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Bridge Tips — Playing
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| 1 |
When a trump is led on the get go, assume the opening leader does NOT have
the queen and play accordingly.
North
(dummy)
S. K10
West East
S. 9763 S.
Q
South
(you)
S. AJ8542
If a spade is led against your spade contract, play the king from dummy. East
is marked with the queen and it may be singleton. If it is, you save a
trick.
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| 2 |
When the opening leader makes a potentially ambiguous honor card lead such as
the jack at notrump which could be top of a sequence or from the KJ10 or AJ10,
and as declarer you have the AKQ, take the trick with the queen, the honor card
third hand knows you hold regardless what the lead shows. |
| 3 |
Conceal your strength by playing the highest immaterial card you can when an
opponent shows out.
North
(dummy)
H. 754
West East
H. KJ93 H.
-
South (you)
H. AQ10862
Hearts are trump and you lead a low heart from dummy, East showing out! As
long as you don't intend to play the ace, play the queen, the highest immaterial
card you can to conceal the position from East. If you play
a lower card, East will have a better feel for West's strength in the suit. Also,
do not ponder over your play which gives East gratutitous information.
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| 4 |
Do not squander honor cards haphazardly.
North (dummy)
S. AJ2
West East
S. K9 S.
108763
South (you)
S. Q54
For three tricks lead low to the jack. If West has Kx, the
ace will snatch the king and your queen is high. If you start
with the queen, West covers and you only have two.
In a similar vein:
North (dummy)
S. K1092
West East
S. Q S.
A876
South (you)
S. J543
For three tricks start with a low spade intending to insert the 10 if West
plays low. Your play gains a trick when West has a singleton queen.
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| 5 |
When you have a plethora of honors and spot cards, it still may be right to
lead a spot card rather than an honor as an entry conserving play.
North (dummy)
D. AJ102
West East
D. K876 D.
54
South (you)
D. Q93
Say you need 4 diamond tricks and have no reentry to your hand. If
you start with the queen and West plays low, you can only take three. After
you repeat the finesse by leading low to the ten, you cannot get back to your
hand to repeat the finesse. However, if you start with the 9 and
West plays low, you can underplay with the deuce and then then lead the queen. Now
you have four tricks regardless.
Similarly:
North (dummy)
D. K1092
West East
D. Q765 D.
A4
South (you)
D. J83
Say the lead is in your hand and you need three diamond tricks and have only
one hand reentry. If you start with the jack and West plays
low, East wins the ace and now you cannot pick up West's queen with only one
hand reentry. However, if you start with the 8 and West plays
low, you can underplay the deuce. Assuming East wins the ace (it doesn't matter),
you can return to your hand and lead the jack losing but one trick in the suit.
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| 6 |
Notrump; with a choice of two finesses and only stopper remaining in your weakest
suit, ask yourself which finesse, if it loses, leaves you with the most REMAINING
tricks.
North (dummy)
S. AQ943
H. A96
D. A9
C. KJ5
South (you)
S. J10
H. J843
D. K2
C. A10987
North East South West
1S Pass 1NT Pass
2NT Pass 3NT All
Pass
Opening lead: DQ
Should you attack spades or clubs? If you attack clubs and
the finesse loses, you remain with 8 tricks: 4 clubs, 2 diamonds 1 heart and
1 spade. If you attack spades and the finesse loses you remain
with 9 tricks: 4 spades, two clubs, 2 diamonds and 1 heart. Attack
spades.
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| 7 |
When no line of play looks clear, consider "scrambling" (ruffing
in the long hand)
North (dummy)
S. 108
H. Q3
D. AJ32
C. 98765
South (you)
S. QJ532
H. AK76
D. 7
C. J32
South West North East
1S Pass 1NT Pass
2H Pass 2S All
Pass
Opening lead: DK
Your best bet for 8 tricks is to embark on a mini-crossruff. Win
the DA; ruff a diamond; cash the AQ of hearts ending in dummy and ruff another
diamond; ruff a heart with the S8 and ruff your last diamond (if you can) reducing
to the blank QJ of spades. You have scrambled for seven tricks
and now all you need do is ruff the HK with the S10 to ensure an eighth.
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| 8 |
When you have a CONCEALED running suit, try to steal your contract making trick
early-before the opponents can count your tricks.
North (dummy)
S. A4
H. 854
D. J543
C. Q543
South (you)
S. K2
H. J106
D. AKQ1076
C. KJ
East South West North
3S 3NT All Pass
Opening lead: S9
Win the SA and casually lead a low club to the king. Assuming
West takes the trick, West is going to have to shift to a heart to defeat this
contract. Not easy since West doesn't know about all of those
diamond tricks you have lurking. However, if in a panic you run your diamonds
first, it will be much easier for West to shift to a heart upon winning the
CA.
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| 9 |
When the dummy has more trump than you do (usually after a transfer sequence)
treat your hand as the dummy and try to trump partner's losers in your hand, the
shorter trump hand. Some players have to stand on their head to see this.
North (dummy)
S. KQ10654
H. 732
D. 2
C. K54
South (you)
S. AJ3
H. QJ
D. A876
C. A863
South West North East
1NT Pass 4H
(1) Pass
4S All Pass
(1) Transfer
Opening lead: DQ
You have six spade tricks, two clubs and one diamond for nine. The
easiest road to 10 is to ruff a heart in your hand, the short trump hand. Win
the DA and lead a heart. When you regain the lead, lead a
second heart eventually trumping a heart in your hand for your 10th trick. If
you draw trump first and trumps are 3-1, you will find up losing three hearts
and a club.
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| 10 |
When partner leads a suit at notrump and then discards several cards from that
suit, he does not want that suit returned; look elsewhere.
Dlr: North
Vul: Both
North
S. AK1032
H. A762
D. 3
C. J54
West East
S. Q76 S.
J984
H. KJ93 H.
1084
D. 5 D.
Q1087
C. A10762 C.
83
South
S. 5
H. Q5
D. AKJ9642
C. KQ9
North East South West
1S Pass 2D Pass
2H Pass 3NT All
Pass
Opening lead: C 6
Dummy wins with dummy's jack South takes a winning diamond finesse. When
he cashes the AK of diamonds West discards clubs. When East
wins the 4th diamond he should shift to a heart and not continue a club. Had
West wanted a club continuation he would not have discarded clubs.
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| 11 |
In this common position it is almost always right for East to duck the first
round of the suit when declarer leads the queen and is known to have a doubleton
from partner's count signal.
North
S. K10643
West East
(you)
982 AJ7
South
Q5
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| 12 |
When discarding at notrump or even at a trump contract where getting a ruff
is not an issue, avoid discarding from short suits, particularly short suits where
you cannot see the queen in dummy. You may be exposing partner's
queen to a finesse in a two way finesse position. It is usually
right to discard from unimportant length.
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