Part 3

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 the dealer 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.

A K K Q Q J J 10

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 doing this 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 more than 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,

{ A 8 6 3 2 holding { and if you open the Q suit { Q 9 8 6 3

and establish it, the ace is a sure re-entry card; if you open the ace suit the queen is a very doubtful card of re-entry.

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 interest of the two hands will not return the suit. For example:

From 10 8 7 6 3, lead the 8 From 9 8 5 3 2, lead the 9 From 8 7 5 3, lead the 8

THE ORIGINAL LEAD IN NO-TRUMPS

+----------+----------------------------------------------------+ | LEAD | HOLDING | +----------+----------------------------------------------------+ | | Ace, Queen, Jack, and others with a Re-entry card. | | ACE | Ace, with 7 or more others. | | | Ace, Queen, with 5 others. | | | Ace, Jack, with 5 others. | +----------+----------------------------------------------------+ | | Ace, King, Queen, and others. | | | Ace, King, Jack, and others. | | | Ace, King, ten, and 3 others, with a Re-entry card.| | KING | Ace, King, and 5 or more others. | | | King, Queen, Jack, and others. | | | King, Queen, ten, and others. | | | King, Queen, and 5 others. | +----------+----------------------------------------------------+ | | Queen, Jack, ten, and others. | | QUEEN | 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. | +----------+----------------------------------------------------+

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.

+---------+----------------------+--------+ | HOLDING | ON PARTNER'S LEAD OF | PLAY | +---------+----------------------+--------+ | K x | A | K | | A x | K | A | | K x | Q | K | | Q x x | K and A | Q on A | | K Q x | A | Q | | Q J x | A | J | | Q J x | K | J | | K Q x | J | Q | +---------+----------------------+--------+

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 error will 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, as

7 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.

Lead from to x x x K x x x x x x A Q x x x x x K Q x x 10 x x K J x 4

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 King _must_ win; but if you lead from the other hand, there is an even chance 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 honour in 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 the _usual_ distribution 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 your manner 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.