Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-12
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the club suit should be opened If your
partner has one good club to help you, then.
with the aid of your ace and king of dia-
monds you may eventually make one or
two small clubs. At any rate, you can
scarcely lose your ace and king To open
the hand with diamonds would insure its
being returned to you by your partner,
should he gain the lead. and having played
the ace and king. your hand Is dead-you
will never make another trick
The science of the game lies in making
tricks with small cards which do not ordi-
narily win. Aces and kings generally win
tricks without thought or Skill If the OPP
ponents have high cards Of your long suit,
they must make tricks and your suit Is
good for nothing until those high cards are
forced from their hands. The only way to
force them to be played Is to lead your suit
they surely will not lead 1t for you.
Holding two suits of equal length lead
from the stronger (the one headed by the
highest cards.. and If equal in strength.
choose to lead red suit rather than a
black-hearts in preference to diamonds for
IL the dealer had a very strong heart hand
he would have declared hearts instead of
no trump.
In leading your longest suit, remember
the third trick is the important one to win
for If you are long, the third trick will usu-
ally exhaust every one save yourself. ana
being IN the lead. you can then make tho
small cards. So, II you would be obliged to
lose the third trick in your suit, should you
open 1t with a high card, open 1t fourth
best. Thus. when opening from ace, king
and three small cards, should you lead OFF
your king and ace, you must lose the third
trick and. unless you have re-entry, you
will never make the remaining small cards
Three tricks will exhaust all your partners
cards In your suit, and IL he later gains the
lead he has nothing with which to put you
In. If you open with a low card from acc,
king and three small ones. your partner
may be able to win the first trick-or. even
IL he is unable to help you on the first trick.
he probably will have at least one more in
your suit which he can return to you when
he gains the lead. whereupon you have
good chance to make all the rest of your
cards. The worse you are in other suits the
better chance your partner has of winning
trick and being able to put you IN. II is
rare thing for the dealer to be able to
take enough tricks to make game without
any interruption. Usually either a suit
must be cleared or a finesse risked which
will give your partner the lead.
Should you have ace, king and queen at
the head of your suit, you are sure Of three
tricks. so lead the high cards. Holding ace,
king. jack and others you may lead the
king and ace, hoping to catch the queen.
thereby making your jack good for tho
third trick Or. when holding a suit OF
seven cards. ace, king and five small ones.
you may open 1t high. for IL the remainder
of the suit Is evenly distributed, two tricks
will exhaust every one and establish your
remaining five. Holding:
Ace, king and five small, lead king then
ace.
Ace, king and three or four small lead
fourth best unless holding another ace,
then lead king.
Ace, king and two small, lead fourth best
King. queen and five small. lead king.