How To Play Suit Combinations
There are thousands of suit combinations you will meet as a declarer. Here are just a few common combinations and the best way to play them.
Leading Towards Honor Cards.
Example 1
North
Q
7
South
A
4
3
In order to win two tricks with this combination, you must play a low card from the south hand, intending to play the queen if west plays a low card. If west has the king,
Example 2
North
Q
J
10
South
A
4
3
You can always win two tricks with this holding, but you hope to win all three. Play the queen from the north hand, hoping that east has the king.
Example 3
North
A
Q
6
5
South
J
7
4
You can win all four tricks with this suit if you are lucky. You must hope that west has a doubleton king. You will lead a low card from south and play the queen when west plays a low card. If the queen wins, play the ace. If west’s king falls, your ace and jack will take all the opponents’ cards in the suit.
Example 4
North
Q
4
3
2
South
A
10
9
8
You hope to win three tricks with this suit combination. The best chance is to play a low card from the north hand, and play the 8 when east plays a low card. If that loses to west’s king or jack, you will enter the north hand later and repeat the finesse through east. You have about a 75 percent chance of winning three tricks.
Example 5
North
K
6
5
4
South
Q
7
3
2
You can win three tricks with this card combination, if you are a bit lucky. You must hope that one opponent has a doubleton ace and the suit splits 3-2. We’ll assume that you have decided that west has the ace. You will play a low card from the south hand and when west plays low you will call for the king. If that wins the trick, you will play low card from both hands. If west had a doubleton ace, she will be forced to play it. Your queen will pull the opponents’ last card in the suit. If you decide that east has the ace, you will reverse the process, but playing a low card from the north hand.
To Finesse or Play for the Drop?
Sometimes a declarer must decide whether to finesse for an opponent’s honor card or to play the top cards hoping to drop a missing honor card. Suit length is the key.
Example 6
North
A
Q
10
4
South
K
7
If your goal here is to win four tricks in this suit, is it better to play the K A Q hoping to drop the missing jack? Or is it better to try the finesse? The opponents have seven cards. The finesse is a 50-50 chance, which is better than the hope that one opponent has J x x. Play the king, then lead the 7. If west plays a low card call for the 10 from the north hand.
Example 7
North
A
10
9
4
South
K
J
8
2
Here you have eight cards, missing five, including the queen. The odds favor a finesse, but you can finesse either way. You must try to guess which opponent has the missing queen. Assume you decide that west has the queen. Play the King from the south hand, just in the sight case that someone has a singleton queen. If the queen did not appear, lead a low card from south, calling for the ten, when west plays a low card. Of course, if you had decided that east held the queen you would reverse the process by playing the ace from the north hand, then a low card toward the king-jack in south. The odds of picking up the queen are 50-50.
Example 8
North
A
K
J
10
6
5
South
3
2
Here again, you have eight cards, missing the queen. The odds favor a finesse and you have only one way to take it. You should play from the south hand, calling for the ten, if west plays a low card. Note that this time you did not play one high honor first. The reason for that is, if the ten holds the first trick, you will want to return to the south hand with another suit and repeat the finesse. This guards against west having Q x x x.
Example 9
North
A
K
J
10
6
5
South
7
4
2
In this case you have only 4 missing cards, including the queen. The best way to try to pick up the queen, is to play one top honor (A or K), to see if either opponent has all four of the missing cards. If east has all four, you will have to lose one trick. If west has all four, you can pick up the entire suit, by going to the south hand with another suit and then take a finesse through west. You will have to return to the south hand and once more finesse through west. If both opponents follow suit when you play one top honor, the odds slightly favor playing the other top honor hoping to drop the missing queen.
Example 10
North
A
Q
J
5
4
South
9
7
6
3
2
In this case you have 10 cards missing 3 cards including the king. If you play a low card from south and west plays a low card, you can pick up all the tricks in the suit by playing the ace, if east has a singleton king, or by playing the queen if west has the Kx or Kxx. The odds substantially favor the finesse, so you should play the queen. If east shows out when you play the queen, you will have to return to the south hand and repeat the finesse.
Example 11
North
A
J
10
8
South
7
4
2
Here the odds favor taking two finesses. Play a low card from the south hand, and call for the 10, when west plays a low card. If this loses to either the queen or the jack, return to your hand, in another suit, and repeat the finesse. You have about a 75% chance of winning two tricks.