| I. Beginner's Korner: Part Four of a Continuing Series
Stealing Your Partner’s Winning Tricks
This month, we hit the trail with this topic: When to take a winning trick from partner, and when to allow partner to stay on lead. ("To do or not do" -- that is the question.)
In Spades, there is no dummy hand (as in the game of Bridge), and you will have to rely on information gleaned from the bidding, the opponents' plays, and your partner's style. As you acquire more experience, you will be able to "read" hands more proficiently. Playing with a regular partner is also a key to success. When you are evaluating a hand, you will need to determine if a bagging approach is called for, or whether your side must scramble for every available trick. Factors include: (a) The score; (b) The bag count; and (c) The bidding. However, it still requires considerable thought regarding the actual decision to take tricks from partner. Let us observe some sample deals. At the beginning of a game, you (dealer) pick up this assortment. This is a rather bland hand, with no shape, and only two tricks.
 A 5 3,  A 6 2,  J 7 4 2,  9 5 3
Your left-hand opponent (LHO) bids 3; your regular partner (an accurate bidder) calls 2; your right-hand opponent makes a bid of 2; and you examine your dull hand, and close the auction with 2. Nine tricks are bid, and it is obvious that the opponents are using a bagging strategy. The LHO leads the 3 of Hearts, and partner plays his eight-spot. The RHO ducks with the 4. If you duck, you are pinning a trick on your partner. Surely he was not planning to win that eight-spot! Rise with the Ace, and shift to the 4 of Diamonds. (It is generally bad technique to continue with the suit that was led by the opponents.) This hand features an avoidance theme, and your side will be trying to unload tricks at every opportunity.
Oh yes, you may have to grab a later Spade trick from partner, if he is winning some middle-spot trump card, and this trick comes around to you in last seat. Of course, you must make sure that you take at least 4 tricks, and hopefully, no more.
Here's another hand. This time, the score is tied at 258-all. You have first bid, and examine this collection:
 K J 9 3,  10 6,  A K 6,  Q 10 5 4
You bid 4, and your LHO follows with a call of 2. Partner bids 2, and the auction is closed with a 3 bid. The total is 11, and you ponder your options. Can you drop two bags on the opps? Is there a possibility for a set here? Does partner hold a key value in trump? You lead the King of Diamonds, and it draws three small spots. (Partner plays the deuce). The Ace of Dimes catches three middle cards. Now you shift to the 10 of Hearts, and the next player (your LHO) wins the King, and then leads another round, as he takes his Ace. Now he tries a third round of Hearts, and partner is winning the Queen, as your RHO drops the Jack. Do you grab this trick from partner? No, no, no! Partner probably did not bid the Heart Queen as part of his total. This is a setting scenario. Drop that last Diamond. Do not cut his winning Heart! Now, you may be able to ruff the third round of Dimes. Your Club Queen could be an important card. Partner's (bid) tricks are clearly in the black suits, and that is good news. There are a lot of variables here. However, the set is the plan. Yes, you will bag out if you do set the opps. They will drop 50 points, and will have a score of 208, and a bag problem. You will lose 40 points, thus gaining 10 points, and shedding the baggage. This is a good example of going for the set on the 11 bid.
Here is one of my favorites, taken from an actual experience.
In a close game (304 - 291 in favor of the opponents), I raked in this interesting pile of "goodies."
 Q J 9 8,  A 10 2,  A 9 8 7,  3 2
My pick-up partner had advertised for "experienced players, pros, no DN's, and no quitters." I opened with a safe call of 4. My LHO bid 3, and my "pro" partner bid 3. The auction was closed with a 3 bid by the other opponent. It is amazing how everyone at the table will lick their chops when 13 is the total bid! I led the 3 of Clubs, and my LHO won the Ace, and shifted to a Heart. Partner came in with the King of Hearts, and continued with the Queen of Hearts, as everyone followed twice. Now he played the King of Diamonds, and this drew three spot cards. Next came the Queen of Dimes, as I ducked again, and the red lady won. A third round of Dimes fetched a small Spade (ruff) from my RHO, as my Ace fell. Another round of Hearts was then played, and my other Ace was also ruffed away -- this time by the LHO. We were thus held to six tricks, as I did win two Spades at the end, and my partner said to me, "I took an extra trick for you, and we still got set."
Should I have overtaken either or both red King leads with my Aces? The answer is no. Certainly not on a 13 bid. This is the classic setting situation. It was unfortunate that the duplication in the red suits was the cause of the set. Still, you just have to love the sarcasm, er . . . I mean wit of my astute partner.
Our last example features an interesting scenario, and a familiarly recurring motif.
You (dealer) are served this hand. Assume that it is the beginning of a new game:
 A K Q 10 2,  9,  10 3,  A K J 10 7
Your LHO bids 2, partner bids 2, and the next player bids 2. Recognizing the power of your hand, you come in with a call of 6. (I never like pushing the total to 13 in fourth seat, unless the score calls for such an action.) The left-hand opponent starts out by cashing two high Diamonds, the Ace and the King, as everyone follows. Now he takes his Ace of Hearts (he holds the Ace and four small Hearts), and your partner signals with the King of Hearts, and your RHO plays the Deuce. It's back to Diamonds, and your partner produces the Queen, and the RHO plays his last Diamond. What do you do?
RUFF the Diamond with a low Spade. Take your partner's winner! You have the classic 5-5 shape. It will accomplish nothing to drop a low Club. This is the time to be aggressive. Your partner has signaled that he has a Heart trick. Maybe his other trick is in the trump suit. (Surely he was not bidding the Queen of Clubs, if held this card.) Cash the top two Spades, and watch the discards. If the Jack of trump is played by either opponent, and they both follow twice, then start the Clubs from the top down. (If you and your partner have a convention for giving the "count" in the trump suit, you have an advantage). Partner may have the Queen of Clubs, or may be able to ruff a third lift in Clubs, if the Queen does not drop.
Thus, we have an exception for taking a trick from partner!
In summary, you must be able to read the hand, and determine when it is proper to assume command. If there is a low bid (9 or 10), and you are able to take control, do not leave you partner stranded on the lead. I have seen so many instances when a stubborn player will force his partner to take bags and bags, as he will not part with a "precious" trump. This is especially true, if you can relieve your partner by ruffing his winner, and exiting in a low card -- thus throwing the opps in for the bags.
Eleven bids are judgment calls. If you unexpectedly win a middle card or two early in the hand, then go into a set mode. The score and the bag count will determine your best course of action. In general, it is best to let partner have his winning tricks unless you have a darn good reason for taking them away.
II. The "Live" Tournament Experience
Vegas '99 -- The U.S. Open Spades and Hearts Tournament -- 5th Anniversary
In April of 1999, the Zone and US Playing Card Company teamed up and sponsored the first major Spades and Hearts "live" event. Yours truly was the Tournament Director, and the Hosts were Dave Brimer (Spades), and Kathy Luevane (Hearts). The site was Harrah's Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The Prize Fund was more than $13,000 in cash, and 370 persons attended. (Of this number, 240 were Spades players, an attendance record that still stands to this day.) The first Prize of $4,000 for the Spades Division was shared by the Kersey brothers, of Houston, TX. Cash Prizes were awarded to four Spades teams, and the four Hearts finalists. An additional $3,000 was raised for the Las Vegas Chapter of The American Heart Association. This event was the initial National Championship for Spades and Hearts. The Grand Prix was launched shortly thereafter. The largest current "live" Spades Event that continues to draw a solid and loyal following is The Spades Connection Series. Their most recently completed gathering (in Nashville, TN; March 25-28, 2004) drew a field of more than 150 players. Look for information about their next event (August 2004) in the May edition of this column.
Have you ever played in a live Spades event? Do you have a great story to tell about an interesting hand, a prize you won, a new city you visited, or seeing your online Spades friends in person? If so, please send your story (200 words or less), and I will print the best of those that are sent to me. Keep it clean -- this is a family site! Please send your information to: heartsmoon@aol.com.
And check out the Grand Prix site for all details about upcoming "live" Spades events.
www.grandprixtournaments.com
Happy Springtime! See you in May! | |
