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  Hearts Tips and Strategies

Hearts Column of the Month – November 2000

By Joe Andrews

October Challenge Hand -- Results
The first Challenge Hand for Hearts drew more than 100 responses. Most of the solutions were logical, and well written; however, only a handful (14) were accurate. Several partially correct answers were also received. Without any further ado, here are the winners:

·          X2DataGuru

·          S. McAllister

·          Toni Embry

And here is the hand:


 A K Q 9 6
 Q
 A K 2
 K Q 10 9


The following clues were provided:

1.       The Ace, Jack, Nine, and Deuce of Clubs appeared on the first trick, won by the East player.

2.       East continued with Jack of Spades.

3.       No one is void in Spades, and no one has five Spades.

The "best line" (game plan) was requested. Let us call it Scenario #1. It starts with ducking the Spade Jack. If East continues Spades, then the Ace or King must be inserted (to prevent a possible discard of a Heart by any player who holds a singleton Spade). The Ten could win this trick, and the timing of the hand is disrupted. If everyone follows to the second round of Spades, the suit is breaking (5-3-3-2), and can be "picked up" on the next round with the other high honor.

Cash three rounds of Clubs, extract the last Spade, and play the A-K of Diamonds. The hand is reduced to this holding:


 Q 6
 Q
 2
 Void


The Six of Spades will force a Heart discard (if one has not been played earlier, and the Heart suit is divided 4-4-4-1). Of course, an earlier Heart discard makes life easy, and the Spade Six need not be played. Now the Queen of Hearts is tabled. If she is not taken, the Diamond Deuce provides safe passage from the hand.

Great difficulty can occur in the worst case, which we'll call Scenario #2.

·          The Spade suit is breaking 5-4-3-1, and the person with the four Spades has the Ten; AND

·          The Hearts are also divided 4-4-4-1.

Both of these layouts have to be in place to create a dangerous situation. South will know the distribution of the Spade suit after he cashes the A-K (rounds 2 and 3 of Spades). Now he takes the safety play of giving up a small Spade to the Ten of Spades on the fourth round of that suit. If no Heart appears, then South wins any Club or Diamond return, and the hand transposes to the original four card end position (above). If a Heart does appear, now the matrix shifts. The Diamond Deuce becomes a key card, and South will need to work hard. The normal return will be a Club or Diamond. It is taken high, and the Heart Queen is played. If that is ducked, then South must strip the Clubs, and remember all of the Diamonds that have been played. He may be forced to guess the layout of that suit as he comes down to his last two Diamonds.

It is amazing how much analysis can be wrung out of this hand!

·          South cannot cash the Ace-King of Diamonds if the Spade suit is breaking badly (with the Ten winning the fourth round.) That player may strip the Diamond Deuce from South, and then bury him alive with a low Heart return!

·          There is also a risk of a Moon by someone with the Spade Ten, and all of the top Hearts; that is a bit remote!

·          Therefore, assuming reasonably normal distribution of the suits, the key play is the duck of the first Spade, stripping of three suits, and escaping with the Heart Queen or Diamond Two.

Oh yes, for those intrigued with the play of the Diamond Deuce on the first round of that suit, it is very risky. A bad Spade break could result in a bushel of points.

Nice job by those who had the original Scenario #1 Answer!

Holiday Hearts Quiz
You hold this hand in the West seat (after the pass). South is winning a close game. You are in second place.


 A K
 A K Q J 9 8
 A 10
 K Q 9


It sure appears to be rocket headed for the Moon! I will tell you that no one has more than four Hearts. The first trick reveals the Deuce of Clubs (by North -- the player to your left), the Jack by East (the player opposite you), and the Eight by South, your right hand opponent. You duck with the Nine in fourth seat -- a rather good play. (The Ace is still at large). The Four of Spades is led by East, and you win the King (the Six and Seven also appear) -- BUT the Queen does not fall. The Lady is probably sitting in the South hand. Now you push the Ten of Diamonds, and it taken by North's King. The Diamond Queen and Jack also fall. North continues with a low Spade, and East paints this with the Seven of Hearts, as South drops the Ten of Spades. You are in with your Ace of Spades. Now you try the King of Clubs, and it "walks," as North plays the Three, East drops the Four, and South drops the Six. Because South has all of the Spade winners, he is reluctant to grab the Ace of Clubs on the second round of the suit. This would give away the Moon!

You have reduced to this position:


 Void
 A K Q J 9 8
 A
 Q


South is known to hold the Club Ace, Spade Queen (with lots of length). He also holds one small Heart, and a middle Diamond. My goodness -- you have lots of information! If you try the Club Queen now, North or East will dump a small Heart on this trick (they played the Four and Three of Clubs on the last round), and South will take the Ace and croak you with any red card. If you try the Diamond Ace, and then the Club, South can still get you with a Heart return. Yes, you cash one high Heart, but then you will be giving up a chance to "run the hand," as South can take the Spade Queen to stop you. How can you still shoot the Moon? (Yes, it is possible.)