Trick Taking
Robert Todd
(625) Fundamentals of Trick Taking – Quick ...

We develop a lot of techniques and skills for taking tricks as Declarer.  In this case, we can see the dummy and our hand (and thus all of our sides 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 Open lead, even when we cannot see anything other than our hand.  Let’s take a look at some techniques we first learn as a Declarer and see how we use them on Defense.

(625) Fundamentals of Trick Taking – Quick Tricks & Promotion Leads
2/1 Game Forcing
Robert Todd
(624) 2/1 GF Discussion Template

When we agree to play 2/1 GF as our bidding system, then that is not the end of our decision-making process. We need to discuss our follow-up bidding and other initial agreements. The goal is this article is to give you a list of questions to discuss with your partners, to make sure that you are getting the most out of your 2/1 GF system. Let’s start out with a list of the question and then we’ll do some discussions of options below.

(624) 2/1 GF Discussion Template
Play of the Hand
Robert Todd
(623) Card Play: Goals with Your Cards – Seat ...

Getting the most out of the cards we hold is our goal when we are the Declarer or when we are defending a hand. That means we want to use our cards to allow us to take as many tricks as possible, while making it as difficult as possible for the opponents to take tricks. Let’s take a look at how we try to accomplish these feats based on when we play to a trick – our perspective will be different in each of these situations.

(623) Card Play: Goals with Your Cards – Seat Based
Play
Robert Todd
(622) Suit Play: Getting Rid of Potential Loser

When we play our hand in a suit contract, we analyze our hand in terms of losers.  First, we identify the losers that we have little to no chance of getting rid of. Next, we try to find the potential losers that we may be able to avoid losing. Once we have identified these potential losers, then we need to make a plan for how not to lose these tricks. Often, there is only one way to dispose of this loser.  But sometimes we will have options for how we may dispose of losers. Options mean choices. And choices can lead to difficult decisions.  Let’s look at some of the options that we may have for disposing of our losers and try to figure out how to make good choices.

(622) Suit Play: Getting Rid of Potential Loser
Play
Robert Todd
(621) Suit Play: Types of Losers

When we play a hand in a suit contract, then we tend to focus on our numbers of losers. We usually count (or approximate) these losers from the long trump side and use the other hand as an asset for helping us dispose of these losers. But not all losers are equally difficult to get rid of. Here, we look at the different types of losers we may have and which we are most likely to lose, and which we may have a chance of escaping.

(621) Suit Play: Types of Losers

Trick Taking

(625) Fundamentals of Trick Taking – Quick Tricks & Promotion Leads

(625) Fundamentals of Trick Taking – Quick Tricks & Promotion Leads

We develop a lot of techniques and skills for taking tricks as Declarer.  In this case, we can see the dummy and our hand (and thus all of our sides 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 Open lead, even when we cannot see anything other than our hand.  Let’s take a look at some techniques we first learn as a Declarer and see how we use them on Defense.

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