Ordinarily it is not possible to establish a suit against the dealer’s strong trump hand, and this does away with the usual argument in favour of returning your partner’s original lead. On the contrary, it is probably the last thing that should be done. Your play is to make any high cards you may hold, and then to search for a weak suit in the dummy hand. If you lead up to this weakness, the dealer cannot place the strength in the suit, and your partner is in a very good position to win a trick cheaply.
After making your high cards, should there be no weak suit in dummy to lead up to, return your partner’s lead.
When opposed to the dealer the question of correct second-hand play is relative to your position at the table. That is whether you play before the dummy or before the dealer. In other words, whether the dummy is at your left or whether the dealer is at your left.
If you will try to infer why the dealer is leading that suit, it will assist you to decide on the correct second-hand play. It is, of course, reasonable to suppose that he has some strength in the suit. What this strength may be you must judge from the cards that you hold and those that you see on the table.
It is evident that when dummy is weak the second-hand play is greatly simplified. You either play higher than dummy’s best, or pass the trick to your partner. Should dummy hold strength or a high card in the suit, it is usually better to play higher than any card dummy holds. For instance, if you hold K x x, with the queen and others on the table, your second-hand play would be the king; otherwise the queen in dummy may win the trick. In this position, however, there are times when a low card should be played. For instance, dummy holds K with others, and you hold A J x; the second-hand play is low; for should the adversary take the trick with the king and return the same suit you win two tricks instead of one. If you hold ace and one or two small cards with king and jack in dummy, the second-hand play should be a low card. Should the dealer finesse the jack, your partner may win the trick.
Should dummy hold over you in a position to overtake any card you may play, unless you hold two honours in sequence, always play your lowest card. For instance, when you hold K J x, and dummy holds A Q x, it is useless to play any card but the lowest. Dummy is sure to win two tricks in the suit.
If you hold K Q x with A J x in dummy, your two honours are in sequence and the lower honour should be played.
Should you hold A Q x with K J x in dummy, the ace is the best second-hand play. If a low card be played, the dealer, by finessing the jack, can place the ace and the queen in your hand, and of course he will not continue the suit; while if the ace is played, the queen, not being so clearly marked, may win the third round.
Usually cover an honour with an honour even though you know that your high card will be lost. Do so whenever you hold a fourchette; whenever you hold the ten of the same suit, which you may eventually make good; or whenever, by covering, you can reasonably hope to make a card good in partner’s hand. It is not, however, advisable to cover a queen led holding K x x x unless one of the small cards be a nine or better; the adversary will find it difficult to catch a king that is three times protected. On the other hand, a king that is once or even twice guarded can be easily captured, and for that reason, and with the object of promoting a card in your partner’s hand, it is usually good play to cover the lead of a jack or queen.
Do not give the dealer an indication of the cards that you hold by hesitating in your play. Decide on and play a card quickly. If there is a doubt as to your play, play your lowest, remembering that the dealer must guess the position of missing honours.
When the dummy is weak and you play before the dealer, it is with the assurance that the missing strength in the suit is over you. This strength may be held by the dealer or by your partner. As he is leading the suit, the chances are that the balance of strength is with the dealer; therefore, unless you know that you can win the trick, do not play a high card.
With ace and others in a suit, if you do not play the ace second in hand, the dealer may win the trick and discard his worthless cards in that suit. The second-hand play of an ace is particularly necessary later in the hand, and when the trumps are against you.
When you play before the dealer follow the same general rules as to covering an honour, and as to playing the lower of two honours in sequence. If dummy holds an ace and others of a suit, and you hold K J x play the king second hand. With small cards of a suit in dummy and ace queen and others in your own hand, the ace should be played second in hand.
There is no subject in Whist or Bridge so interesting as that of inferences. Each card that is played carries with it some information that will often render valuable aid to the play of the hand.
To be able to read the cards correctly, and to draw the proper inferences, requires not only experience, but a certain amount of inherent card genius. The beginner marvels at the amount of information obtained by the expert, wondering how it can possibly be secured. To the average person who sits down to watch a game of Bridge there is nothing more demoralising than to see how readily the good player finds out the location of most of the high cards, and, in many cases, even the distribution of the various suits.
Strange as it may seem, writers on Bridge and Whist have, as a rule, devoted little space to this almost inexhaustible subject. A good-sized book could be written entirely on inferences; and let no one be discouraged at his lack of skill in this direction, for, even among the good players, errors are very common. The best Bridge players, however, are undoubtedly those who can draw inferences quickly and correctly.
When playing against the dealer, give your partner all possible information. Any deception or play of false cards, any irregular lead that is not conventional, will often react to the benefit of the dealer.
Information may be given by leading correctly, by taking a trick as cheaply as possible, by discarding properly, by correct second-hand play, and by returning or not returning your partner’s lead.
At times the information that you give your partner may benefit the dealer by enabling him to mark the distribution of a suit, but more often is it of greater value to your partner. The dealer knows from the start the exact cards that are held against him; while your partner needs all the information you can give to combine with you in defending the dealer’s attack.
There are players who claim that you should not lead the fourth best card against a trump declaration, asserting that the information it gives may benefit the dealer, and that, should a card lower than the one led be played, your partner may think it a short lead. These players make the distinction of leading their lowest card against a declared trump, and the fourth best only against a “no-trump” declaration. This may appeal to those who neither count cards nor apply the useful Eleven Rule, but it does not satisfy the clever player, who wishes to count his partner’s suit, and to determine the exact combination of cards it contains.
If you deprive your partner of the information to which he is entitled, you rob Bridge of much of its intellectual pleasure. How can he know when the weak hand can “ruff” your suit? How can he tell whether a lead will force the strong hand or give it a discard? How can he count your hand or the dealer’s? How can he make correct end plays without knowing the position of the cards?
Without this help to partnership play you are in no position to combat the dealer. It is not difficult to win tricks from adversaries who neither give, nor make use of information.
Bridge is in this respect a much easier game than Whist. In Bridge the declaration and the exposed dummy hand, both absent in Whist, lend enormous assistance in locating the cards.
The beginner invariably becomes interested in his own cards, or those of the dummy, and plays without paying any particular attention to the card that is led or to the one that wins the first trick; in other words he knows nothing about the location of the cards in that particular suit, and his disregard of the fall of the cards continues throughout the entire hand.
A notice which nothing escapes, the ability to count cards, and absolute confidence in your partner’s play, is the sine qua non of correct inferences.
Notice particularly the card that your partner leads; if it be a high card, understand what it indicates; and, if it be a low card, ascertain whether it is led from a long or a short suit.
Watch the cards as they fall, the adversaries’ as well as your partner’s, with unceasing attention, and make a mental interpretation of each play, with due allowance for the dealer’s false cards.
Don’t jump at a conclusion which masses the remaining cards of a suit, but count each suit accurately, with a certainty of the particular cards that must be held by the dealer and your partner.
Much of the intellectual enjoyment of Bridge is derived from playing your hand in conjunction with your partner’s. Credit your partner with playing for the common interest of the hands and place absolute confidence in the information he gives you. A trust in your partner’s Bridge ability will overcome many an obstacle in the way of drawing inferences.
In many hands the declaration and the cards in dummy will show you the dealer’s probable strength; and will also suggest the number of trumps held by your partner.
For instance, should you hold three trumps with three in the dummy, you cannot expect your partner to hold more than two trumps, allowing for at least five in the dealer’s hand.
Should you hold four trumps, with three on the table, your partner cannot have more than one; he may have none.
Although at times you can place high cards in the trump suit, it is difficult to locate honours in a “no-trump” hand. However, keeping the general rules for the make in view, you can form some idea of the adversary’s strength.
When the dealer has passed the make you can often infer from his subsequent play the absence of certain cards. For instance, should the dealer, having passed the make, play two aces, he probably does not hold much strength in the other two suits.
When your partner makes what appears to be an unusual play, do not condemn it, but ask yourself why the play was made. For instance, Why does your partner not lead through the strength in dummy? It may be that he has an honour in that suit, and is waiting for the adversary to lead.
Why does your partner lead up to dummy’s strong suit, instead of to the weak one? He is probably leading a singleton, or he may be very long in that suit and hopes that you will trump.
Why does the dealer not lead trumps? He may be trying to establish a “ruff” in the weak hand; he may be trying to arrange the lead so that his trumps can be led advantageously from the weak hand; or it may be because the balance of trump strength is against him.
Why does your partner abandon his long suit against a “no-trump” make? It is because his card of re-entry has been taken out, because the suit is hopelessly against him, or because he is waiting for you to lead through the dealer’s hand.
Why does your partner refuse to return your lead in a “no-trump” hand? It is either because he has no more of your suit, or because he considers that his suit is stronger.
Why does your partner immediately return your lead against a declared trump, instead of showing his own suit, or leading up to dummy’s weakness? He is evidently anxious to trump the third round of your suit.
With a “no-trump” hand, why does the dealer part with the ace of his adversaries’ suit on the first round? It is because he has that suit protected, because he can see enough tricks to win the game, or because he is afraid that some other suit may be made against him.
After you have led up to the weak suit in dummy, and your partner has taken the trick cheaply, why is it that he does not return that suit? He is evidently waiting for you to lead through the dealer’s hand.
If, against a “no-trump” declaration, you are in doubt as to the location of the winning card in your own suit, notice the card that your partner plays in returning your lead, and remember that he will return his highest card. This will enable you to tell what higher cards are in dealer’s hand.
If you lead a high card, against a “no-trump” make, notice the card that your partner plays to the trick. If he has four or more of that suit, he will not play his lowest.
If the dealer takes out the commanding trump, he is either trying to make you lead up to high cards in his hand, or some long suit is established against you. If it is for the latter reason, be cautious about forcing him. Make what you can in the remaining suit. It may be dangerous to lose the lead.
If the dealer continues to lead trumps after the trumps in the other hands are exhausted, you should be careful not to give information that will be of use to the dealer in locating successful finesses.
Usually lead from your longest suit, against a “no-trump” declaration, trusting that it will prove to be the weak spot in the maker’s hand, or that you may be able to take out any high cards held against you and eventually establish the suit. To make an established suit, it may be necessary to have a card of re-entry. Therefore, be careful not to lead aces and kings in order to see dummy. These cards should be reserved as re-entry cards, and will no doubt be found most useful later in the hand.
As leader infer from the fall of the cards, relying on your partner’s correct third-hand play, the position of the remaining cards of your long suit. Correct inferences will assist you to decide whether to continue or to abandon the suit. If you find the cards so placed that an advantageous lead of the suit must come from your partner, plan carefully how best to put him in the lead.
If you know that the adversary has two high cards of your long suit, especially when your card of re-entry has been taken out, abandon your suit, and endeavour to help your partner by leading the suit which you infer must be his. This may be your only chance to save the game.
If the dummy has a long suit, and no card of re-entry, do not be in a hurry to part with the commanding card of that suit. Wait until the suit is exhausted in the dealer’s hand, so that he cannot lead it to dummy. If, however, dummy has a sure card of re-entry there is little reason for holding up your high card. It is better play to take the first trick and hope that your partner holds a card that will stop the suit.
When a high card of dummy’s long suit is marked in your partner’s hand, it is well to take out dummy’s re-entry card before the suit is established.
Notice carefully your partner’s discards in order to determine his strong suit, as well as to be able to infer what high cards he is endeavouring to protect. This will help you to discard correctly. Avoid playing a selfish game, and do not feel indignant if your partner, instead of returning your lead, attempts to play for his own suit. His hand may fully justify the change of lead. By changing the lead he shows not only a good suit, but also a card of re-entry.
The long suit is the best opening lead against a “no-trump” declaration. While the declaration is, in itself, an indication of general strength, in the majority of makes by the dealer one suit is left to the dummy to protect, and your long suit may be the weak spot in the dealer’s hand.
The leads against a “no-trump” declaration differ from those that are in use against a trump declaration, for the reason that high cards cannot be ruffed. With great length or considerable strength in your long suit a high card should be led, but unless you can reasonably expect to catch all of the remaining cards, your partner should be given an opportunity to win the first trick in the suit.
If you hold no card of re-entry, except perhaps a high card in your own long suit, you should be careful not to take out of your partner’s hand the only card that he may have to return your lead, for if you have no card of re-entry, and your partner has none of your suit to return, your suit, even though established, is useless.
As unblocking is a very important feature of the play against a “no-trump” declaration, it is necessary that you show your partner from what combination of cards you are leading. The failure to unblock is largely due to a lack of confidence in partner’s lead.
Those who are not familiar with the correct leads at “no-trump” would do well to remember that the lead of a high card indicates three honours or seven cards in the suit.
Frequently in opening a hand you will have two suits of equal length to choose from. It is then advisable to keep the suit headed by the higher card, for re-entry. For instance, holding two suits, one headed by an ace and the other by the jack or queen, open the weaker of the two, saving the ace as re-entry. This principle is sound; in practice it may sometimes be found that your partner is strong in the suit you do not open. Nevertheless, this lead from the weaker of two suits, if consistently followed, will gain in the long run. If you hold a red and a black suit, of equal length, especially if the “no-trump” declaration has been made by the dummy, give the preference to the red suit, inferring that the dealer is weak in red cards.
When you are opening from a long weak suit, and especially when you hold no re-entry card, endeavour to inform your partner that your long suit is weak. Don’t encourage your partner to return your lead unless there is a fair chance to establish and make your suit. From each of the following combinations it is best to lead the highest card:
When the top cards are not in sequence the lead of the highest may lose a trick, and it is, therefore, safer to lead the second best. As with
If, however, you hold a long weak suit, and, say, two or more possible re-entry cards, do not hesitate to encourage a return of the lead by opening a low card.
| LEAD | HOLDING |
| Ace | Ace, Queen, Jack, and others with a re-entry card. |
| Ace, with 7 or more others. | |
| Ace, Queen, with 5 others. | |
| Ace, Jack, with 5 others. | |
| King | Ace, King, Queen and others. |
| Ace, King, Jack and others. | |
| Ace, King, ten, and 3 others, with a re-entry card. | |
| Ace, King and 5 or more others. | |
| King, Queen, Jack and others. | |
| King, Queen, ten and others. | |
| King, Queen and 5 others. | |
| Queen | Queen, Jack, ten and others. |
| Queen, Jack, nine and others. | |
| Ace, Queen, Jack and others. No card of re-entry. | |
| Jack | Jack, ten, nine and others. |
| Ten | King, Jack, ten and others. |
| 4th Best | From other combinations. |
If, as leader, your long suit is worthless, and your hand is generally weak, there is a chance that your short suit may prove to be your partner’s long one, and that the lead may help him to establish his suit. While the odds are two to one against the success of a short lead, in this case it may gain and certainly cannot lose much. If, however, you hold five or six cards in your suit, open it; there is always a chance that your partner may hold sufficient length in the same suit to help you establish and bring it in.
If your long suit contains but four cards headed by one honour, king, queen, or jack, with no other re-entry card in the hand, and you hold a good supporting short lead, like jack ten or nine (particularly if the make has been passed, and your short suit is a red one) the short opening admits of no criticism.
If you hold a three or four card suit headed by ace, king, and queen, no matter the length in other suits, the opening lead should be from the ace king queen combination. With three cards of re-entry you can certainly afford to lead one of them to determine whether conditions justify the long suit lead.
The dummy hand may discourage the lead of your long suit and make it advisable to try for your partner’s suit instead.
To be able to use proper judgment in ridding yourself of cards that you fear may block your partner’s suit, you should thoroughly understand the leads, and above all things, you should have perfect confidence that your partner has made the correct one. Remember that a high card led against a “no-trump” declaration indicates great strength or great length, and that you can rarely lose more than one trick by throwing your own high card on the one led by your partner; whereas a failure to unblock will often occasion the loss of several cards in your partner’s hand. If you hold four cards in the suit that your partner leads (provided of course the lead is high) save the lowest card, playing the third best to the first trick, and then play up. With five cards, play the fourth best to your partner’s high card lead, and then play up or down as the situation demands.
With length in the suit that your partner leads, especially as an original opening, it is often advisable to indicate your strength by playing first a high and then a lower card. This echo or signal encourages your partner to continue the suit.
With three cards in your partner’s suit two of which are honours, the lower of the honours should be played to the first trick. By playing the lowest card of all you will invariably block the suit.
With three cards including but one honour, the middle card should be played to a high card lead, and the honour should be thrown or played to the second lead. Be careful to return the highest card of your partner’s suit, as this will minimise loss from blocking and allow your partner to continue the suit without interruption.
The following are given as examples of unblocking:
Holding |
On Partner’s Lead of |
Play |
| J 9 8 7 2 | K | 7 |
| J 8 5 3 | K | 5 |
| K Q 7 | A | Q |
| Q J 8 | K | J |
| K Q 5 | J | Q |
| Q 8 3 | K and A | Q on A |
To return partner’s lead, or to play for your own long suit? At times you will find this a most difficult question to decide. It can be stated that ordinarily it is better play to return your partner’s original lead, for rarely are two suits made against a “no-trump” declaration. In fact, it is hard enough to bring in one suit.... It will assist you to settle this difficulty if you notice carefully the card led by your partner, and infer from it the length of his suit. You can often tell how many cards of that suit are in the dealer’s hand. If, for instance, your partner’s lead indicates four cards and there are three cards of that suit in dummy and two cards in your own hand, it is evident that the dealer must hold four, and the chances are, if the lead is returned, he will eventually be left with the master card. As it is, of course, your purpose to avoid making cards good for the adversary, should you hold a good suit under these circumstances and a sure re-entry card, abandon your partner’s lead by all means and play for your own hand.
When dummy holds four cards in your partner’s suit, hesitate to return the lead, if by so doing you may establish the suit for your opponent; but when dummy is weak in the suit, lead at the first opportunity, through the dealer’s hand. Sometimes, if your own long suit is headed by ace and king, it is well to lead the king before returning your partner’s lead. This should always be done if the queen is on the table, to make sure that your suit will eventually be led through dummy’s queen. If you hold ace queen or ace queen jack over the king in dummy, you would naturally prefer that your partner lead the suit; but with a hand containing a sure re-entry card in another suit, particularly when you hold the commanding card of the adversaries’ suit, do not wait for your partner to lead; establish the suit yourself. If, with no re-entry card, you intend playing for your own long suit, do not draw all the cards of your suit from your partner’s hand. If your partner has a card of your suit as well as a card of re-entry, your suit will make; otherwise it is useless.
With four cards or fewer of your partner’s suit, the highest card should always be returned. This is done in order that the suit may not be blocked, and also to show your partner what high cards are held by the dealer. When it is evident that you and your partner hold an entire suit with the same number of cards in each hand, it is well to arrange the lead on the last round of the suit according to whether you would prefer to lead up to weakness or to have your partner lead through dummy’s strength.
With five cards of your partner’s suit, especially if his lead indicates but four, it is very difficult to decide how the suit should be returned. If a low card is returned, it may lead your partner to believe that all the high cards are in the dealer’s hand, and induce him to discontinue the suit. On the other hand, the return of a high card may block the suit so that you will be left with a card which may never make. No rule can be given for this situation. It must be left to the judgment of the player.
Holding up is a strategy resorted to at “no-trump.” The idea is to retain a high card until one hand is exhausted and cannot lead the suit to the opposite hand. Holding up does not often gain when the hand with the long suit contains an entry card except at such times as the dealer does not or cannot overtake; usually it is better play to take the trick and trust that your partner can eventually stop the suit. Do not hold up a high card if you can block the suit later, or if there is a possibility that your partner holds an honour in the suit.
The following are examples of holding up:
(The underlined card indicates the lead.)
| K-♠ | J-♠ | 10-♠ | 9-♠ | 8-♠ | 7-♠ | ||||
| A-♠ | 6-♠ | 5-♠ | |||||||
| Q-♠ | |||||||||
In this case, dummy holds no entry card. The ace should not be played by B until the dealer has no card of the suit.
| A-♠ | J-♠ | 10-♠ | 9-♠ | 7-♠ | 5-♠ | ||||
| 4-♠ | K-♠ | 6-♠ | 3-♠ | ||||||
| Q-♠ | |||||||||
If dummy holds no entry card, B should not take the first trick.
| Q-♠ | J-♠ | |||||||
| A-♠ | 8-♠ | 5-♠ | ||||||
B should pass both the queen and the knave. By passing the second trick, if the dealer fails to overtake, or if the dealer does not hold two re-entry cards, the suit cannot be made.
| A-♥ | |||||||||
| K-♠ | J-♠ | 9-♠ | 8-♠ | 7-♠ | 6-♠ | ||||
| 2-♠ | A-♠ | 5-♠ | 4-♠ | ||||||
| Q-♠ | |||||||||
Y has an entry card. B should refuse to win the trick, trusting that Z has no other card to lead.
| A-♠ | 10-♠ | 7-♠ | |||||||
| K-♠ | 6-♠ | 3-♠ | |||||||
| Q-♠ | |||||||||
A should refuse to cover the honour. If he waits until the third round, the suit is blocked. Z may have no re-entry card.
| Q-♠ | J-♠ | ||||||||
| K-♠ | 6-♠ | 4-♠ | |||||||
In this case, the honour should be covered. If Z holds the ace, the suit is blocked.
| A-♠ | J-♠ | 8-♠ | 6-♠ | 4-♠ | ||
| Q-♠ | 5-♠ | 3-♠ | ||||
| 10-♠ | ||||||
A should cover the ten led. It may establish the king and nine in B’s hands. If Y has no card of re-entry B can then hold up.
| K-♠ | ||||||||
| A-♠ | 7-♠ | 5-♠ | ||||||
As Y has no other card to lead, B should refuse to part with the ace. Z cannot make the suit without two re-entry cards.
If you hold the commanding card of the adversary’s suit, endeavour to take out your opponent’s re-entry before the suit is cleared. It is equally important that you take out this re-entry card if you know that your partner has the command of the adversary’s suit. In extreme cases do not hesitate to sacrifice a king or queen in order to accomplish this purpose. When the dealer attempts to make a card of re-entry for an established suit, hold up a higher card in order to frustrate his scheme of play.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| 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.
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.
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.
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-♠ | ||||
| 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.