October 2020 - 40

Newer Players

Card Play 101
BY PHILLIP ALDER

bridgeforeveryone.com

Suit combinations (continued)
You have probably heard the expression "eight ever, nine never." It refers to
suit combinations when you have that
number of cards - eight or nine - combined between your two hands, you are
missing only the queen in the suit, and
you wish to avoid a loser in the suit. But
is either half correct?
Consider this suit combination:
Dummy (North)
♠A J 3 2
Declarer (You)
♠K 6 5 4
You would like to win four spade
tricks. You cash the ♠K (both opponents play low cards) and lead a second
spade, West playing low again. Would
you finesse the ♠J or ask for the ♠A?
We must assume that the suit is
splitting 3-2. If so, playing the king
and then low to the jack will succeed
60% of the time (because the queen is
onside or appears doubleton), while
playing the king and then the ace succeeds only 40% of the time (when RHO
holds the doubleton queen).
So, as you can see, finessing is much
better, hence "eight ever."
Let's strengthen your holding:
Dummy (North)
♥A 4 3 2
Declarer (You)
♥K J 10 9
How would you play that combination for no losers? You must find the

40 Bridge Bulletin October 2020

♥Q, but you can greatly increase your
chances by leading the ♥J from your
hand. Your left-hand opponent, if he
has the ♥Q, will probably either cover
or fumble for a moment or three, giving
the game away. If, though, he plays low
smoothly, win with dummy's ace and
finesse through East on the way back.
Of course, if you are sitting West
with the ♥Q, you must play low as
smoothly as the world's finest silk. We
have all heard of another infamous
expression: "Cover an honor with an
honor." It is wrong more often than not
- but that is a story for another article.
Next, look at this holding:
Dummy (North)
♣A J 3 2
Declarer (You)
♣K 9 5 4
How would you play this suit for
(i) four tricks or (ii) three tricks? We
think we know the answer for four
tricks: cash the ♣K, then play low to
dummy's ♣J. But wait one moment:
Suppose this is the full distribution:

West
♣Q

Dummy (North)
♣A J 3 2
East
♣10 8 7 6
Declarer (You)
♣K 9 5 4

Now you lose a trick to East's ♣10.
Instead, because you cannot play the
suit without loss if East has the singleton queen, start with a low card from

your hand. If West plays low, put in
dummy's ♣J. But when West plays the
♣Q, win with dummy's ♣A, cash the
♣J, and finesse through East on the
third round.
If you need only three tricks, there is
a 100% safety play: Start with dummy's
♣A, then lead toward your hand, covering East's card as cheaply as possible,
which is important when this is the full
layout:

West
♣6

Dummy (North)
♣A J 3 2
East
♣Q 10 8 7
Declarer (You)
♣K 9 5 4

Or, if East discards on the second
round, win with your ♣K and lead
through West up to dummy's ♣J.
Dlr: West ♠ K 5 3 2
Vul: Both ♥ A J 3
IMPs
♦QJ98
♣32
♠AJ64
♥KQ9
♦ A 10 5 4
♣QJ
You are South. West opens the bidding 1♣, and partner makes a takeout
double. East passes, and you eventually arrive in 4♠ with the opponents
remaining silent throughout the rest of
the auction.
West cashes two top clubs, then
exits with a heart. How would you
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October 2020

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