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
Hearts are trumps. Z should lead ♣ king.
LEADING THE LOSING TRUMP
Hearts are trumps. Z should lead ♥ 5.
THROWING THE LEAD
Hearts are trumps. Clubs have not been led. Spades have all been played. Y has the best diamond. Z leads ♥ 7.
LEADING A SINGLETON
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
Hearts are trumps. A leads ♦ king. Z trumps with ♥ jack and leads ♥ 3.
REFUSING TO OVERTRUMP
Hearts are trumps. Y leads king ♦. B ruffs with ♥ 10. Z should discard.
THE EXTRA TRUMP
Hearts are trumps. Z should lead ♠6, not ♦8.
UNBLOCKING
“No-trumps.” A leads ♣ king. Y should discard ♥ queen.
MAKING A TENACE
Hearts are trumps. The remaining trumps are all with A and Z. Z should lead ♥ five.
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.