Back to the main Spades page

  Spades Tips and Strategies

Spades Column of the Month – October 2006

By Joe Andrews

Let's Look at All Four Hands

One of the most annoying habits that some Spades players have is called "Hindsight Analysis." In Bridge circles, such individuals are referred to as "results merchants."

In short, this group of players waits until a given hand is over, and then decides what the correct line of play should have been after they see all four hands. And on some Internet Sites, you have the opportunity to look at all four hands and an instant replay of how the deal was played.

Exhibit A (first deal)

You side has bid 6. The hand is coming down to the end and you desperately need one more trick. In this two card ending, you hold K J of trump. The lead comes from your partner, who plays a small spade. The A - Q of spades have not appeared. Your right hand opponent follows low — smoothly. You decide to finesse the Jack, it loses to the Q on the left, the A on the right drops your K, and you are set. You partner tells you that the K of spades was the correct play!

Suppose you decide to go up with the King. It loses to the Ace which is now on the left. Your partner then tells you that you should have played the Jack, instead!

Exhibit B (your lead 467-440)

You (dealer) pick up this holding:

 A 3 2

 Q 10 8

 J 10 9 7

 Q J 9

Nice, huh? The other players bid  3, 3, 2. You choose a 2 bid. And in the end, you get stuck with three bags, (and a bag set) as the ops have ducked a few of your middle card tricks.

Partner scolds you about the "luggage" you took, and your overly conservative bid. But suppose you choose to bid three. Now the ops win their Ace and Kings in those side suits and do not allow you to score your middle cards.  Your bid is defeated as you are set. And partner scolds you for overbidding with those Queens and Jacks.

Exhibit C (your lead 432 – 424)

You (dealer) gather in this collection:

 A K 3

 A Q 5

 10 5 4 3

 A 7 4

The bidding has proceeded: 4, 2, 1, and it is your turn. Do you bid 5 for the game? Do you play it safe? Will the heart finesse succeed?

The opponents are not threatening to win, and your partner has shown some weakness with his two bids. There is a four bid in back of you, and the King of hearts might be in that hand. Thus you play it safe and go in for a call of four. After all, there is another hand to play.

The hand proceeds with a Diamond lead. Partner cashes his two winners, the Ace, and the King, and then plunks down a heart. You decide to finesse the Queen for "giggles", and of course, this time, it works.  When you later rake in your fifth trick, partner's blood boils, and calls of "chicken", "wimp", and "coward" are uttered across the table. And the opponents win the game on the next hand. You are chastised for an overly conservative call.

NOW, let's look at alternate scenario # 2. The deal and bidding is the same, as the call comes around to you in last seat. This time, you "go for the gold" with bravado and gusto and bid 5 to win. Partner takes the diamond Ace and King, his two tricks, and plays a low heart. Your only realistic chance for that all important fifth trick is the 50/50 heart finesse. And it loses.

Now you must hope that the ten of diamonds will promote or that you might get to cut a fourth lead in hearts or clubs. Chances? Slim and None! Down you go, as you fall one trick short. And cries of anguish appear from a distressed partner who proclaims that your overbid and subsequent set has handed the opponents the game on a silver platter.  And they reel in the match on the next hand.

Don't you just love it?

Exhibit D (first hand again)

A 13 bid has hit the table, no Nil bids by anyone. You hold:

 7 3

 6 5 3 2

 A 7 2

 A Q 8 5

Partner (dealer) bid 3, followed a call of 4, as you bid 2, and the guy on the left closes out the auction with a 4. The right hand opponent leads the five of diamonds, and you play low. ("second hand low, third hand high" LOL)

The King of dimes now appears, and the King of hearts is then led. Partner wins the Ace, and plays a small diamond. The Jack is next, and your Ace is rudely trumped by a small spade. (A singleton King stole trick one!) Now you must hope to win two clubs. The opponent now plays a low trump and partner wins the Ace, and then plays the 5 of clubs, and the seven of clubs is next. Of course, your Queen of clubs loses to the King. To make a long story short, partner make his 3 bid, you fall one trick short, and down you go!

Partners says it all when he quotes the Bridge expression —"When the King is singleton, always play the Ace!"

Ahh, results merchants — don't you just love them?!

Happy Halloween! See you next month….