Using your Resources

1. Defense: standard Carding2. Discarding losers3. Entries4. Developing long suits in dummy

Standard Leads, Suits

Once you decide to lead a suit against a suit contract, what card should you choose?

Top of a sequence (K Q J, J T 9) Top of a doubleton (8 2) Not away from an Ace Not an unsupported Ace (unless your

partner bid the suit) [Elvis Coup]

Standard Leads, NT

Once you decide to lead a suit against a notrump contract, what card should you choose?Partner’s bid suit

Top of doubleton, top of 3-card trash Lowest card (3rd or 4th) from an honor

4th from longest (rule of 11)Spades, especially if opponents have not bid them

Rule of 11

When the fourth best card has been led, subtract the spot from 11.

The remainder is equal to the number of cards higher than that spot in the other hands

An example: Your partner leads the 5 against 5 against a NT contract. 11- 5 = 6a NT contract. 11- 5 = 6 There are therefore 6 cards in the other three hands There are therefore 6 cards in the other three hands

(including yours and the dummy’s) higher than the (including yours and the dummy’s) higher than the 5 5

Say, your spades are K 10 3, dummy’s are Q 7 4.Say, your spades are K 10 3, dummy’s are Q 7 4. Then declarer has 2 spade cards higher than the Then declarer has 2 spade cards higher than the 5 5

Rule of 11

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Q 4 3 8 7 5 2 A 6 4 A K 7

10 9 6 5 K 8 7 2 Q J 9 6 3

Contract 3NT

Lead 2

You are East. Assuming your partner is leading his 4th best, there are 9 cards in the other three hands larger. You have four of them in your hand, three are in dummy. That leaves declarer with exactly 2.

Standard Attitude

When your partner leads, try to win the trick. (“3rd hand high”—but only as high as necessary: lower of touching)

Otherwise, show your attitude to partner’s leads High spot = “I like it, partner” Low spot = “I don’t like it. Shift?”

Standard Count

Give count when declarer leads High-low sequence indicates an even number

in the suit Low-high sequence indicates an odd number

in the suit

Winning extra tricks (Declarer)

Extra tricks can come from several sources. You can develop long tricks in side suits in hand. You may trump losing cards in the dummy. You may discard losers in your hand on winners

in dummy (sluffing).

Developing extra tricks

The necessary tricks may need development By establishing a long suit By finessing

Timing: if you must discard quick losers, then develop the extra tricks at once

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Contract: 4

Lead: KK

1201

Q 4 3 8 7 5 2 A 6 4 A K 7

10 9 6 5 K 8 7 2 Q J 9 6 3

A K J Q J 10 9 6 3 9 5 3 3

8 7 2 A 4 K Q J 1010 8 5 4

Discarding losers

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Contract: 4

Lead: KK

1202

Q J 10 Q 7 5 2 A 8 6 A 8 4

K 9 6 5 9 7 5 4 2 Q 9 3 2

4 3 A K J 10 8 4 9 3 K 10 7

A 7 6 2 6 3 K Q J 10 J 6 5

Discarding losers

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Contract: 2

Lead: QQ

1203

J 10 8 2 7 4 2 A J 4 7 6 5

A 6 K 6 3 10 9 6 5 A Q 9 3

K Q 7 5 3 A 9 5 K 3 J 4 2

9 4 Q J 10 8 Q 8 7 2 K 10 8

Discarding losers

Entries and development

When dummy’s long suit must be developed, we need an entry to dummy to cash the tricks

Entry: a card which allows the shifting of the lead from one hand to another

Entries may be created by forcing out higher cards, by finesse, or suit development

Entry Development

By force DUMMY K Q HAND 8 4

By finesse DUMMY K 7 2 HAND 8 4 3

By development DUMMY 10 9 8 7 HAND A K Q 2

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Contract: 3NT

Lead: QQ

1204

9 4 A 8 5 10 7 4 A K 6 4 2

6 5 3 2 10 9 6 K Q Q J 10 9

A K 7 K Q 2 A 8 5 2 8 7 3

Q J 10 8 J 7 4 3 J 9 6 3 5

Discarding losers

Drawing Trumps

Generally it is a good idea to draw trumps early

Trumps suits are developed like any other suit Finessing Promotion

The default plan is to draw trumps immediately

Drawing Trumps (cont.)

When is this not the correct plan? When losers must be ruffed in dummy When drawing trumps entails or risks losing a

trick AND quick losers must be discarded on dummy’s winners

When timing requires the establishment of a side suit

When the trump suit is needed for entries

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Contract: 2

Lead: 4

1205

Q 10 8 3 K 10 9 7 2 J 8 5 2

K 7 6 9 7 3 Q 6 5 3 A Q 9

9 4 A Q J 8 6 2 A J 10 6 3

A J 5 2 5 4 K 8 4 K 10 7 4

entries

Trumps and side suits

We can use trumps to establish a second suit in the hand.

Tricks that otherwise would have been lost can be trumped (high enough) so that the long card or cards is good.

Timing: How many ruffs do we need?

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Contract: 4

Lead: 5

1206

K Q 3 2 9 7 4 K J 7 3 K 5

7 6 5 A 10 3 2 A Q 10 8 Q 4

A J 10 9 8 Q 8 6 A 10 8 6 3

4 K J 6 5 9 5 4 2 J 9 7 2

Establishing a second suit