This Week in Bridge
(625) Fundamentals of Trick Taking – Quick Tricks & Promotion Leads
© AIB Robert S. Todd
Level: 3 of 10 robert@advinbridge.com
General
We develop many techniques and skills for taking tricks as declarer. In this case, we can see the dummy and our hand (and thus all of our side’s assets). Many of these techniques have parallels for how we take tricks on defense. These skills are used in the middle of the hand (when we can see our hand and the dummy) and they are used on the opening lead, even when we cannot see anything other than our hand. Let’s take a look at some techniques we first learn as declarer to see how we can use them on defense.
Quick Tricks
A Quick Trick (QT) is a card that can immediately win a trick without having to give up the lead. QTs are some of the oldest metrics used to determine the quality of a hand (a long time ago, an opening hand was one with 3 quick tricks).
Summary of Quick Tricks
Ace 1 QT
AK 2 QT
AQ 1.5 QT
Quick tricks are useful tools for winning tricks quickly.
Quick Tricks on Defense
We can use QT on defense just as we would as declarer. If we have a powerful holding like Ace-King or Ace-King-Queen then we can take these tricks anytime we want (especially in a NT contract).
If we are on opening lead and have multiple quick tricks like AK or AKQ, then we usually lead these. If we have only one quick trick, like an Ace without the King, then we usually do not lead this on opening lead.
When we have an unsupported Ace (Ace without the King), we may choose to take this QT in the middle of the defense, especially if we think it may go away! Taking a QT like an unsupported Ace is an aggressive action on defense.
Quick tricks allow us to take tricks immediately!
Promotion
Promotion is the first skill we learn to develop additional tricks as declarer. Promotion is the act of sacrificing a card (usually an honor card) to force the opponents to spend their larger card in a suit. In doing so, we develop another of our cards into the new master card in that suit – a winner!
Example 1
KQ xx
We lead the King (or Queen) to knock out the opponents’ Ace and promote the Queen into a winner.
Example 2
Kx Qx
We again lead the King (or Queen) to dislodge the opponents’ Ace and promote the remaining honor into a winner.
Example 3
KQJ xxx
We lead the King (or Queen, or Jack) to dislodge the opponents’ Ace and promote two winners.
Example 4
QJT xxx
We lead one of the honors (say the Queen) to knock out one of the opponents’ high honors (Ace or King). Later we lead another honor (say the Jack), and knock out the second of the opponents’ honors, finally developing our third-round winner in this suit.
One of the advantages of promotion is that it is certain to develop a winner for our side. One of the complexities is that we must surrender the lead by giving the opponents their winner. This makes promotion effective when we have time to develop our tricks and ineffective when the opponents have a source of tricks to take if we allow them to gain the lead.
Promotion on Defense
One of the most common (and best) opening leads is to lead the top of touching honors. This lead is simply promotion for the defense. With a holding like KQx, we lead the King and expect to lose a trick to the opponents’ Ace while developing the Queen (and maybe even partner’s Jack) into a trick for our side.
This can be done on opening lead or in the middle of the defense.
Promotion is used to develop tricks for our side (or take them immediately if partner happens the have the higher honors).
Conclusion
The concept of Quick Tricks (ones that are immediately available) works in a similar way both in declarer play and defense. They are tricks that can be immediately taken. When to do so is complicated, as we do not want to lose them, but we also want to make the most use of these high cards. Promotion applied to the defense is similar to leading “touching honors”. This concept of developing tricks for our side is one of our primary goals as a defender and promotion does an excellent job of doing so. Make sure you apply your declarer play techniques to defense!