  The following hands are illustrative of the principles discussed in the previous chapters, and while, to the experienced players, some of the points will appear simple, the hands all show interesting situations which merit careful study from those who wish to improve their Bridge play. All the hands have been taken from actual play and show by no means unusual situations. The writer has endeavoured to eliminate freakish distributions of cards and unsound play. Play each illustration as though but one hand were exposed, without previous reference to the notes. In each case Z is the dealer and A the leader. Transcriber’s Note: In each of the TRICK tables, the underlined card indicates the card which won the trick. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 1 Many players would be tempted to declare “no-trumps” with this hand, but the declaration of hearts is sound. No risks should be taken with a strong heart make when one weak suit is held. Trick 1.—There are two lines of play that could be adopted by the dealer in this hand, one to exhaust the trumps and try for the spade suit, the other to try to establish a ruff in the weaker hand. The former course is preferable. As Z holds but one trump, the adversaries would probably prevent the ruff. To make the spade suit an entry card may be necessary. Y takes the lead, in order to save Z’s entry card. Trick 8.—This position will be appreciated by all students of the game. Z has three good spades and the commanding diamond, Y the losing trump and the ace of clubs. Should Y now lead a diamond and take Z’s re-entry card, the adversaries’ trump would stop the suit. Leading the losing trump is a clever play. SAVING AN ENTRY CARD. It is the first game, score sixteen to nothing, in favor of the dealer. Z deals and passes the make. Y declares hearts.
The dealer makes a small slam. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 2 Trick 2.—This situation demands careful attention. If the diamond is led from Y’s hand for Z to trump, the adversaries must obtain the lead at the next trick, and would promptly lead trumps to prevent any further ruffing. Z can estimate that he has but five sure tricks in the two hands, three trump tricks, the diamond trick, the ruff, and the possibility of making a trick with the king of clubs. This, however, would give the adversaries the game and the rubber. To win the game, two ruffs must be obtained and Z cannot afford to make the situation clear to his opponents. He leads the seven of clubs from Y’s hand in order to establish the cross-ruff. It is this form of strategy that wins games and rubbers for the clever player. Z takes the one chance to win the game. Trick 3.—B’s best play is unquestionably the trump. He has both the spade and the club suit protected, his partner is marked with strength in diamonds, and he can lead trumps with safety, but not knowing that the weak hand can ruff, he returns his partner’s original lead. Trick 7.—A can stop the cross-ruff by trumping with the king of hearts, but this play would not afford him any advantage, as Y would discard a losing spade, and Z may not have another trump. Trick 8.—There is no reason for B to trump. To discard is his best play. NOT SHOWING ADVERSARIES THAT It is the rubber game, score twenty-four all. Z deals and passes the make. Y declares hearts.
The dealer wins two odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 3 Trick 4.—When the commanding trump is against you, the best play is usually to force your adversary to “ruff” with it, but if you hold an established suit in one hand, it often pays to take out the winning trump. Your long suit can then be continued without interruption. LEADING THE LOSING TRUMP It is the first game, score love all. Z deals and makes it hearts.
The dealer makes a small slam. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 4 Trick 1.—To win the game the king of hearts must be in B’s hand and the lead must be arranged so that Y can lead the jack of hearts toward the ace queen. To make an entry card in Y’s hand, Z throws his king of diamonds on the ace. Trick 2.—A would like to change the suit, but, undoubtedly, the diamond is his best lead. ARRANGING THE LEAD It is the rubber game, score eight to twenty-four against the dealer. Z, the dealer, declares Hearts.
The dealer wins three odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 5 Trick 2.—To many players a trump lead at this trick would seem imperative, but if trumps are led, the adversaries obtain the lead and must make three tricks in the club suit. The clubs must be discarded before the adversaries obtain the lead. The king of spades should be led, otherwise the spade suit would be blocked. Trick 4.—It seems like tempting fate for Z to lead his high cards, but nothing can possibly be lost. The discards which Y takes on these high cards offset any trump that the adversary might make. There is everything to gain and nothing to lose. NOT LEADING TRUMPS UNTIL LOSING It is the rubber game, score eighteen to nothing in favour of the dealer. Z deals and passes the make. Y declares hearts.
The dealer makes a small slam. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 6 Trick 2.—Should B lead another round of hearts the weak hand would “ruff” and the strong hand would discard. Trick 4.—The dealer requires every trick to win the game. To accomplish this both finesses must be successful. The trumps held in the two hands are in sequence from the six to the queen, and should B have the king of trumps three times protected, the lead must be kept in Y’s hand. Many a hand has been ruined by the incorrect play of this position. Trick 10.—Z has the opportunity to make a brilliant coup. To catch the ten of spades he must lead through A’s hand, and, therefore, trumps Y’s winning club in order to obtain the lead. LEADING THROUGH It is the first game, score love all. Z deals and makes it diamonds.
The dealer wins five odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 7 Trick 1.—As there are but six trumps in the two hands, Z knows that one adversary must hold at least four trumps, and should the force be taken and the trumps led, the adversaries would make the entire suit of diamonds. Z must wait until Y is able to take the ruff, in this way keeping his own trump strength intact. Trick 3.—A is placed in a difficult position. Trick 7.—With the best trump against him, Z must force the commanding trump, for, no matter how the adversaries play, the spade suit must be brought in. REFUSING TO ACCEPT A FORCE It is the first game, score eight all. Z deals and makes it hearts.
The dealer wins four odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 8 Many players might criticise the make of this hand without realising its tremendous possibilities. A hand with five trumps and an established suit is a difficult one for the adversaries to defeat. As Z is short in two suits, there are not many tricks for the adversaries outside of the trump suit. Z hopes to find an honour in trumps with his partner which would enable him to exhaust the trumps and make his suit. Trick 2.—Many players would find it difficult to resist the temptation of leading trumps up to the ace and queen in Y’s hand, but the danger lies in having the finesse go wrong, for this would enable the adversary to force the strong trump hand and the trump suit would be blocked. To get the lead the dealer would again have to force his own trump hand. If either adversary held four trumps this would be ruinous. NOT TAKING A FINESSE, WHICH IF UNSUCCESSFUL, It is the first game, score love all. Z deals and makes it hearts.
The dealer makes a small slam. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 9 Trick 1.—Z must save an entry card for the spade suit. Trick 2.—A refuses to part with the control of the adversary’s suit. Trick 3.—Should Z not overtake the jack of spades, A would again refuse to part with the control, and hence this entire suit would be blocked. This situation frequently occurs and is often misplayed. When your cards are in sequence and should you know that the adversary is holding up, always overtake to obtain the lead so that you can continue to establish your suit. Trick 4.—A cannot afford to lead any other suit and continues with the diamonds. SAVING AN ENTRY CARD. OVERTAKING It is the first game, score love all. Z deals and passes the make. Y makes it “no-trump.”
The dealer makes a small slam. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 10 Trick 1.—Z false cards the king of spades in order to deceive his adversaries. Trick 2.—The lead of the club suit must come from Y, but if a low heart is led, it will take out Y’s only card of entry. With the purpose of making two cards of entry, Z leads the high cards from his own hand. Trick 4.—As all the hearts have fallen, Z can safely overtake the jack, to lead the queen of clubs toward the ace. Should Z continue with another round of hearts, Y would have no way of obtaining the lead after the club suit was established. The low heart must be saved as a card of entry. DOUBLE ENTRY It is the first game, score love all. Z deals and makes it “no-trump.”
The dealer makes a small slam. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 11 Trick 1.—As the club suit is blocked, Y needs two entry cards, one to establish the suit and the other to obtain the lead and make it. Z, therefore, overtakes the jack of spades with the ace, to make it possible for Y to have two entry cards. Trick 5.—Without reference to the position of the cards, A’s lead of the five of spades is bad. The game is lost unless B holds the diamond suit, and his best play is undoubtedly the ace and the jack of diamonds. As the cards are placed, however, this would give the dealer an additional trick. MAKING AN ENTRY CARD It is the rubber game, score twenty-four to nothing against the dealer. Z deals and makes it “no-trumps.”
The dealer wins four odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 12 Trick 5.—Z finds that the seven of diamonds is a card of re-entry and plays to establish the club suit. Trick 12.—Z can well afford to chance the making of a small slam. A CARD OF RE-ENTRY It is the first game, score love all. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trumps.”
The dealer makes a small slam. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 13 Trick 1.—Z cannot afford to hold up the ace of spades, as the entire diamond suit is against him. The game can neither be saved nor won unless the king of clubs is in B’s hand. Should this be the case, it may be necessary to lead twice from Y’s hand. Z proceeds to make these entry cards by leading the high hearts from his own hand. The situation is one that is not only interesting but instructive. DOUBLE ENTRY It is the rubber game, score twenty-four to nothing against the dealer. Z deals and makes it “no-trump.”
The dealer wins four odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 14 Trick 1.—Z’s only hope to win the game is to establish and make the diamond suit in Y’s hand. To do this it may be necessary to have an entry card. Trick 2.—B very properly refuses to part with the commanding diamond and waits until the last diamond has been played from the dealer’s hand. Trick 5.—There is little excuse for the dealer’s play of the ace of clubs at this point. He cannot lose by playing a low card. OVERTAKING TO MAKE AN ENTRY CARD It is the first game, score love all. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trump.”
The dealer wins three odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 15 Trick 1.—It is wrong to hold up an ace when one entire suit is against you. You must take the lead and make all that is possible in the other suits. Trick 2.—The spade suit looks tempting, but the club suit is longer and the dealer cannot afford to run the risk of the adversaries’ obtaining the lead. Hasty and careless play to the first lead of clubs would ruin the hand. Y must begin to unblock. Trick 8.—The game is saved and cannot be won unless the finesse in the spade suit is successful. NOT HOLDING UP AN ACE. It is the rubber game, score twenty-four to nothing against the dealer. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trumps.”
The dealer makes a small slam. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 16 Tricks 1 and 2.—Z refuses to part with the ace of hearts, and waits until B’s last heart has been played. Trick 4.—B cannot afford to win the queen of clubs with the king. The dealer may have another club to lead. As the dummy holds no card of entry, B hopes to block this suit by waiting until the last club has been played from the dealer’s hand. Trick 5.—The dealer can, without doubt, make an extra trick by playing the ace of clubs, but he imagines that the king of clubs is with A. HOLDING UP A KING It is the first game. Score 8-0 against the dealer. Z, the dealer, declares “no-trumps.” A leads for the first trick.
The dealer loses two odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 17 Trick 1.—To win the game Z must establish and make the club suit; as A holds both queen and jack of clubs, he must make one trick. Trick 2.—A plays very badly in attempting to win this trick. This mistake, however, is often made. Should A refuse to win this trick it would be impossible for the clubs in Y’s hand to make. Trick 9.—B’s only hope is to find his partner strong in spades. OVERTAKING, LOSING A TRICK, It is the rubber game, score love all. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trumps.”
The dealer wins four odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 18 Trick 2.—Should Z finesse and lose, Y’s suit would be blocked and the adversary would undoubtedly take out Y’s only re-entry card. The suit must be cleared before this re-entry card is gone and many games and rubbers are lost by hasty play in positions of this kind. NOT TAKING A FINESSE The score is eighteen to nothing against the dealer. Z deals and makes it “no-trumps.”
The dealer wins four odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 19 Trick 1.—Should Z refuse to win the first round of spades with the king, his hand may be led through and the king captured. He cannot gain by holding up this high card unless the original leader holds a six-card spade suit as well as the ace of hearts. In other words, he will lose if A has a four-or a five-card suit, and can only win if A holds a six-card suit and the ace of hearts. In the play of any hand, the usual, not the unusual distribution of the cards should be considered. Trick 2.—Z must play the hand with a certain goal in view—eight tricks. If he leads the diamonds, he is compelled to guess, and a wrong guess would be disastrous. As the ace of hearts must win, Z hopes, by allowing the spades to make, to obtain information which will guide him to a successful finesse. Tricks 4, 5, and 6.—Why does B protect both clubs and diamonds? Trick 9.—A’s discard of the two of diamonds is informative and as B is protecting the diamond suit the dealer can safely infer the location of the queen. FORCING DISCARDS TO LOCATE A FINESSE It is the rubber game, score twelve to twenty-four against the dealer. Z passes the make. Y declares “no-trumps.”
The dealer wins two odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 20 Trick 2.—Z cannot afford to lead diamonds from Y’s hand, as this would take out the only entry card. Trick 3.—B waits until Z’s last diamond has been played. Trick 6.—Z endeavours to establish an entry card for Y by sacrificing a high card from his own hand. B again tries to block the dealer’s game. Trick 7.—The ace of hearts is now marked with B, and the Finesse Obligatory must be taken. Unless the jack of hearts lies with A, Y can never make the diamond suit. Trick 11.—It is very difficult for A to mark the two of clubs. DESCHAPELLES COUP. FINESSE OBLIGATORY It is the rubber game, score love all. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trumps.”
The dealer wins four odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 21 Trick 2.—Z infers that the adversaries will not continue with the spade suit as Y holds a tenace over A’s cards. Every suit is protected, but it would be dangerous to have clubs led through, for, should A obtain the lead, this entire suit might be brought in. In all probability the adversaries will make a trick in diamonds and Z prefers that the first be taken by B. Trick 3.—B leads an irregular card in hearts so that A can mark his suit. Z cannot afford to have A lead and so takes this trick. NOT ALLOWING ADVERSARY TO LEAD It is the rubber game, score eight to twenty against the dealer. Z deals and makes it “no-trumps.”
The dealer wins two odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 22 Trick 1.—Z hopes to exhaust the hearts in B’s hand. Trick 4.—To make two odd tricks is simple. To win the game A must not get the lead. With an established suit against you, you should not take a finesse, which would allow the adversary with the established suit to obtain the lead. To lead the queen of clubs from Y’s hands would be dangerous. The possibilities lie in the diamond suit. Z, therefore, leads a diamond and allows B to win the trick. The dealer must play the ace of clubs, for, should the diamonds fall, the game is assured. NOT ALLOWING AN ESTABLISHED It is the rubber game, score twenty-four to nothing against the dealer. Z deals and makes it “no-trumps.”
The dealer wins four odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 23 Trick 3.—With four spades in B’s hand, to make this suit Z must allow B to win the first trick. Trick 10.—Z hopes to make the king of diamonds by leading from the weak hand. “DUCKING” It is the first game, score love all. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trumps.”
The dealer wins five odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 24 Holding the ace, king, and jack of a suit, provided the queen is not in dummy, it is often advisable to wait until your partner can lead through the dealer’s hand. To lead through a king in dummy is sound play, especially when you hold a sequence. Z cannot gain by covering the honour led. He hopes that the ace will fall to the first or second lead. Trick 5.—B indicates his suit before returning his partner’s original lead. LEADING THROUGH DUMMY’S STRENGTH It is the first game, score eight to nothing against the dealer. Z, the dealer, passes the make. Y declares hearts.
The dealer loses three odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 25 Trick 1.—Many players would be tempted to lead the supporting diamond rather than to open the four-card suit. Trick 2.—Should B lead the ace of spades the ruff would be established in the weak hand. As B holds protection in all of the suits, his best play is to lead trumps through the strong hand. Trick 3.—It would be bad play for A to return his partner’s lead of trumps. He holds the king of trumps protected and must wait until his partner can again lead through the dealer’s hand. It would be wrong to continue his original lead of spades, as the dealer could then stop the lead of trumps and give dummy the ruff. A infers from his partner’s lead of trumps that he holds strength in the other suits, and the ten of diamonds is undoubtedly his best play. Trick 4.—B again leads through the strong trump hand, A makes his king and leads his losing trump to draw two for one. No matter how the dealer may play he cannot prevent his adversaries from making the remaining tricks in spades or in diamonds, it being impossible to obtain the lead in dummy. PREVENTING THE WEAK HAND It is the rubber game, score sixteen to eight in favour of the dealer. Z, the dealer, makes it hearts and A leads for the first trick.
The dealer loses three odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 26 Trick 1.—A is almost strong enough to lead the trump originally, but holding the ace and king of a suit his best play is to take a view of the dummy hand. Trick 2.—The queen of spades falling in the dealer’s hand indicates that the weak hand will ruff. A leads trumps through the strong hand. Trick 3.—B has no reason to wait for the trumps to be led through again, as he does not hold a tenace over dummy. He, therefore, leads the ace and then a low trump in order to exhaust trumps from the weak hand. PREVENTING THE WEAK HAND It is the first game, score love all. Z, the dealer, passes the make. Y declares hearts. A leads for the first trick.
The dealer loses two odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 27 Trick 2.—The dealer after taking the force leads trumps in order to bring in the established spade suit. Trick 4.—This is the critical point in the hand. A can continue to force the strong trump hand, but as the trumps are evidently all established in the dealer’s hand, it would enable the dealer to take out the remaining trumps and make the spades. This situation is interesting and deserves careful study. It is too late to force when the adversary holds an established suit against you. You must make what you can in the other suits before giving up the lead. Trick 5.—A overtakes the queen of clubs in order to continue the lead. Trick 7.—B discards his only spade. Trick 8.—A gives B the opportunity to make his losing trump. NOT FORCING It is the first game, score love all. Z, the dealer, makes it hearts.
The dealer wins the odd trick. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 28 Trick 1.—Z false cards the ace of hearts to tempt A to again lead the suit. Trick 3.—The correct play of third hand is high unless two or more honours are held in sequence, in which case the lower honour is played. B’s play of the jack denies the ten and the king. It would, therefore, be bad play for A to continue his suit. He must wait until his partner can lead through the dealer’s hand. A’s best lead is through the strength of the dummy hand, and he leads the highest card of his sequence. Trick 4.—B must wait until his partner can again lead through the king of diamonds, and so returns his partner’s original lead. INFERENCE It is the rubber game, score twenty-four to nothing against the dealer. Z, the dealer, makes it “no trumps.”
The dealer loses three odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 29 Trick 1.—With three cards of re-entry in his hand A can afford to lead one of them in order to gain information as to the position of the cards in his long suit. Winning the first trick, A can clearly see the situation. The play of the two of hearts by B indicates that he cannot hold four cards in the heart suit. Should A continue leading hearts he must establish one or more cards in the dealer’s hand. Trick 3.—A cannot afford to lead spades, as Y holds a double major tenace over his hand. As Z, the dealer, has passed the make, A can mark strength in the diamond suit with B. He, therefore, abandons his own suit and endeavours to help his partner by leading the singleton diamond. B overtakes the jack of diamonds and continues with the suit. INFERENCE It is the rubber game, score twenty to nothing against the dealer. Z, the dealer, passes the make. Y declares “no-trump.”
The dealer loses four odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 30 Trick 1.—B’s play of the queen denies the jack, which A marks with the dealer. Trick 2.—The dealer can lead his high spades, but this lead might establish a trick in the suit for his adversaries. His best play is to conceal the strength in this suit, and to establish the club suit. Trick 3.—A is placed in a difficult position; if he continues with his diamonds the jack will make. He must place the lead with B so that the dealer’s hand may be led through. The heart suit is better than the spade suit, as dummy holds an honour to lead through. Trick 4.—B must wait until his partner can again lead through the king of hearts, and so returns A’s original lead. Should A continue with the lead of diamonds at trick two the dealer would win four odd tricks instead of losing that number. INFERENCE It is the rubber game, score sixteen to nothing against the dealer. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trump.”
The dealer loses four odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 31 Trick 2.—B’s return of the three of hearts shows the situation to A. It is the rule at “no-trump” to return partner’s suit with your highest card. A can mark Z with two cards in the suit higher than the three. Trick 3.—It would be bad play for A to lead his king of hearts, as this would establish the queen for Z. A opens the low diamond, hoping that B can obtain the lead. LEADING THROUGH It is the rubber game, score love all. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trump.”
The dealer wins the odd trick. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 32 Trick 1.—B’s play of the jack denies the ace, which must be with the dealer. Trick 2.—Should A allow the queen of hearts to win this trick, his re-entry card would be taken out before his suit is cleared. He must overtake his partner’s card in order to establish the suit. Trick 4.—The dealer hopes that the ace of clubs is with B, as this would shut out A’s heart suit. OVERTAKING BY THE ADVERSARY It is the second game, score twenty-four to nothing against the dealer. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trump.”
The dealer wins the odd trick. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 33 Trick 2.—As A holds no card of re-entry except the ace of diamonds, he cannot afford to win this trick. He must trust B for a card of re-entry and a diamond to lead. The play can only lose one trick, and it may save the game. Trick 3.—Z must establish the spade suit. REFUSING TO PLAY THE HIGH It is the rubber game, score love all. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trumps.”
The dealer wins two by cards. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 34 Trick 1.—B wins the first trick with his lower honour in sequence. Trick 2.—The usual rule at “no-trump” is to return partner’s lead with your highest card. This is done to prevent blocking and in order not to mislead. To arrange the lead, B returns the low spade, knowing that he can neither deceive nor block his partner’s suit. He arranges the lead so that hearts may be led through the dealer’s hand. ARRANGING THE LEAD It is the first game, score love all. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trump.”
The dealer loses two odd tricks. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 35 Trick 1.—With the ace and a small card, to your partner’s high card lead at “no-trumps,” the ace should usually be played, but B cannot afford to overtake his partner’s king, as it would eventually establish the ten of spades for Y. Trick 3.—Unless A holds the king of hearts, the game is lost, no matter what B may lead. To make a possible re-entry for A, B sacrifices his queen of hearts. Z hopes that B has but two hearts and so refuses to win this trick. It makes but little difference what Y now leads. A’s spades must make. NOT UNBLOCKING. It is the rubber game, score eighteen to twenty-four against the dealer. Z, the dealer, passes the make. Y declares “no-trump.”
ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 36 Trick 2.—The dealer’s best play is undoubtedly to establish the club suit. A has little reason to pass this trick; taking the king with the ace may establish the jack in B’s hand. Trick 3.—Players will so often play for their own suit, with little or no regard for their partner’s hand. If the high cards in your suit are against you, and your card of entry has been taken out, abandon the suit and endeavour to help your partner. A infers that his partner’s suit is diamonds and leads the supporting jack through the king. ABANDONING A SUIT It is the rubber game, score eighteen to nothing against the dealer. Z, the dealer, declares “no-trump.”
The dealer loses the odd trick. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 37 Trick 1.—The dealer’s first object should be to win the game. By playing the ace of spades, Z is assured of ten tricks—four in clubs, four in diamonds, one in spades, and one in hearts—whereas the play of a low spade or the queen might enable B to win the trick and establish the heart suit against the dealer; in this case, should A hold the king of clubs the game could not be won. Trick 2.—In order to unblock the diamond suit the ace and king in Y’s hand must be led. Trick 3.—Whether or not B covers is of minor importance, for the play of a low card does not alter the result of the hand. Trick 5.—Z finds that his club suit is blocked by the two commanding cards in the dummy. The only possible way to make the balance of this suit is to discard the jack and ten of clubs on the two winning diamonds. Trick 11.—Z takes out A’s king of spades, retaining the ace of hearts for re-entry. “DISCARDING COMMANDING CARDS” It is the first game, score love all. Z deals and passes the make. Y declares “no-trump.”
The dealer makes a small slam. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 38 Trick 1.—The jack of clubs must be played to the first trick, for otherwise the club suit would be blocked, and it is useless to lead through A’s hand. B’s best discard is a spade. As A’s lead indicates a four-card suit, B can count Z with six clubs. Trick 2.—A cannot afford to win this trick, for if Z has an entry card the clubs will be made. B should not shorten his diamonds or hearts as Y has four cards of each. He cannot lose by discarding an honour in spades. The queen gives A information, and if necessary enables B to unblock. Trick 4.—A’s lead may be from four spades; B must keep the low spade. Trick 6.—B can now count all the cards in both A’s and Z’s hands. A has shown four spades, four clubs, and is marked with the queen of diamonds alone; he must, therefore, have three hearts. Z has three remaining clubs, two diamonds, one spade, and two hearts. B unblocks the spade suit. Trick 8.—A can now count both B’s and Z’s hands; B must have four hearts and the ace of diamonds alone; Z has the remaining clubs, a diamond and two hearts. Trick 9.—It is immaterial what Z now discards; if he discards a diamond, A leads the heart; if he discards a heart, A leads the ace of clubs, and forces Z to lead a diamond to B. “COUNTING” It is the rubber game, score eight to nothing against the dealer. Z passes the make. Y declares “no-trump.”
The dealer loses the odd trick. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 39 Trick 2.—A should not continue the lead of diamonds; the weak hand would “ruff.” Trick 3.—Z can exhaust the trumps and make the club suit, but will then be left with two losing diamonds. Before attempting to get the trumps out, he must allow Y to trump these losing cards. Trick 5.—Hasty play by the dealer at this point would incur a loss of four or five tricks. If Y trumps with the eight of hearts, the trump suit is blocked and Z has no way of obtaining the lead. Ruffing with the ace enables the dealer to unblock the trump suit and make the clubs. ALLOWING THE WEAKER HAND It is the first game, score sixteen to nothing against the dealer. Z deals and makes it hearts.
The dealer makes a small slam. ILLUSTRATIVE HAND NO. 40 Trick 1.—It would be bad play to hold up the ace of hearts. The adversary can only make the queen and jack, the nine being three times guarded in Z’s hand. The spade suit must be established at once. Trick 5.—As A holds a possible card of re-entry in diamonds, he continues his own suit. Tricks 7 and 8.—Clever play to unblock the club suit and to obtain the lead with the eight of spades. Z discards his losing diamonds. NOT HOLDING UP AN ACE It is the rubber game, score love all. Z, the dealer, makes it “no-trump.”
The dealer wins four odd tricks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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