Last time we talked about creating a PLAN to make our contract: pause to consider our objective, look at our winners and losers and analyze our alternatives. Now, we put our PLAN into action.
Step No. 3, analyze your alternatives, is critical. There are multiple techniques to make that extra trick or two needed to make your contract. The first technique is called promotion. In this technique, you use one high card to knock out the opponents’ higher card, thereby “promoting” your next lower card into a winner.
For example, suppose you hold the K-Q in a side suit while your opponents hold the ace. You lead with the king to force out the opponents’ ace, making your queen the highest remaining card in that suit, and therefore a winner. This can be extended even further: Assume you hold the KQJ in a side suite. Once again, you play the king to knock out the ace, which makes your QJ the two highest cards in that suit, and therefore, both winners. Pretty slick!
A second technique is called developing suit length. An example of this technique would be when you hold 8+ cards in a suit, leaving only five cards to the opponents. In this case, we assume the opponents’ cards split 3-2. Also, let us assume you hold the AKQ of this suit. In this case, you can play the AKQ, clearing all your opponents’ cards, making your two remaining small cards in that suit into winners. This will not always work, but you will be surprised to find out that this does works a good percentage of the time. And, this one technique can be the difference between making your contract … or going down one or two tricks.
We assumed the five remaining cards would split 3-2. The bridge gurus have determined that an odd number of cards will divide as evenly as possible while an even number of cards usually divide “oddly” a higher percentage of the time. Here’s what that means: Suppose the opponents hold five cards in a suit; those five cards will tend to split 3-2 more often than not. On the other hand, when the opponents hold six cards, they will tend to split 4-2 a little more often than 3-3; I know this sounds crazy, but it’s true!
You can even combine these techniques. For example, holding eight cards including the AK in one suit, play your AK and one small card thereby clearing out opponents’ cards in the suit. When you regain control, you then play your two small cards as winners. How’s that for good bridge?
There is more information and more depth in each area, so join me for more techniques in my next column.
Good luck and good bridge.
For entry level instruction or formal play, contact Al at al********@ya***.com or (408) 779-7122.
