Holding one or two high cards of dummy's strong suit that arenotin sequence, avoid leading the suit. Wait until dummy leads to you.
Don't lead through strength when dummy holds a sequence of three or more cards, as
Holding a high card or cards in a suit in which the dummy is weak, avoid leading that suit. Try to put your partner in the lead, so that he may lead it to you.
Holding no high cards in the suit, the following combinations should be led through:
Holding a sequence of two or more cards the following combinations should be led through:
FORCING
Judicious forcing will do more than anything else to break up a strong trump hand.
Forcing means making a player trump—the object being to weaken his hand.
It is good play to force the strong trump hand.
When the strong trump hand holds no more cards of your long suit, do all damage possible with it. Unless trumps are out, the suit is of no other use to you.
It is bad play to force the weak trump hand. Unless you can make the strong hand trump it is better to stop leading the suit.
Do not lead a suit that will allow the weak hand to trump and the other hand to discard; the adversaries take the trick and get rid of a losing card.
It is too late to force when the dummy has an established suit and the dealer has the last trump or trumps. Make what you can before giving up the lead.
When the weak hand can ruff your suit, it is sometimes good play to lead trumps; but only when, in doing so, you are leading trumps through the strong hand, and when you have some protection in the other suits.
SHORT SUITS
There are two lines of play that may be followed to make tricks against the dealer. The first—to make your high cards—has been explained. The second is to make your small trumps by ruffing.
When you have no high card lead, or if you are anxious to be led up to, it is often goodplay to throw the lead and, at the same time, to try to make your small trumps. This can be done by leading a short suit.
A short suit is a suit of less than four cards; but the term is commonly used to denote a singleton or a two-card suit.
In order that your partner may understand that you are leading a short suit (and not the fourth best card of a long one) it is customary to lead the highest card. (If you are forced to open a suit with K J x, K x x or Q x x, the low card should be led.)
To detect a short suit apply the "Rule of Eleven." If there are (in your hand and the dummy) more higher cards than the rule allows, the lead cannot be the fourth-best card.
Under the following circumstances a short suit should not be led.
If you hold four trumps, including any one honour, don't lead a short suit. Your best play is to open your long suit and force the dealer to trump. In this way you weaken the dealer's hand and you may prevent his bringing in his long suit or you may even establish and make your own.
If the make has been passed, don't lead a short black suit. It is natural to suppose that the dealer is strong in black suits—if in any—and you would be leading up to declared strength.
If you can take the first trick, do so and then judge of the advisability of the short-suit lead.
THE DISCARD
There is considerable discussion and a wide diversity of opinion among Bridge Players as to the best suit to throw away. You should, therefore, before playing, ask your partner which method he adopts. Some advantage may be claimed for each theory of discard; but the main object of them all is the same—to indicate to partner the suit you wish led and at the same time protect any honours you may hold in other suits.
The three different discards used by Bridge Players are:
Strength, both with a trump and at "no-trump."
Strength, with a trump and weakness at "no-trump."
Weakness, both with a trump and at "no-trump."
The discard of strength with a trump and weakness at "no-trump" is the one most commonly used. This discard of weakness at "no-trump," while it has the advantage of saving all the cards of the long suit, which you may make, has also several disadvantages.
To show your suit absolutely you need two discards.
In order not to deceive your partner it may be necessary to unguard honours, such as J x x x, 10 x x x, Q x x, or even K x.
By discarding weakness you show the dealer against which hand to finesse.
The writer, after the analysis of many thousand hands, believes that at "no-trump" the first discard from strength,i.e., the long suit or the suit you wish partner to lead, is the safest and best, both for protecting the hand and for showing the suit beyond possibility of mistake.
The main advantages of the strength discard are:
It takes but one discard positively to show the suit wanted.
You can protect the high cards in your weaker suits without deceiving your partner.
It does not show the dealer so clearly on which side to take a finesse.
By showing your suit earlier in the hand, you enable your partner to discard to better advantage.
There are but few "no-trump" hands in which it is possible to make all the small cards of one's suit against the dealer—unless it be the suit first opened. Occasionally the suit in which the dealer is weak in both hands will be made; but more often this suit is never broughtin, because the adversaries do not know the cards they hold in the two hands.
For years whist authorities have agreed that with trump strength declared against you the first discard should be from strength. Why, then, when strength in all of the suits has been declared, should not the strength discard be the best defensive discard for the majority of bridge hands? In order not to lose an opportunity of making all of the long suit, players will continually unguard cards in the weak suits which, if properly protected, would win tricks; and when using the weak suit discard these cardsmustbe unguarded in order to show partner your suit.
There may be an occasional trick lost by discarding from strength at "no-trump," but there are so many tricks thrown away by unguarding honours in weak suits, and so many games and rubbers lost by guessing the wrong suit, that Bridge Players will find the strength discard will save more and lose less than any other discard. You do not expect to win on your adversaries' make; you hope to prevent their winning a large score.
If you have once led, you have shown your strength, and may then discard from any suit you wish.
Discard only once from your strength, and then as the situation and the hand warrant.
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 throw away your strong suit, discard first a high and then a lower card.
The reverse discard should be used only when it is clearly shown that two discards can be made.
HINTS ON DISCARDING
Watch the dealer's discards and protect the suit that he is saving.
After you have led or shown your suit, the discard of a high and then a lower card in another suit shows command of the second suit.
The discard of an Ace shows great strength in the suit.
If a spade declaration has been doubled by you or your partner—and especially when either of you has indicated strength by leading trumps—the first discard should be from weakness.
In discarding at "no-trump," don't throw away all the cards of one suit: it exposes your partner's hand, and makes it easy for thedealer to tell how that suit is placed. Besides, you may need one card of that suit to put your partner in the lead.
Save at least one card of your partner's long suit, unless you are forced to give it up in order to protect your hand.
After you have led or shown your suit your discard should be from weakness.
If your partner is discarding from weakness, protect the suit that he is throwing away, if you can.
If forced to protect honours in other suits, don't be afraid to unguard honours in the suit in which partner is strong.
NON-DEALER'S PLAY
Second Hand
In determining the card to play second in hand, you will find it a great assistance to ask yourself why the dealer is leading that suit. You can usually infer from the dummy's cards and your own hand what the dealer must hold to have led the suit.
Cover an honour with an honour. This should always be done holding a perfect or an imperfect fourchette (a card higher and a card lower than the one led). An honour should be covered when by so doing you hope to make a card good in your partner's hand.Don't cover holding a K, Q, or J three times guarded, unless your next best card is a nine or better.
Don't hesitate. By hesitation a player often shows the dealer how to play his cards. Play quickly, and if there is any doubt as to your play, play the lowest card you hold.
If the dummy has a tenace over your cards or can take any card you hold, play low; let the dealer do the guessing.
Holding any two or more honours in sequence, play the lowest honour of the sequence.
Beat the dummy. When the dealer leads, it is usually advisable to play a card higher than the best in the dummy.
If you hold ace and others of the suit which the dummy leads, and the trumps are all against you, play your ace second in hand. If you wait, your ace may be trumped.
Third Hand
In this position your play should be guided by a knowledge of the leads, an application of the "Rule of Eleven," and a close observance of the dummy hand.
Unless you hold two or more honours in sequence, play your highest card. The object of doingthis is either to win the trick, or, by forcing a still higher card from your adversary, to make a card good in your partner's hand.
Do not deceive your partner by playing an unnecessarily high card. Holding any two honours in sequence, play the lower.
Finessing on Partner's Lead
When the dummy holds no honour, it is not good play to "finesse against your partner."If you hold K J or A Q, by playing any card but the best you not only give the dealer an opportunity to make a trick, but you run the risk of losing your own high cards in that suit. If, however, the dummy holds an honour, K or Q, and you hold A and J of the suit, you are justified in finessing the J, hoping your partner holds the missing honour. At "no-trump"—when the dummy holds an honour—it is customary to finesse much deeper, hoping to catch the honour exposed on the table and so establish partner's suit.
THE ECHO
Some players use the echo only when they can trump the third round of a suit.
The echo is a signal used by Bridge players to show ability to win the third round of the suit either with a trump or a high card.
If your partner leads the K and then the A when you hold only two cards of that suit, show you can trump the third round by playing first the higher and then the lower.
If you hold the Q and your partner leads the K and A, show in the same manner that you can win the third round of the suit.
Don't echo with an honour; it may deceive your partner.
At "no-trump" the echo is used to encourage partner to continue that suit.
On a doubled spade, if your partner leads a high trump, echo with three by playing the intermediate trump to the first round.
THE DEALER'S PLAY WITH A DECLARED TRUMP
In playing the two hands, the dealer must take advantage of any information he can gain from the leads and plays of the adversaries; and, in return, try to convey a false impression of his own hand. Above all, the dealer should know the score and estimate the number of tricks he must take to win the game; always bearing in mind that if he cannot win the game, he should try to prevent the adversaries from so doing.
LEADING TRUMPS
One of the worst faults of the beginner is refusing to lead trumps. When you hold seven or more trumps in the two hands, usually lead them. If you hold commanding suit cards, the trump lead will prevent their being ruffed. When you have no suit to make the lead will establish your trump suit. If you hold high cards that should be led up to, lead trumps to throw the lead and to compel the adversaries to lead to you.
Arrange to lead your trumps advantageously—from the weak hand to the strong.
After trumps are exhausted, try to clearer establish the longest suit in the two hands.
It is usually good play to draw two trumps for one; but when the best trump is against you, do not waste two of yours to get it out.
Lead the losing trump only when you have an established suit and a sure re-entry.
When you hold one or more trumps and a losing card, always lead the trumps. This will force the adversaries to discard and they may not save the right suit.
Aim to discard your losing cards from the one hand, on the commanding cards in the other.
With a weak hand you are more likely to make your high cards if you put your adversaries in the lead.
Not Leading Trumps
The exception to the trump lead is when the weaker of the two trump hands contains a short suit and can ruff; then, before leading trumps, allow the weak hand to trump your losing cards.
Unless a cross ruff can be established, it is usually bad play to weaken your strong trump hand by forcing it to ruff. If you do this, you will find it difficult to exhaust trumps from the adversaries' hands and to make any commanding suit cards you may hold.
If your adversary has doubled, be cautious about leading trumps. It is good play to lead through the doubling hand; but bad play to lead up to it.
THE NON-DEALER'S PLAY OF A "NO-TRUMP" HAND
With a declared trump you aim to make your high cards; but at no-trump the high cards take care of themselves and you must try to establish your small cards.
If you are the leader at "no-trump," open your longest suit. Save the high cards of your other suits for re-entry and try to establish the small cards of your long suit.
Don't lead your aces and kings to take a look at dummy; later in the hand you will need them to get the lead and bring in your established suit.The majority of "no-trump" makes are strong in three suits. Your long suits may be the weak spot in the dealer's hand.
Try to infer, from the dummy hand and your own, the high cards the dealer must hold to have declared "no-trump." You will be surprised to find how many times an inference thus drawn will enable you to play your hand to advantage.
Having started your long suit, usually the best play is to continue that suit until it becomes established, especially if you hold one or two re-entry cards.
Don't change suits unless your suit is hopelessly against you. When it requires two leads to clear your suit, and you hold no cards of re-entry, abandon it and play for your partner's suit—the suit that he has shown by his discard, or the suit which must be his, judging from your own and the dummy hand.
In leading to your partner's declared suit, always lead your highest card; this will enable him to tell what high cards are held against his suit and it will prevent your blocking his hand.
RETURN YOUR PARTNER'S LEAD
If your partner has had the original lead,RETURN HIS SUIT. There are very few "no-trump" hands where it is possible to bring in morethan one suit, and if, instead of returning your partner's suit, you lead your own, you are playing for one suit and your partner for another, and as a result you will probably establish neither.
When it is evident that your suit is stronger than your partner's—i.e., if you have re-entry cards and can establish the suit in one lead—then, by all means, play for your own suit; but don't be deterred from returning your partner's lead simply because you see that the best card of his suit is against him. That card will have to make anyway, and by forcing it out of dummy at once you may enable partner to make the rest of his suit.
In returning your partner's lead, return your highest card.The importance of this is apparent: your partner can see the cards in his own and in the dummy hand, and if you return your best card he also knows what the dealer holds in that suit. It may prevent his leading up to the dealer's tenace; it may show him that the suit should be abandoned or that it should be again led from your hand. Returning the highest card minimises the risk of blocking the suit. Very often, by not getting rid of a 7, 8, 9, or 10 early in the hand, you make it impossible for your partner to make his small cards.
Don't be deceived by the dealer's play.His object is to fool you; and if he holds cards of equal value, he will probably take the trick with the highest.
Notice carefully your partner's first discard.It shows you the suit to lead and may also affect your own discard.
Don't, because the dealer leads the suit, refuse to take tricks with your aces and kings. By taking the trick, you may make a card good in your partner's hand. It is only the dealer who is in a position to know when to refuse tricks; he sees the two hands.
When there is no chance that your partner can take a trick in the suit led, it is sometimes wise to keep the commanding card until one hand cannot put the other in the lead, especially when there is no re-entry card in the hand with the long suit.
OPENING LEAD AT "NO-TRUMP"
Unless your partner has doubled (see Heart and Weak Suit Conventions) lead from your longest suit. It is not advisable, especially when you hold no cards of re-entry, to lead aces and kings, except when you hope to catch all of the smaller cards. Two rounds may exhaust the suit in your partner's hand; and if you have no re-entry card and he has none of your suit to lead you, your long suit, even though established, is absolutely worthless.
The lead of an ace, king, or queen indicates great strength, either seven cards or three honours.
Holding two suits of equal length and strength, lead a red suit in preference to a black, especially if the make has been passed,
Holding two suits of equal length, keep for re-entry the suit with the higher cards, as,
With a weak long suit and no re-entry card, many good bridge players open the highest card of a short suit, preferably hearts or diamonds. The theory is that, had the dealer been strong in the red suits, he would have declared a red trump; and with a worthless hand, this short suit lead may assist partner. While there is much to be said in favour of this play, I would suggest that, unless your partner thoroughly understands the game and your play, it is safer to open your long suit.
When you are opening a long, weak suit from a hand without re-entry cards it is advisable that you convey this information to your partner. This you can do by leading the top or an intermediate card of your long suit; your partner, by applying the "Rule of Eleven," can see that you are not leading the fourth best card, and unless it is for the best interestof the two hands will not return the suit. For example:
THE ORIGINAL LEAD IN NO-TRUMPS
UNBLOCKING
Unblocking is getting rid of high cards so that your partner can make smaller ones.
You seldom unblock except at "no-trump."
Study the "no-trump" leads, and on the lead of any high card prepare to get out of your partner's way. It is rarely that you can lose more than one trick by unblocking, and a failure to take advantage of the position when it presents itself may result in the loss of three to six tricks.
With four cards of the suit of which your partner leads the A, K, or Q, keep the lowest card until the final round.
THE DEALER'S PLAY OF A NO-TRUMP HAND
The dealer's play of a "no-trump" hand is both the most interesting and the most intricate part of Bridge. Very often a single errorwill result in the loss of three or more tricks; so that it behooves the dealer—as he has no assistance from his partner—to make himself thoroughly conversant with the strategy of the game.
The following rules cover all the important points in the dealer's play.
Keep the commanding card of your adversary's suit.
This the beginner invariably refuses to do; he is too anxious to take a trick and does not realise that he will often gain several by passing.
Before playing the commanding card of your adversaries' suit, wait—if you can—until the leader's partner has played his last card of that suit; he is then unable to return the lead, and there may be no card of re-entry in his partner's hand.
Rarely refuse to take tricks with your Kings and Queens.
When an entire suit is against you, it pays to take the lead; the adversaries may change the suit.
When you see in your hands enough tricks to win the game, always take the lead.
Always take the lead when doing so makes a card good in either of your hands.
Play for the longest suit in the two hands.
After taking the lead, count the cards of each suit in the combined hands and make it your object to play for the longest. It may sometimes be necessary, in order to lead the suit to the best advantage, to wait until it can be led from the other hand.
With two suits of equal length, play for the one in the hand that has cards of re-entry.
With two suits of equal length, play for the one that is shown on the table. Don't give your opponents unnecessary information of your strength.
With two suits of equal length, play for the one which, when established, will give you the greater number of tricks, as7 cards in one hand and 1 in the other.6 cards in one hand and 2 in the other.5 cards in one hand and 3 in the other.4 cards in one hand and 4 in the other.
Holding only seven cards of a suit, you will often find an adversary with four cards of that suit.
Holding only six cards of a suit, remember that your adversaries have seven and that leading the suit will establish it against you.
When the best card of your suit is against you, lead to get it out of your way. It pays to establish one suit.The beginner will usually play his high cards, and, after establishing one or two tricks in that suit for his adversaries, proceed to do the same with another suit and end by abusing his partner for making it "no-trump" with so weak a hand.
Lead from the weak hand to the strong.
This is the secret of playing the two hands well. Play for the longest suit in the two hands; but arrange the lead so that it comes from the hand that has no high cards.
Holding a combination of Ace, Queen, Jack in the two hands, try to catch the King by leading the highest card from the one hand up to the Ace in the other.
This is really a continuation of the last rule, but its importance demands a separate heading. The correct play of this combination will win more tricks than any one other play in Bridge.
If the King is guarded, and you lead the Ace or from the Ace, the Kingmustwin; but if you lead from the other hand, there is an evenchance that you will find the King on the side you wish. If it is in the other hand, it would probably make anyhow.
Avoid blocking your suit, by leading or playing the high cards from the shorter of the two hands.
As with A K x in one hand and Q x x x x x in the other, play A K x.
As with A Q x in one hand and K x x x x x in the other, play A Q x.
Keep a re-entry card in the hand that has the long suit.
If you are able to take the trick in either hand, do not take it with the hand that has the long suit, unless that suit is established. If you cannot place the lead in the hand with the long suit, it is useless to establish that suit. It is often advisable to refuse to part with the highest card of a long suit, if that card is the only re-entry for the suit.
FINESSING
At "no-trump" the dealer has many opportunities to win tricks with cards that are not the best. In attempting this he should be guided by the following principles.
It is better to finesse on the second round of the suit than on the first.
By forcing discards, you can often tell which adversary is holding and protecting an honourin the suit in question, and on which side the finesse should be taken.
When there is a question on which side to take the finesse, be careful to shut out the hand with the established suit.
Do not finesse with nine cards of a suit in the two hands, including both the Ace and King. As there are but four more cards of the suit, the Queen will probably fall on one of the two leads.
Holding ten cards of one suit, including the Ace, Queen, Jack combination, lead the Queen toward the Ace; but if the Queen is not covered by the King, play the Ace on it.
"BRIDGE DON'TS"
Don't form the habit of playing slowly.
Don't expect your partner to play well when you criticise him. A little encouragement will win you rubbers and will add to your popularity.
Don't forget that it requires more skill to play a poor hand than it does to play a good one.
Don't miss an opportunity to win the game or to save it.
Don't complain if you hold poor cards and don't exult over good ones.
Don't criticise at all; but, if you must, wait until the hand is finished.
Don't hurry when exacting a penalty.
Don't think entirely of your own hand.
Don't take advantage of your partner's breach of etiquette.
Don't think that bad play won't sometimes win tricks.
Don't forget the score for an instant.
Don't ignore the value of small cards.
Don't fail to see your partner's first discard.
Don't be deceived by the dealer's play.
RULES
It is impossible to suggest rules that will cover the play of every hand. Rules are formulated after the analysis of a great many hands, and are therefore made to meet theusualdistribution of the cards. When the fall of the cards reveals an unusual situation, unusual means must be adopted to meet it; and here your reason and common sense must come to your aid.
The best Bridge players have the greatest regard for the rules; but the strong player recognises a situation for which a rule is not provided, and he allows his reason to dictate to him the times to follow and the times to violate them.
MANNERISMS
There is nobody who cares to be told that he plays cards unfairly; but, if you permit yourmanner to give your partner or the opponents the slightest intimation of the cards you hold, you lay yourself open to such criticism. Cards do not carry with them a license to be unfair or rude, yet, at the Bridge table, many socially correct people are both.
Try always to pause the same length of time before making the trump or passing. Do not allow your manner to express approval or disapproval of your partner's make or of the cards he plays, and select each of your own cards with equal deliberation. When you hold good cards be content to win tricks with them, without manifesting glee at your adversaries' defeat. When your cards are poor, do not complain of them; you imply that the opponents profit by your weak hands and not by their own skill, and, as a rule, the more you rail at your luck the worse it becomes. Be generous with your praise of a well-played hand, and be sure your partner will play a better game if he does not fear your adverse criticism. Do not permit yourself to take advantage of, or be deceived by, any mannerisms of your partner or of the opponents, and let your own manner be uniformly such that nobody can tell from it whether you are winning or losing.
MEMORY
It is not necessary to have a fine memory in order to play Bridge well; but itdoesrequirethe ability to count thirteen. If you knowhow manycards of a suit have been played, you soon will be able to tellwhatcards have been played.
Begin with one suit, preferably your own, and count each card of that suit as it is played; you will be surprised to find that you will soon notice not only where the cards of that suit are, but just what cards have been played. A little practice will enable you to do the same with all of the suits.
No matter what may be your position at the table, you may cultivate your memory by observing carefully the cards laid down by the dummy. The number of cards remaining in a suit at any stage of the play will assist you in recalling how many rounds of that suit have been played, and this will help you in recollecting what high cards were played in those rounds.
When you are dummy, and have nothing to do with the play, occupy your time and attention with a determined effort to remember each card played by your partner, the dealer. At the end of the hand see if you can recall how many of each suit he held. With a little practice you will be able to recall what his high cards were as well as the number in each suit. Memory is simply a matter of observation and practice.
INFERENCES
The play of each card conveys some information; and the secret of playing Bridge well lies in being able to draw inferences rapidly and correctly and in utilising the knowledge thus gained. If you simply look, in a mechanical way, at the cards as they fall without inferring what was meant by the play, you are apt to find yourself in the lead and at a complete loss as to what to do next.
The Following are Suggestions for Inferences to be Drawn by the Dealer.
What will the make probably be if you pass?
Your partner is apt to make it the suit in which you are weakest.
Does the opening lead show a long or a short suit?
If short, be on the alert to get the lead and exhaust trumps. If long, how many cards does the leader hold, and what high cards does his lead show?
Ask yourself why does the adversary discard one suit and save another?
This will aid in locating honours and in making successful finesses.
If the left-hand adversary leads through the Ace Queen suit in dummy, he probably does not hold the King and is tempting you to finesse. If he refuses to lead through the Ace Queen suit he is very likely waiting for you to up to his King.
If the make has been doubled try to infer what trump honours are in the doubling hand; this will enable you to judge as to the advisability of the trump lead.
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NON-DEALER
From what combination of cards is your partner leading? Remember the high cards that he holds.
The lead of a King, for instance, shows you that partner has the Ace, the Queen, or both.
The lead of a Jack indicates the top of a suit.
The lead of a seven, eight, or nine probably means the highest card of a short suit.
Don't draw rigid inferences from the dealer's play; he will endeavour to deceive you by playing false cards.
If it is an original make, your own and the dummy hand will help you to infer what trumps or high cards the dealer holds.
If the dealer seems backward in leading trump he is probably aiming to ruff with the weak hand and a trump lead from you may prevent this.
Endeavour to understand your partner's discards. You can then protect the suit in which he is weak, and, if necessary, unguard honours in the suit in which he has shown strength.
When partner returns your lead in No-trump, notice carefully the card that he plays. It will help you to place the suit and prevent your leading to a possible tenace in the dealer's hand.
COMBINING THE HANDS OF DEALER AND DUMMY
The following table gives the different combinations of cards and shows how they should be played to get the best results when the dealer holds one combination and the dummy holds the other. An "x" means one or more small cards.
The following combinations may be led from either hand:
If forced to lead from any of the following combinations, lead from the weaker of the twohands. In these, lead the highest card of the three in the weak hand:
In the following, lead from the weaker hand, but begin by playing the lowest card:
These rules are based on the supposition that the second hand has not played a higher card than any in the hand to which you lead.
There is a difference of one or two tricks in all these combinations, depending on whether you or your adversaries open the suit. Try to get the adversaries to open such suits foryou, as you do so yourself to a disadvantage. Throw the lead into their hands and make them lead to you.
FINESSING
Combining the Hands of Dealer and Dummy.
With any of the following combinations divided between the two hands, the lead should always be from the weaker hand, in the left-hand column, and thehighestcard should be led, always playing thesmallestcard from the stronger combination. For instance, in the first one given, you should lead the jack from J 10 x and play the small card from A K x. An "x" means any small card, or more than one small.
In the following combinations, the lead should be the best card in the weaker hand, and the smallest card in the stronger hand should be played to the first round, allowing the adversary to win the first trick. The weak hand must then get into the lead again, so as to take the second finesse, hoping both honours are not on the wrong side:
SECOND-HAND PLAYS
Showing all of the different combinations between dealer and dummy and their play. The second hand is the hand that is led through, it being supposed that a small card is led.
(T) means with a declared trump.(N T) means with no trumps.
ILLUSTRATIVE HANDS
NOTES ON ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 1
Trick 1.—The dealer refuses to give up the A of spades, as he wishes to exhaust the spades in one hand before he attempts to clear his club suit.
Trick 4.—B, hoping to take the last club from the dealer's hand, refuses to part with the A of clubs.
Trick 6.—B tries to put his partner in the lead so that he may make the spades.
ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 1
Keeping the Command of the Adversaries' Suit.
The score is love-all, rubber game. The dealer, Z, makes it no-trump. A leads for the first trick. The underlined card wins the trick and the card under it is the one led for the next trick.
The dealer wins ten tricks.
NOTES ON ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 2
Trick 1.—A leads from his longest suit.
Trick 2.—B returns his partner's lead with his highest card, which the dealer refuses to take, as he wishes to wait until B has no more of the suit.
Trick 3.—A again leads a diamond, as he has the K of spades for re-entry and wishes to establish the diamond suit.
Trick 4.—The dealer plays for the clubs, his longest suit, and takes the first trick, as he holds J and 10 and can clear the suit in one more lead.
Trick 6.—B, having no diamonds, opens his heart suit, hoping to put his partner in the lead. The dealer applying the "Rule of Eleven," and finding that he holds the four cards above the seven, passes so as to take the lead in the dummy hand.
Trick7.—Leading through.
Tricks8 and 9.—Making the clubs and putting the dummy hand in the lead so as to come through the K and J of hearts.
ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 2
Playing for the Longest Suit in the Two Hands.
The score is love-all, rubber game. The dealer, Z, makes it no-trump and A leads for the first trick.