | K x x |
| J x x | K x x |
| J x x | Q x x |
| K x x | x x x |
+------------------+-----------------+

A suit containing a single honour or one with a single honour in each hand should be avoided. There is a difference of one or two tricks in each of these combinations dependent on whether you or the adversaries open the suit. When it is an advantage to have a suit led by the opponents, endeavour, by throwing the lead, to force your adversaries to lead the suit to you.

ARRANGING THE LEAD

Assuming that you understand how to play the various combinations of cards, it becomes necessary, as soon as the opening lead has been made, to plan a well-defined scheme of play.

Do not hesitate to pause a few moments to study thoroughly the two hands, so that you can play quickly and intelligently. Be assured that when you play a hand with a vague, uncertain feeling, you are playing it badly. Many a hand is ruined by careless and hasty play to the first trick.

In a “no-trump hand” this first trick is often of great importance. Before you touch a card in the dummy decide for which suit you wish to play, from which hand it should be led, and in which hand you need an entry card.

In mapping out your play of a trump hand, try first to infer whether the lead is from a long or a short suit; then decide whether or not you should lead trumps, and if so, from which hand you should lead them; and looking ahead still further, place an advantageous lead for your long suit.

FINESSING

It has already been stated that with certain combinations in the two hands, you should finesse, and that you can do so, unless you hold great length in the suit with but small chance of loss. When a finesse goes against you, it is due to an unfortunate distribution of the cards and not, as one is apt to feel, to your own bad play. However, the subject of finessing, in common with all other parts of Bridge, requires a knowledge of the particular situation, and there are many occasions when it is unwise to finesse.

It would be bad play to finesse deeply in trumps when it is evident that your adversaries can “ruff” a suit, or that a “cross-ruff” is imminent. It may be important that you have two, or even three rounds of trumps. The finesse may gain one trick, whereas if it goes against you, and the adversaries “ruff” your good cards, you may lose several tricks.

In a “no-trumper,” if your opponent has an established suit, be careful not to take a finesse, which, if it loses, will afford the adversary an opportunity to make his established suit. It is much better play to finesse against this player, especially if you know that the other adversary has no card of his partner’s suit.

As dealer, you should be careful about taking a finesse, which, if it loses, will block your suit, and allow your adversary to take out your card of re-entry.

If you hold a guarded honour in the suit originally led by the adversary, do not take a finesse, which, if it loses, will allow your right-hand adversary to lead through this honour. The entire suit may be made against you.

If you hold the king of a suit once or twice guarded in one hand, and only small cards of that suit in the other, do not take a finesse, which may allow the adversary to lead through this king.

If you have a strong hand and a weak dummy you would, of course, prefer that the lead come up to you. Therefore, take your finesse, so that if it loses, you will have, at least, this advantage.

With ace, king, and jack in one suit, and especially if these cards are all in one hand, it is often good play to take one round of the suit before attempting a finesse. The fall of the cards may help you to locate the queen.

When you hold eight cards to the ace, king, and jack in the two hands, the adversary’s queen is frequently unguarded. Finessing then becomes a question of the score and of the possible loss that an unsuccessful finesse would entail. You should risk the loss of a trick in order to win the game, provided the loss of a trick does not lose the game. If the game cannot be won, and it is merely a question of winning or not winning the odd trick, do not finesse. That one trick may prevent the adversaries from winning the game on the next deal.

THE FINESSE OBLIGATORY

This is an arbitrary finesse, which is often forced upon you, when, unless the cards of a suit are in a certain position, there is no possibility of winning. Perhaps the best way of defining the finesse obligatory is to give an example showing the position as it most frequently occurs:

K♠ 7♠ 3♠
x-------x
| Y |
| A B |
| Z |
x-------x
Q♠ 9♠ 8♠ 6♠ 5♠

“Z” is the dealer, and leads a low card to the king in dummy, which wins the first trick. The suit is returned, the ace being marked with “A.” If “A” holds both ace and knave, no matter how the dealer plays, “A” must win two tricks. Unless the knave is in “B’s” hand, and “A” holds the singleton ace, the adversary must win two tricks. The dealer should, therefore, play his lowest card, not the queen.

WATCHING THE DISCARDS IN ORDER TO LOCATE FINESSES

The amount of information to be gained from the adversary’s discards is apt to be underestimated. Careful notice of the discards, particularly in a “no-trump” hand, will often help you to locate honours and to determine where a finesse should be taken; moreover, it will simplify the end play, show you chances to throw the lead, and give you opportunities to force the opponents to lead up to your hand.

If the king of your long suit is against you and on the wrong side, it will probably make, but this is not true of the queen. If you hold in the two hands ace king, jack or ace king jack, ten of a suit, unless you can place the queen, you are compelled to guess where to take the finesse. If, however, you can advantageously lead another suit try to force the adversaries to discard, one will undoubtedly protect the queen of your suit, and the other, not knowing perhaps that you are trying to gain information, will probably discard from his weak suit; the discard thus enabling you to finesse successfully.

This information can often be similarly obtained in a trump hand by leading an extra round of trumps. If, however, you are forced to lead the suit without any knowledge of the situation, lead a card which will tempt your adversary to cover; for instance, holding ace x x in dummy with king jack ten in your own hand, lead the jack. If the jack is not covered, it is often good play to take the first trick with the ace, and, on returning the lead, to play the ten. As the jack was not covered you infer that the queen is held by the other adversary.

If you have no finesse in your suit, it often pays to give the adversaries a chance to make a finesse possible for you. For instance, with A x x in dummy and K 10 9 in your own hand, unless both queen and jack are unguarded, or unless you can tempt them to play badly, the adversaries must make one trick in the suit. The play is to lead the ten, for if it is covered, either with jack or queen, you have the advantage of a finesse on your return of the suit.

SECOND HAND PLAYS

Showing the play of the different combinations between dealer and dummy. In each case a small card is led and the second hand is the hand that is led through:

+--------------+---------------+------------------------+
| _2d Hand._ | _4th Hand._ | _Play._ |
+--------------+---------------+------------------------+
| A K x | J x x | K, or Low |
| A K x | 10 x x | K (T) Low (NT) |
| A Q x | J x x | Low |
| A Q x | 10 x x | Low |
| A Q x | x x x | Queen (T) Low (NT) |
| A J x | Q x x | Low |
| A 10 x | J x x | Low |
| A x x | Q x x | Low |
| K Q x | x x x | Queen |
| K J x | x x x | Low |
| K J | x x x | Jack (T) King (NT) |
| K J | A x x | Jack |
| K J x | 10 x x | Low |
| K 10 x | J x x | Low |
| K x x | Q x | Low |
| K x | x x | Low (T) King (NT) |
| K x | J x x | Low |
| K x | Q x x | Low (T) King (NT) |
| K x | Q 10 x | Low |
| K x | A 10 x | Low |
| K x | A J x | Low |
| Q J x | x x x | Jack |
| Q J x | A x x | Jack |
| Q 10 x | A x x | Low |
| Q x x | K x x | Low |
| Q x x | x x x | Low |
| Q x | A x x | Queen |
| Q x | A 10 x | Low |
| Q x | A J x | Low |
| Q x | K x x | Low (T) Queen (NT) |
+--------------+---------------+------------------------+

(T) with a declared trump.
(NT) at no trump.

+--------------+---------------+------------------------+
| _2d Hand._ | _4th Hand._ | _Play._ |
+--------------+---------------+------------------------+
| A K x | J x x | K, or Low |
| Q x | J x x | Low |
| Q x | x x x | Queen |
| J 10 x | A K x | Ten |
| J 10 x | A x x | Ten |
| J x | A K x | Jack |
| J x | A Q x | Low |
| 10 x | A K x | Ten |
| 10 x | A Q x | Ten |
| 10 x | A J x | Low |
+--------------+---------------+------------------------+

MANAGEMENT OF TRUMPS BY THE DEALER

The surest test of a player’s skill is the ability he displays in handling trumps. Habits that are wrong in theory are frequently formed, and errors in judgment are common in the trump management. The difficulties are as numerous as the combinations are varied. Only general rules can be given, and the constantly changing situations must be met by the skill and originality of the player.

WHEN TO LEAD TRUMPS

One of the first points for the dealer’s consideration is the advisability of the trump lead. As he usually holds the balance of trump strength in the combined hands, generally speaking the dealer should lead trumps.

A common excuse for avoiding the trump lead is that the hands contain no long suit; if this is true, why not try to establish your trump suit? If you hold five trumps in one hand, the chances are that three rounds will leave you with two long trumps and the adversaries powerless to “ruff” any high card you may hold; by refusing to lead trumps you may enable the opponents to “overruff” your strong hand and make their trumps separately. It may be to your advantage to have the other suits led by the adversaries and your trump lead will often force them to do this.

At times you will have the choice of two ways of playing the hand. One, to trump losing cards in your weak hand; the other to exhaust trumps and discard your losing cards on the commanding cards of a long suit. If your trumps are strong and your long suit established, the trump lead is preferable. With an established suit and high trumps against you, postpone the trump lead until you have allowed your weak hand to “ruff” the losing cards.

However, with five trumps in the strong and four in the weak hand, as you will probably exhaust trumps in two rounds, it is safer to lead the trumps first. You can then “ruff” in your weak hand without danger of being “overruffed.”

If you hold seven or more trumps in the combined hands, do not make the fact that your strong hand has been forced an excuse for not leading trumps. If you are protected in the adversaries’ suit and can lead the trumps advantageously from the weak to the strong hand, always lead them.

To lead trumps with this number is the rule, not the exception, but occasionally when they cannot be led from the weak hand it is better to make as many trumps as possible by “ruffing.”

WHEN NOT TO LEAD TRUMPS

Perhaps the simplest rule that can be given is, do not lead trumps when there is a short side suit in the weak trump hand. You will obviously gain by trumping losing cards in the weak hand.

As it often requires two rounds to exhaust the short suit in the weak hand, try not to show your intention too clearly, or the adversaries will circumvent your scheme of “ruffing” by a trump lead. Remember, also, that you cannot obtain the “ruff” unless you hold, or can make, an entry card in your strong hand.

When your combined hands contain fewer than seven trumps, the balance of strength is with the adversaries, and, in this case, unless your trumps or side suits are exceptionally strong, avoid the trump lead.

With but six trumps and an established suit against you, it would be dangerous to lead trumps. One adversary must hold at least four trumps, and it may be that all the remaining trumps are in one hand. The trump lead would only help the adversaries to make their suit.

When the commanding trump is against you, endeavour to discard your losing suit cards from one hand on winning ones in the other before you give up the lead.

UNBLOCKING THE TRUMP SUIT

As dealer, be careful to lead your trumps in such a manner that you will not find it impossible to continue the lead. The simplest method of unblocking the trump suit is to lead or play the high trumps from the shorter hand.

Occasionally to avoid blocking the suit, it will be necessary to “ruff” with a high instead of a lower trump. For instance, with ace and ten of trumps in dummy and king, queen, jack, nine and eight in your own hand, if you “ruff” with dummy’s ten, you will block the trump suit; even a temporary discontinuance of the trump lead may result in loss.

When you lead the queen toward the ace, holding the ace, jack, ten, nine, seven in one hand and queen, eight, four in the other, you must provide for the possible necessity for leading three times through the king by playing the nine of trumps on the queen lead. A careless play of the seven may make it impossible to capture the adversary’s king.

NOT FORCING YOUR STRONG TRUMP HAND

The greatest weakness and the most expensive fault in the beginner’s game is his predilection for trumping in the strong trump hand. When trumps are hopelessly against you, it may be necessary to make what you can by ruffing, but with the advantage of the make, you are seldom compelled to play a defensive game. When you needlessly force your strong hand to trump, you reduce your power to exhaust the adversaries’ trumps, to establish your suit, and to be left with the last trump--which is, par excellence, the dealer’s game.

To trump in the weak hand is always advisable, nor can any objection be raised to a “cross-ruff,” but force your strong hand only as a last resource.

If you hold the losing one of two remaining trumps, try to force the winning trump from the adversary’s hand; to force your own hand instead will materially prejudice your chance of making a suit.

LEADING TRUMPS TO PREVENT A RUFF

When it is apparent that one adversary can “ruff” a suit, or when a “cross-ruff” is imminent, it is important that you guard against such a contingency by at least two rounds of trumps. Of course, if you hold the commanding trump, this presents no difficulties; but, when the winning trump is with the adversary, you should try to tempt him to hold it up second in hand by refraining from a high card lead. For instance, with queen and seven of trumps in one hand and king jack ten nine eight in the other, lead the seven instead of the queen.

If your trumps are in sequence you can often obtain two rounds by leading the lowest of your sequence rather than the highest card.

WHEN TO DRAW THE REMAINING TRUMPS

When you are left with but one remaining trump, and that the commanding one, usually lead it to draw the losing trumps.

When there are but two other remaining trumps, trust that your trump lead will find them divided. If you have reason to know that both are in one hand, one must of course make; but lead the commanding trump, so that _but_ one _can_ make.

With the best trump in your hand and one against you, it is only in critical situations that you should refrain from drawing the losing trump. For instance, when the adversaries hold an established suit and the commanding card of your suit, it is a better play to clear your suit and then refuse a force until the adversary who holds the remaining trump cannot lead his partner’s suit. Take care, however, to accept the force at the right time, for a delay in trumping may allow the adversary to discard a losing card of your suit.

DISCONTINUING THE LEAD OF TRUMPS

There are many positions difficult to define when it is advisable to discontinue the trump lead. An obvious case is when the commanding trump is against you and the lead would entail your loss of two trumps for one card, which the adversary must make in any case. The best play is to force the adversary to “ruff” with the high trump, for then your trumps may make separately.

When you hold but two trumps with two against you, be careful about taking the third round of trumps when your adversaries hold an established suit; if the trumps are divided no doubt the lead will save a trick; but you risk finding both trumps in one hand, in which case the adversary will draw or force your remaining trump and make his suit. The trump lead cannot win more than one trick and it may lose several.

With three remaining trumps, if your suit is established, the third round should always be taken. Should you find after one or two rounds that the trumps are banked in one hand against you, it is, as a rule, better to force the opponent’s hand than to continue the trump lead. This gives you the long trump, which is no inconsiderable advantage.

The adversaries’ high trumps are sometimes placed after one round, so that it may be advisable to discontinue the trump lead temporarily until you can lead to better advantage from the weaker hand.

When you hold the commanding card of each side suit and do not wish the lead of your long suit to be interrupted, it is good play to lead the losing trump. If, however, you are not in a position to win any card the adversary may lead, it is better play to force the commanding trump.

WHEN TO TRUMP

If the adversary attempts to force your strong hand, it is usually advisable to accept the force. Only in rare cases does it pay to allow the opponent to continue the lead of his established suit.

At times you can afford to give the adversary one trick, knowing that, on the next lead, your weak hand can take the “ruff.”

With two trumps against you it is often good play to discard rather than to “ruff” with the commanding trump. But to gain by your play, you should hold a certain entry card in the suit that the adversary must lead.

With one trump against you, do not use your one remaining trump until the leader’s partner is exhausted in the leader’s suit.

If the adversary leads a suit which you can trump in either hand, the “ruff” should invariably be taken in the weak hand, and a discard made in the strong one.

You are sometimes in a position to know that if you trump, your adversary will overtrump. When the best card is led, it is usually good play to trump immediately and if possible with a card which will not unguard an honour in your own hand, but will force a high card from the opponent. If a suit is led, of which you hold the commanding card in the opposite hand, your best defence is to take a discard, which will prevent the adversary from making a high card later in the hand. If you can make no advantageous discard, your best play is to trump, especially if the trumps in your combined hands are in sequence, for, if the adversary wins the trick, his high trump will probably make in any case.

OVERTRUMPING

It is only the experienced player who can resist the temptation to overtrump. The beginner jumps at every trick without realising that he can often gain by waiting. Overtrump when your hand is weak and your trumps low; but, if overtrumping takes out your only high card in the trump suit, especially if it is the commanding trump, it is nearly always better to discard. Your winning trump is bound to make, and it is better play to throw away a suit that you can ruff later with one of your small trumps.

Frequently by overtrumping you make it easy for the adversary to draw your remaining trumps, which, had you not weakened your hand, he would be powerless to do. For instance, where you hold the best and the fourth best trump, with the second and third best in your adversary’s hand, should you overtrump, your adversary will, of course, be in a position to catch your smaller trump, while by refusing the trick you retain the extra trump and are enabled to draw the adversary’s last trump.

RE-ENTRY CARDS

It is of little use to establish a suit unless it is possible to get the lead in the hand that contains it; therefore, the reservation of a re-entry card in the hand that has the long suit is of great importance. A preferable re-entry is, of course, the last trump or trumps.

Arranging the trump lead so that the last round will be taken in the desired hand is often a necessary precaution.

After the adversaries’ trumps are exhausted, you may be compelled to place the lead in the opposite hand by an extra round of trumps, and often it is necessary to trump with a high card, saving the low trump to lead to the opposite hand.

It not infrequently happens that in order to get the lead in the opposite hand, you are forced to trump your own commanding card.

FORCING DISCARDS

Should you find as dealer that you have a losing card and a number of winning trumps, always lead the trumps to give the adversaries a chance to make an error in discarding.

If the adversary holds the ace, dummy the king, and you a singleton of a suit, your hand otherwise consisting of long trumps and established cards, by first leading the singleton you may tempt the second hand adversary to hold up the ace; while if you lead the established cards, the adversaries can count your hand and will make no such mistake.

Whenever you hold but six or seven cards of a suit in the combined hands, endeavour to make your adversaries discard before you indicate any strength. You will find that many times the discards will necessarily benefit your hand.

With two or three remaining trumps in your hand, you should lead at least two rounds of trumps before opening the suit of which you have but six cards. An example of the situation is given below:

K♣ 8♣ 6♦
6♠ 5♠ 4♦
x-------x
| Y |
| |
| Z |
x-------x
A♣ Q♣ 5♣ 3♣
9♥ 7♥

In this case hearts are trumps. The dealer is left with the two remaining trumps, and holds in his combined hands but six clubs. Should the clubs be led before the trump suit, the adversaries would be left with the commanding club. The dealer should play his two trumps to force discards from his opponents’ hands before he opens the club suit.

With four or five long trumps, when but one other suit has been opened, you will almost invariably gain tricks by forcing the adversaries to discard. Any error they may make in selecting the suit to protect may enable you to take tricks with cards that would otherwise be valueless.

THROWING THE LEAD

The disadvantage of the lead is at times most apparent, and you can often gain by forcing your adversary to lead a suit which you cannot well afford to open.

When there are tricks that the adversaries must win, try to make this necessity a benefit to your hand.

Occasions for throwing the lead arise most frequently in the end play; there are the nice situations where you gain the advantage of position by leading a losing trump or suit card.

However, situations where it is advisable to throw the lead are so frequent and varied in occurrence throughout the _entire_ play that the subject can only be treated in a general way. Perhaps covered by one suggestion; when you cannot lead a suit advantageously, try to force the adversary to lead it to you.

THE DEALER’S PLAY OF A “NO-TRUMP” DECLARATION

As soon as the hand has been opened, make a comprehensive examination to determine the possibilities of your combined hands. Are you strong enough to win the game? Can you win the odd trick? Shall you be able to save the game?

With no other possibility in the hand, make a determined effort to save the game. If you are weak in one suit and hold the command of the suit that is opened, your danger may lie in allowing the adversaries to retain the lead.

When you hold an established suit, you cannot but gain by forcing the opponents to discard; they may unguard honours in their weaker suits or give you information that will locate high cards.

Do not forget that your strength is in your long suit, and that you are often dependent on your other high cards to establish this suit. To the mind of the novice, the loss of the lead is a calamity, and he will often lead all his high cards, leaving the command of his own suit, as well as of the others, with the adversaries.

Remember that it requires no skill to make aces and kings, and that your goal in a “no-trump” hand must be the establishment of the small cards of your long suit.

With fair possibilities in the hand, ascertain before you play a card from dummy, first: which is your longest suit; second, how can it be most advantageously led; and, third, in which hand there is the greater need of an entry card.

CHOICE OF SUITS

There is no rule so necessary to good play as that of retaining the control of the shorter suits and playing to establish the longest suit in the combined hands. Do not let the fact that your long suit contains but a few high cards discourage you--the lead can entail but small loss as the commanding cards would probably make in any case.

When, as frequently happens, your combined hands contain two suits of equal length, make a careful selection of the suit to be played for.

When the ace of one suit and the king or the queen of the other are against you, play for the suit of which the adversary holds the ace. The ace must win, while the fuller information that comes later in the hand may enable you to catch the king or queen by a finesse. Then you can better afford to discard from a suit headed by the ace than from a suit in which an honour must be protected. Moreover, you deprive the adversary of a sure re-entry card.

With two suits of equal length, be careful not to play for one in a hand that contains no re-entry card.

When you hold two suits of equal length, it is usually wise to play for the suit that is exposed on the table and conceal the strength in your own hand. In other words, don’t give the adversaries unnecessary information.

In choosing between two suits select the one that will gain you the greater number of tricks. For instance, when you hold two eight-card suits, one divided five and three and the other four and four, there are clearly more tricks to be made in the former.

Be cautious about playing for a suit of no more than seven cards, for you will often find the remaining cards most unequally divided. When you hold but six cards in the combined hands the balance of strength is with the adversaries, one of whom must hold at least four cards. Try to force your opponents to discard before you indicate strength in six- or seven-card suits.

With two entire suits against you, you cannot afford to lose the lead. Make what tricks you need to save the game and pin your hope on successful finesses.

With but one suit against you, do not fear to establish your long suit. It is not so dangerous to give up the lead when you hold a protection in the suit led originally. The adversary, not knowing your weakness, will probably return the original lead.

KEEPING THE COMMANDING CARD OF THE ADVERSARIES’ SUIT

As a general rule, do not part with the command of the adversaries’ suit until one adversary is exhausted in the suit, and therefore unable to return his partner’s lead; unless the original leader has a sure card of entry you may be able to prevent this player from getting into the lead. Usually do not refuse to take a trick with a king or queen when the higher card or cards have not been played. The adversaries may lead through and capture a single guarded honour.

If you find that there is another entire suit against you, it pays to take the first lead and make what tricks you can in the two remaining suits. Even in some rare cases, the play of a well-guarded king in dummy is the one chance to make or save the game.

Sometimes the cards of your long suit will be so unfortunately placed that the continued lead would establish it for the adversaries. In this situation, keep the command of that suit, and make a bid for better luck in establishing another.

Unless there is no possibility of losing the game, do not hesitate to take the first lead whenever you are assured of a sufficient number of tricks to win the game.

Often by taking the first trick you promote the value of another card in your own hand or in dummy. In other words, you temporarily give up the control, with the knowledge that you will eventually hold the master card of the opponents’ suit.

J♠ 8♠ 2♠ 10♠ 8♠ 6♠ 4♠
x-------x x-------x
| Y | | Y |
| A B | | A B |
| Z | | Z |
x-------x x-------x
A♠ 3♠ A♠ 5♠

10♠ 9♠ 2♠
x-------x
| Y |
| A B |
| Z |
x-------x
A♠ J♠

In these cases, by taking an honour led or played, the dealer can eventually stop the adversaries’ suit.

At times, if you take the first trick, the suit will be protected, provided it is not led by your right-hand adversary.

4♠ 3♠ 7♠ 6♠
x-------x x-------x
| Y | | Y |
| A B | | A B |
| Z | | Z |
x-------x x-------x
A♠ 10♠ 8♠ 2♠ A♠ J♠ 5♠

In these two cases, if an honour is led, the first trick should be passed. If a low card is led and an honour played, the first trick should be taken. Otherwise the opponent may immediately lead through your hand.

Holding the king, queen, and a small card of the adversaries’ suit, you are assured of at least one trick, with the possibility of two, but remember, if you take the first trick, your hand may be led through; it is often safer to win the third round than the first.

Q♠ 8♠ 6♠ 4♠
x-------x x-------x
| Y | | Y |
| A B | | A B |
| Z | | Z |
x-------x x-------x
K♠ 5♠ 2♠ K♠ Q♠ 3♠

5♠ 2♠
x-------x
| Y |
[6♠] | A B | Q♠
| Z |
x-------x
K♠ J♠ 3♠

Should you win the first trick in any one of these cases, endeavour to prevent your right-hand adversary from obtaining the lead.