Advanced Bridge; The Higher Principles of the Game Analysed and Explained

END PLAY

End play must be premised by correct inferences drawn throughout the previous play of the hand. The last three or four tricks often present opportunities for brilliant play; opportunities which must be lost without a clear understanding of the position of the cards.

It is in the end play that the novice is most deficient. He plays the last few cards carelessly, without the least thought of the possibilities they offer.

In striving to gain by clever end play, do not lose sight of the fact that the game should be made before you incur unnecessary risks. With the game once won, you are justified in resorting to any strategy that may gain extra tricks.

The best play of the last cards of a hand is most often obtained by throwing the lead. The following are examples of this, as well as other methods of gaining tricks.

REFUSING TO DRAW THE LOSING TRUMP

**No. 1**

Hearts are trumps. Z should lead ♣ king.

LEADING THE LOSING TRUMP

**No. 2**

Hearts are trumps. Z should lead ♥ 5.

THROWING THE LEAD

**No. 3**


	♣ X X

Hearts are trumps. Clubs have not been led. Spades have all been played. Y has the best diamond. Z leads ♥ 7.

LEADING A SINGLETON

**No. 4**

Hearts are trumps. Z holds the two commanding diamonds and the thirteenth trump. Clubs have not been led. Z leads ♣ 3 in the hope that A may hold the ace and not play it.

SAVING A LOW TRUMP TO LEAD

**No. 5**

Hearts are trumps. A leads ♦ king. Z trumps with ♥ jack and leads ♥ 3.

REFUSING TO OVERTRUMP

**No. 6**

Hearts are trumps. Y leads king ♦. B ruffs with ♥ 10. Z should discard.

THE EXTRA TRUMP

**No. 7**

Hearts are trumps. Z should lead ♠6, not ♦8.

UNBLOCKING

**No. 8**

“No-trumps.” A leads ♣ king. Y should discard ♥ queen.

MAKING A TENACE

**No. 9**

Hearts are trumps. The remaining trumps are all with A and Z. Z should lead ♥ five.

GLOSSARY

Book.—The first six tricks won by the same partners.

Bring-in.—To make the cards of a suit.

By Cards.—The number of tricks won, more than six, or over the “Book,” is the number by cards. For instance, eight tricks are equal to two by cards.

Cards of Re-entry.—A winning card which will bring into play another suit. Sometimes the re-entry is in the suit itself, but when a suit with a re-entry is spoken of, it means that the re-entry is in another suit.

Chicane.—A hand dealt without a trump.

Command.—The best card or cards of a suit. The ability to stop the suit at any time.

Coup.—A brilliant play resulting in gain.

Covering.—Putting a higher card on the trick when not the last player.

Cross-ruff.—When two suits are being trumped by opposite hands.

Des Chapelles Coup.—Sacrificing a high card, by leading it to make an entry card for your partner’s hand.

Discarding.—When unable to follow suit, throwing away a card of a suit which is not trumps.

Doubling.—Increasing the value of the trick points.

Doubtful Cards.—Cards which may or may not win tricks.

Ducking.—Refusing to play the master card of a suit, with the object of making the smaller cards in the suit.

Dummy.—The player whose cards are exposed on the table.

Duplicate.—A modification in which each hand is played more than once.

Echo.—Playing a higher card before a lower, to your partner’s high card lead.

Eldest Hand.—The player on the dealer’s left.

Entry Card.—A card, with which you can obtain the lead.

Established Suit.—A suit in which the partners can win every trick.

Exposed Card.—Any card which is shown, but is not played to the trick, such as one or two cards inadvertently played at once.

Fall.—The cards as they are played.

False Cards.—Playing the ace, holding the king, or any similar attempt to conceal the cards held.

Finesse.—Any attempt to win a trick with a card which is not the best in the hand, nor in sequence with it.

Follow.—The cards played of the suit led.

Forcing.—Making a player trump to win the trick.

Fourchette.—The card next higher and next lower than the one led. Holding jack, nine, ten led—you hold a fourchette.

Fourth Best.—Counting from the highest card in the suit.

Going Over.—Doubling the value of the trick points.

Guarded Suits.—A high card so protected by smaller cards that it cannot be caught by the adversaries’ lead of higher cards.

Holding Up.—Refusing to play the best, and sometimes the second best card, of a suit.

Honours.—In trumps the A K Q J 10 of the suit. At “no-trumps,” the four aces.

Leader.—The first player to any trick.

Leading Through.—Leading suit with a view to what the second hand holds in it.

Leading Up To.—Playing a suit with a view to what the fourth hand holds in it.

Little Slam.—Twelve tricks won out of thirteen.

Long Suit.—A suit of more than three cards.

Long Trump.—The last trump in play.

Losing Cards.—Cards which cannot possibly take tricks.

Love-all.—The state of the score before either side has made a point.

Master Cards.—Any card of a suit the best in play.

Odd Trick.—The first trick over the book of six.

Opening.—You “open” a suit when you are the first to lead a card from the suit. The original leader is said to make the opening lead.

Original Lead.—The opening of the hand.

Pass.—When no effort is made to take a trick.

Revoke.—Renouncing while still holding cards of the suit led.

Round.—The cards that compose the trick.

Rubber.—Two out of three games.

Ruffing.—Trumping a trick.

Sequence.—Two or more cards of equal value.

Short Suit.—Any suit of less than four cards.

Singleton.—A suit of which you hold originally but one card.

Slam.—Winning all thirteen tricks.

Tenace.—The best and third best of a suit. Ace and queen are tenace over the king, jack.

Third Hand.—The leader’s partner.

Throwing the Lead.—Purposely playing a losing card that you may not retain the lead.

Unblocking.—Getting rid of a card that may stop the run of a long suit.

Underplay.—Playing a low card with a higher card in hand.

Weak Suits.—Those in which tricks are impossible, or very improbable.

Weakness.—Inability to stop a suit.

Younger Hand.—The partner of the original leader.

INDEX.

Ace, king, jack combination, 127
Ace, queen, jack combination, 125
Ace, jack, ten combination, 129
Ace and king, lead from, 60
Ace, lead of, 64
Ace denies king, 64
Accepting force, 143
Advantages of discarding strength, 120
Arranging the lead, 131
Avoid leading trumps, 141
Avoid weak red makes, 33
Avoid opening trumps, 70
Avoid leading from short trumps, 72
Avoid leading from suit with one honour, 72
Abandoning spade hands, 49
Bridge for three players, 24
Bridge, laws of, 1
Bystanders, 20
Cards exposed before play, 13
Cards exposed during play, 14
Cards played in error, 16
Changing suits, 74
Choice of suits to lead through, 79
Choice of suits to play for, 151
Chicane, 4
Clubs, 46
Convention, heart, 57
Convention, weak suit, 57
Covering honour with honour, 93
Combining hands of dealer and dummy, 125
Combinations to be avoided, 131
Cutting, 3
Cutting out, 4
Dealer’s play of “no-trump” declaration, 151
Dealer’s play, 124
Defensive play against red makes, 59
Dealing out of turn, 13
Declaration, the, 31
Declaring to the score, 27
Declaring trumps, 8
Deal, a new, 7
Deal, the, 6
Defence against overtaking and ducking, 172
Desire to ruff, 75
Diagrams of good combinations to lead from, 62
Diagrams of bad combinations to lead from, 61
Diamonds, 43
Diamonds, original, 43
Diamond make for safety, 45
Diamond make, rule for, 45
Discard, the, 116
Discarding strength, advantages of, 117
Discard against declared trump, 117
Discard from weakness, 119
Discard from strength, 118
Discard at “no trump,” 118
Discarding, hints on, 121
Discarding partner’s suit, 121
Discarding by the dealer, 122
Discontinuing lead of trumps, 144
Discards, forcing, 148
Doubling, 51
Doubling gives information to partner, 53
Doubling to the score, 53
Doubling on the rubber game, 52
Doubling spades, 52
Doubling no-trump, 53
Doubling, redoubling, etc., 9
Doubling to prevent loss, 53
Ducking, 166
Dummy, 11
Echo, the, 88
Eleven, rule of, 67
Estimating the value of a hand, 54
Establishing adversaries’ suit, 81
Establishing small cards, 151
Etiquette, 21
Examples of fourth-best leads, 62
Examples of bad openings against declared trump, 61
Examples of hands that should not be passed, 42
Examples of opening leads, 63
Examples of inference from opening leads, 68
Examples of leading trumps to the maker, 71
Examples of leading trumps through dummy, 71
Examples of no-trump makes, 38
Examples of short suit openings, 77
Examples of second hand plays, 137
Examples of unblocking, 109
Examples of original leads at no trump, 106
Exhausting trumps, 144
Exposed card before play, 13
Exposed card during play, 13
False-carding, 122
Finesse obligatory, 134
Finessing, 132
Finessing by dealer, 132
Finesses, locating, 135
Finessing against partner, 81
Five hearts including three honours, 40
Five hearts including two honours, 41
Five hearts with one honour, 41
Forming tables, 3
Forcing discards, 148
Forcing strong hands, 89
Forcing, 89
Fourchette, 94
Four hearts with three honours, 41
Fourth best leads, examples of, 62
Fourth best lead, 96
General inferences, 99
General rules, 19
Giving correct information to partner, 60
Giving partner ruff, 75
Holding up by non-dealers, 111
Holding up, examples of, 112
Hearts, 38
Hearts in preference to “no trump,” 42
Heart combination, 39
Heart convention, the, 57
Hearts, not “no-trumps,” 43
Hesitating in play, 93
Hints on discarding, 121
Holding the lead, 63
Honours, value of, 4
How to draw inferences, 97
How to play to partner’s trump opening, 73
Illustrations of inferences from third hand plays, 82
Information, give to partner, 61
Inferences from opening leads, examples of, 68
Inferences from third hand play, 82
Information, value of, 96
Information, giving partner, 96
Inferences, how to draw, 97
Inferences, general,99
Inferences, 95
Inferences regarding the make, 98
Information given by doubling, 52
Inferences from low card leads, 67
Inferences from high card leads, 64
Keeping command of adversary’s suit, 153
Keeping the lead, 151
King, jack, ten combination, 129
Laws of Bridge, 1
Locating trumps, 104
Locating finesses, 135
Long suits, leading from, 60
Long suit, value of, 42
Low card leads, inferences from, 68
Leading trumps, examples of, 71
Leading up to dummy, 87
Leading to force, 89
Letting partner ruff, 90
Leading fourth best, 96
Leading red suit to dealer, 105
Leading weak suit at no-trump, 105
Leading from weak hand, 130
Leading trumps to prevent a ruff, 74
Leads out of turn, 15
Leading through strength, 77
Leading through king in dummy, 79
Leading long with four trumps, 76
Leading short with six trumps, 76
Leading red suit on passed make, 75
Leading highest of short suit, 76
Lead when spades are trumps, 72
Leading trumps to throw the lead, 71
Leading trumps from sequence, 70
Leading trumps to prevent a ruff, 143
Leading up to strength, 70
Leading from long suit, 62
Lead of the ace, 64
Lead of ace and king, 65
Lead of the king, 65
Lead of the queen, 65
Lead of the jack, 66
Leading jack from king, jack, ten, 66
Lead of the ten, 66
Lead of the nine, 67
Leading to save slam, 60
Leading from sequence, 61
Leading from ace and king, 65
Leading trumps in doubled spades, 56
Leading from weak trumps, 74
Leading through weakness, 78
Lead when partner has doubled, 55
Leading short suits, 68
Making high cards, 60
Making to score, 31
Management of trumps by dealer, 139
Miscellaneous combinations, 130
Misdeal, 10
New deal, 7
New cards, 20
Non-dealer’s play against a “no-trump” hand, 102
Non-dealer’s play to the score, 29
Non-dealer’s play against a declared trump, 59
“No-trump” declaration by the dealer, 32
“No-trump” with three aces, 35
“No-trump” with two aces and one other guarded suit, 35
“No-trump” with two aces, 36
“No-trump” with one ace, 37
“No-trump” without an ace, 37
Not returning lead of trumps, 73
Not leading from single honour suits, 72
Not leading from tenace suits, 72
Not forcing strong trump hand, 142
Obtaining a ruff, 141
Opening leads, examples, 63
Opening a short suit against a “no-trump” declaration, 107
Original lead at “no-trump,” examples of, 106
Original lead at “no-trump,” 103
Opening short with strong hand, 74
Opening lead, the, 60
Opening lead against trump declaration, 60
Original lead, the, 103
Original lead at “no-trump,” 106
Original trump openings, 70
Original trump openings from strength, 72
Overtaking and ducking, 171
Overtaking and unblocking, 170
Overtaking, 163
Overtrumping, 147
Passed makes, 47
Passed red makes, 49
Passed black makes, 48
Placing high cards, 81
Placing partner in lead, 75
Playing before dummy, 92
Playing ace second in hand, 94
Playing through strength, 77
Playing to the score, 28
Playing before dealer, 94
Preventing ruff, 74
Preventing ruff, leading trumps to, 143
Redoubling, 10, 54
Returning partner’s lead, 91, 109
Re-entries, saving, 157
Red makes defensive, 39
Re-entry cards, 148
Reverse discard, 122
Revoke, the, 17
Rights of entry, 5
Rubber, the, 1
Ruff, obtaining a, 140
Ruff, preventing a, 74
Ruff, desire to, 75, 88
Ruff, giving partner, 78
Ruff, letting partner, 88
Rule of eleven, 67
Rules for “no-trump” declaration by the dealer, 34
Rules for the heart make, 40
Saving game, 151
Saving re-entries, 157
Score, the, 27
Scoring, 1
Seeing dummy hand, 59
Second hand plays, 136
Second hand plays, examples of, 137
Short suit openings, examples of, 77
Short suit openings, 74
Second hand play, 91
Shuffling, 6
Slam, 4
Short suit, leading from, 74
Spades, 47
Spades, original, 47
Strength indicated by trump opening, 70
Strength indicated by doubling, 51
Suggestions for third hand play, 80
Taking out re-entry cards, 115
Trumps, leading in doubled spades, 73
Trumps, avoid leading, 72
Trump, original openings, 70
Trumps, leading up to strength, 70
Trump, opening from strength, 72
Trump lead, not returning, 73
Trusting partner, 99
Trumping losing cards, 141
Trump opening indicates strength, 72
Trump lead when weak hand can ruff, 74
Trump lead against a spade make, 72
Trump opening from strength, 72
Tenace, not leading from, 62
Third hand play, 80
Throwing the lead, 150
Unblocking, 161, 170
Unblocking trump suit, 142
Unblocking, 108
Unblocking, examples of, 109
Value of long suit, 42
Value of tricks, 4
Value of information, 96
Watching dealer’s discards, 135
Watching fall of cards, 98
Watching partner’s play, 98
Watching adversaries’ play, 98
Weakness, leading through, 71
Weak trumps, leading from, 71
Weak suit convention, the, 57
When to lead through strength, 78
When to lead trumps, 139
When not to lead trumps, 141
When to draw the remaining trumps, 144
When to trump, 146
When you play before the dummy, 92
When you play before the dealer, 94
Win the first trick, 59

Advanced Bridge; The Higher Principles of the Game Analysed and Explained

About This Book

END PLAY

GLOSSARY

INDEX.