By Valerie Rhead
SUIT CONTACTS: PLANNING YOUR PLAY
Previously in this column we investigated declarer`s planning the play of No-Trump contracts. Today we will look at declarer`s planning the play of Suit contracts. There is a difference!
Before you play to the first trick, pause a little and plan your hand. Your contract is for Four Spades, so you know you must make ten tricks. Of course, an overtrick or two gives you an even better score.
Before you play to the first trick, count the number of losers you have? (In No Trump you count winners, but in a Suit contract you count losers.) For example, you have three Club losers in your hand and a singleton Club in dummy. Perhaps you also have two losers in Hearts for a total of five losers in your two hands. You can afford to lose only three. How are you going to get rid of two losers?
In a Suit contract such as Four Spades, the trump on the short side in dummy can be a source of extra tricks, to get rid of losers by ruffing. You have to do this BEFORE you draw all your trumps. Otherwise, you will not have the trumps you need in dummy. Go ahead and lose the first Club trick. When you get back in, lead another Club towards dummy and ruff it. Return to your hand, and lead your last losing Club and ruff it again. Then go ahead and draw out the rest of the trump. You now have a total of just three losers.
Some of the methods of developing extra tricks, such as developing a long suit, are similar in No-Trump or Suit contracts. Suppose you have a six-card Diamond suit headed by the Ace and King. You lead out your Ace and King. You then lead out two more Diamond losers and ruff high the losers in dummy. Then be careful to get the rest of the trump out after doing this. Otherwise, the sneaky bad guys may get in there with a small trump and take one or more of your good cards. You can then use the two good Diamonds that you have established to take care of your two Club losers.
Sometimes you can establish winning tricks by promoting honours. You have the King, Queen, Jack of Clubs. You lead out the King. Your opponent wins the trick with the Ace. Now, your Queen and Jack are good.
And, you can finesse in both Suit and No-Trump contracts. Some players just love finesses. They seem to feel that if there is a possible finesse, they have to take it. Remember the odds are fifty percent. You have a fifty percent chance of winning or losing. Those two Diamonds that are now good may save you from having to finesse. Sometimes, the odds of establishing extra tricks in your long suit are better.
Take those few seconds to plan your hand before plunging in. Also check out the entries that are needed in both declarer and dummy hands. It is often best when developing a suit to play the honours from the short side first. Otherwise, you may have trouble getting back to the long side to run out the rest of the cards in the suit. It is frustrating to develop good tricks in your hand and be unable to reach them because you did not preserve an entry!
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group, send the information to [email protected] and I will include it in this column.
SYRIAN REFUGEE FAMILY FUNDRAISER
LUNCHEON AND BRIDGE PARTY, ALL WELCOME
Saint Patrick’s Day
12 NOON FOR LUNCH Thursday, Mar 17, 2016 $20 per person
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church, Bracebridge, 118 McMurray Street
Please arrange your foursome and bring cards for your table.
For Tickets, Call with four names Sylvia Miles 645-8556 [email protected]
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Huntsville Club are now Tuesday afternoon 1PM for the winter Jan‑Feb‑Mar, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. Call Betty 705-789-2560 [email protected] or Susan at 705-789-7156 [email protected] for information and partnerships. For the winter, the game now is held downstairs in the warm basement. To avoid the long stairs, enter from the door on Main Street.
The following results are for Tuesday, Mar 1 with 5 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Betty Fagin and Rod Dixon; 2. Chris Karn and Vern Foell; 3. Bev Parlett and B arb Forth; East-West 1. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 2. Val Rhead and Peter Rhead; 3. Susan Marshall and Betty Bennett
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games at the Bracebridge Club are at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road 7pm Monday evenings. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For information or partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]
The following results are for Monday, Feb 29 with 6 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 2. Val Rhead and Peter Rhead; 3. Pamela Jardine and Ralph Mitchell; 4. Betty Fagin and Hazel Bowes; East-West 1. Ralph Hair and Gerry Flaherty; 2. Ruth Thompson and Don Evans; 3/4. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 3/4. Carol Anne Robinson and Nancy Barber
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