March 2022 - 46

Newer Players
Card Play 101
BY PHILLIP ALDER
bridgeforeveryone.com
O
ccasionally you will realize
that you are going to ruff to
try to win a trick, but you are
wondering whether you should ruff
high or low. What might govern your
decision? There are several factors,
but the basic mantra is always to ruff
high if you can afford to do so.
Let's look at a couple of examples.
What would you do as declarer in
each case?
1 Dlr: South  7
Vul: E-W k 4
l A K Q 3
' K Q J 9 7 6 4
 A J 5 4
k A 8 5 2
l 7 6
' A 3 2
West North East
Pass 4NT
Pass
South
1'
5
Pass 7' All Pass
One brief comment about the
bidding: If you employ Blackwood
immediately in response to a one-level
opening bid, it should be regular,
old-fashioned Blackwood. To use Roman
Key Card Blackwood, make your
forcing raise first (presumably, Jacoby
2NT or an inverted minor-suit
raise), then bid 4NT on round two.
Also, when a minor suit is agreed
and 4NT is RKCB, you should use
30-14 (not 14-30).
How would you plan the play in 7'
after West leads the K?
2 Dlr: East  A 9 8 5 4
Vul: None k 8 6 3 2
l 7
' K Q 4
 K Q 10 3 2
k 7 4
l K Q J
' A 8 3
West North East
South
1k 1
Pass 4 All Pass
North, with a singleton and fivecard
support, is worth a shot at 4.
It might not make, but he won't know
until after the play. Also, it potentially
makes life much harder for East.
West leads the k9. East wins with
the k10, cashes the kA and lA, then
plays the kK. How would you declare
from there?
This was the first full deal:
1
 7
k 4
l A K Q 3
' K Q J 9 7 6 4
 K Q 10 9
k 9 7 6 3
l 5 2
' 10 8 5
 A J 5 4
k A 8 5 2
l 7 6
' A 3 2
Dummy has more trumps than you
do. So, look at that hand and take your
high cards into account.
The only concern is the l4, but
that can surely be ruffed in your
hand.
First, draw one round of trump,
46 | Bridge Bulletin | March 2022
 8 6 3 2
k K Q J 10
l J 10 9 8 4
' -
West leads the k9. East wins with
the k10, cashes the kA and lA, then
plays the kK. Do you ruff high or
low?
Do not forget the bidding and draw
logical conclusions from it. West
must be out of hearts and is surely
itching to overruff you. Do not give
him that pleasure. Ruff with your
K. Then cash the Q. After East
discards a club (playing black on
black when void of spades!), you take
a spade finesse through West, draw
his last trump and claim.
Cool!
because if they are 2-1, you can pull
a second round and claim. Here,
though, when East shows out, you
must postpone playing trumps for a
moment.
After taking one round of trumps,
you cash the lA K and ruff the l4
with the 'A. What? You don't have
the 'A left in your hand? You have
been overruffed and gone down? Ah
well, better luck next time!
Always ruff high if you can afford
to do so. Here, dummy's three top
trumps can take care of West's trio,
so start with the 'K.
Now for the second deal:
2
 A 9 8 5 4
k 8 6 3 2
l 7
' K Q 4
 J 7 6
k 9 5
l 10 8 5 4
' J 9 7 2
 -
k A K Q J 10
l A 9 6 3 2
' 10 6 5
 K Q 10 3 2
k 7 4
l K Q J
' A 8 3
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March 2022

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