Beginners
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Presentation Transcript
Beginners Lesson 19 Defensive Play in Suits
Defensive Play in Suits • Opening Leads • Obviously Key • So another look at Opening Leads • Then • General Defensive Plays • And Good Practise
Opening Leads • Standard Leads • Top of an Honour Sequence • AKx • KQ • QJT • JT9 • T98 • AQJ
Opening Leads • Standard Leads • 4th Down from suit headed by Honour • Kxxx • Qxxx • Jxxx • Txxx • T9xx
Opening Leads • Standard Leads • High – Low from Doubleton • Kx • Qx • Jx • Tx • xx • Exception AK
Opening Leads • Standard Leads • MUD – From 3+ suits without an honour • Middle, Up , Down • xxx • xxxx
Which Suit? • Active • or • Passive
Active Leads • Attacking • May make life difficult for Declarer • May set up Defensive Tricks • High Risk – often gives tricks away • Made from Suits containing honours
Passive Leads • No problem for Declarer • Low Risk - Will not give away a cheap trick • Usually from suits without honours • Can be top of an honour sequence
When to make an Active Lead • If the contract looks pretty secure • Make an active lead • Guidelines: • Against a Grand Slam • Against 6NT • Against 1 or 2NT when you do not have a 5 card suit • Against suit contract when dummy is unlikely to hold a 5 card suit
When to make a Passive Lead • If the contract looks marginal • Make a Passive lead • Make Declarer do the work • Guidelines • Contract when dummy has a long side suit • Part score contracts • Small slam in a suit • Pre-empts • Against 3NT when dummy has a long suit
Active and Passive Leads A 3 • Contract is 3 • Active lead? • A • Passive Lead? • 4 4 Q 8 5 4 3 Q J 6 5 2
Active and Passive Leads T 8 A Q • Contract is 2 • Active lead? • J • Passive Lead? • 7 7 3 K 7 6 3 J T 6
Active and Passive Leads 8 4 3 T 9 • Contract is 7NT • Active lead? • 3 • Passive Lead? • T 5 3 K T 5 4 6 3
Active and Passive Leads 3 2 • Contract is 6 • Active lead? • 5 • Passive Lead? • 3 8 5 3 K T Q 6 4 3 9 7
Active and Passive Leads A K • Contract is 4 • Active lead? • K • Passive Lead? • K 2 9 7 5 4 2 6 3 9 8 5
Active and Passive Leads 5 4 A Q • Contract is 3Pre-empt • Active lead? • 4 • Passive Lead? • 5 7 4 K J 5 3 4 7 5
Opening Leads • First decide • Active or Passive • Then select suit and card • Try not to underlead K’s or Q’s • Especially do not lead from KJx or QTx • Remember partner’s bid suit • or implied (e.g TOX or Lead Directing *)
Other Defensive Plays • Remember last week • Declarer Play is about Control of the Trump Suit • Defensive Play is about thwarting Declarer’s Cunning Plan
What is declarer up to? • If Declarer gets in and does not lead trumps • WHY? • What can we do about it?
Are there ruff chances in dummy? • If dummy is the short trump hand • With another short suit • And Declarer Plays the short side suit first • The cunning plan is to ruff on the short side • If you get in lead trumps until all dummy’s trumps are gone
Is Declarer trying to set up a Cross Ruff? • If you think this is the case • Because declarer is cashing all top honours in side suits • Lead trumps as many times as you can
The Insurance Trump • Declarer cashes 2 rounds of trumps • Leaving 1 in dummy • And 1 in your hand • Declarer is trying to avoid an extra loser in hand • If you get in lead trumps to remove the last 1 from dummy • And maybe set up a defensive trick
RULE OF THUMB • If Declarer does not draw trumps defence should force them
Ruffs on the long side • Remember • Ruffs on the long side are not extra tricks for Declarer • If you have a long suit • And Declarer is out of this suit • And Dummy does not have top cards • Play the suit each time you get in to make Declarer use up trumps • You may give partner trump control or set up winners in your long suit
Finally • Pay attention to Partner’s cards • There may be a helpful signal there • Successful Defence is about playing as a TEAM • Defence goes wrong if you just play your own hand regardless