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  Spades Tips and Strategies

Spades Column of the Month –December 2005

By Joe Andrews, author of “The Complete Win at Spades”

Annual Holiday Quiz – The Answers!

Bidding Quiz:

Assume the score is 0-0 and you are the Dealer, sitting South. The game limit is 500 points, No Double Nil and a ten hand limit. You are playing in a live finals game and these bids, starting with your left-hand opponent, come around to you.

West – 3; North (your partner) – 3; East – 2; You - ? (State your bid for each hand.)

This is the first hand of the game:

Hand 1

 J 10 6 5

 A K 9 8 4 2

 J 2

 4

Bid 3. You hope to score two spade cuts (ruffs) and a high heart. You might get lucky, and win two high hearts. Then you can think about a set. Note: You cannot assume two heart tricks with a six card suit.

Hand 2

 Q

 A 9 7 4 3

 A 6 5 2

 K 3 2

Bid 2. Your shortness in spades is clearly a liability. Your red Aces should score. If the heart Ace is ruffed, then you will have to hope for the club King to bail you out. In an endgame position requiring additional points, I would not object to a three bid, as the spade Queen has some value, albeit limited.

Hand 3

 A K 4 3 2

 None

 K Q 10 9 3

 7 6 3

Bid 4. This is the classic 5-5 shape. If the Ace of diamonds is knocked out early, and pard has three or more trump, you will have control here.  I do not like to push the bid to thirteen in fourth seat, especially at the beginning of a game.

Hand 4

 K 4 2

 K 10 8 3

 K 7 3

 K 9 8

Bid 2. This flat hand with four weak Kings and no ruffing power is a liability. I would consider a bid of three against weaker opponents. In a close endgame, a three bid is also worth a try, as the opening lead (from the the left) will be helpful.

Hand 5

 10 8 6 3

 K Q 6 5 3

 2

 J 6 2

Bid 2. You should win one heart trick, and a ruff of either minor suit. Do not bid Nil. Four card trump suits are very suspect for Nil bids, and the 8-9 is quite shaky.

Now the score is 448 (opponents) to 432 (your side). You have the last bid as South. The preceding bids are West – 4; North (your partner) – 2; East – 2; You - ? This is the ninth hand (ten hand limit) of a 500 point game.

Hand 6

 A 5 3

 A 9 3 2

 A 6 5 4

 A 3

Bid 3 and try for a "bagging" strategy.  A four bid does not give you enough of a margin for placing exactly two bags on the opps.  They are threatening game, and you just don't have the horsepower for a six bid. Yet, there are those who will argue that a six bid is the winning call!

Hand 7

 A K Q 3

 J 7 6 2

 None

 K 10 8 5 3

Bid  6. This is a close call.  The 5-card club suit has potential of "running", if pard has a key card in clubs. The top spades may allow you to "flush" the suit. A 3 bid is less desirable, as it forces you to pin exactly two bags on the ops in order to avoid a set.

Hand 8

 10 9 7 5 4

 J 5 2

 A K

 Q 10 5 4

Bid 6.  Go for the set. This is your best chance.

Now the score is tied, 445 each and it is the tenth and last hand of another 500 point game. Three bids of three, a nine total, come around to you. How would you bid each of these hands?

Hand 9

 Q J 3 2

 K Q 10

 Q 9 8

 K 9 4

Bid 3.  A delightful endgame problem! You will try for the extra trick, and that bag will allow you to win by one point. There are times when bags are your friends, and this is the case here. The call of three is a little stronger than the bid of four, which allows no room for error.

Hand 10

 None

 A Q J 9 7

 A Q J 10 8

 K Q 9

Bid 3. The lack of trump cripples your prospects. You must hope that the red suit finesses are "on". You may need to win the club King as well.  Tough hand!  A 4 bid is riskier, with the two long red suits, and a dubious side King.

Opening Lead Quiz

You are sitting in the West seat, with the opening lead. It is the first hand of the game. In the first set of four hands, each player (including you) has bid three. With a 12 bid on the table, the chance for a set is always present. Take your best shot with each of these hands. Make the best lead.

Answers are in Bold and Underlined

Hand 11

 K 7 5

 Q J 10 2

 K 3 2

 A Q J

The top of a sequence is ideal.

Hand 12

 A 4

 A 10 8 6

 A 10 5 2

 9 8 5

Under leading Aces is  usually bad technique.

Hand 13

 Q J 9

 10 7

 K Q 10 8

 A J 7 5

The diamond King lead is slightly stronger than the ten of hearts.

Hand 14

 A J 9 7 6

 4

 J 10 9 4

 J 3 2

The singleton  hearts lead will clear the path for spade cuts.

Now, let's assume the scenario of a Nil bid by Partner in 3rd seat. It is the first hand of a new game. You sit West, and bid 4; North bids 4; then comes Partner's Nil, and finally South's call of 3. Make a good “covering" lead!

Hand 15

 Q 7 6 3

 A 8 2

 A 9 8

 A Q 2

Those deuces are very daunting. The idea is to avoid leading these suits, especially hearts!

Hand 16

 A J 8

 Q J 9 4

 Q 6 5 2

 A K 3

If partner has a singleton King or Ace - third of hearts, you are in deep trouble!

Hand 17

 K Q 3

 J

 A 10 7 6 2

 A 9 8 5

The diamond length is a good reason for this choice.  Hearts ruffs are not needed here, as your trump may be required to cover a shaky spade in pard's hand.

And finally, we have the South player bidding Nil in last seat, after three FOUR bids. (It is the first hand of the game, as usual). Now you are trying to "bust" a Nil! Here are your three hands with you as the opening leader (West) Select the best lead for each of these last three hands.

Hand 18

 A 10 9

 K Q 3

 K J 4 3

 Q 5 3

You want to be able to play the Kings behind the Nil bid.

Hand 19

 A Q 4 2

 A 10 9 8 7

 Q

 K 10 3

The idea here is to reduce your spade suit with high cuts. You also hope to be able to play the club King in back of the Nil bid. The set of the "cover" hand is also an option. However, you are playing in front of the cover hand.

Hand 20

 J 9 7 5 3

 None

 A Q 10 3

 Q 7 6 3

Once again, you want to reduce your spade length. A set is a possibility, as well.

A Spades Crimestopper Mystery

A terrible crime has been committed. A player is missing after a game of Spades is over. What happened?

Check out this deal. I am sure you will have your comments/analysis/opinions after you have reviewed the bidding and play. Something has gone terribly wrong. The two teams are friends who have known each other for years and play "live" Spades on many occasions. The games are competitive and high-spirited. Tonight's ante is $1,000 per player and the team with the most wins after nine games takes the cash!  The score is tied at 4 wins each. After a tough evening for East/West, this hand comes up. The stakes are high, and this hand will decide the outcome of the match.

Here is Exhibit # 1 – the hand.

North

 7 3 2

 10 7 6 5

 7 5 4

 A Q 9

East

 J 10

 8 3

 K 10 9 8 6

 J 5 4 3

South (dealer)

 A Q 9 6 5

 K Q J 4

 A 3 2

 6

West

 K 8 4

 A 9 2

 Q J

 K 10 8 7 2

And now we have Exhibit #2 – the score and the bidding.

The score: North/South – 419, East/West – 485

The bidding: West (2); North (2); East (1); South (8)

I have used some chess notation to describe the bid by South. Yes, there was bag problem for the N/S team, and North's two bid was an attempt to prevent a bag in the club suit. Yes, a combined TEN bid could win the game, assuming avoidance of a bag. However, did South realistically hope to make EIGHT tricks here? You are the detective. Would you have considered a three bid with the West hand? Another sidebar - was a Nil bid by East a reasonable call? Then again, the J-10 of spades were mighty "chunky" for a Nil call! Lots and lots of second-guessing to be sure. One of your investigators claims that he would have bid five in the South seat, gone for the set, taken the bag-out, and extended the game. Really now?! And in the heat of battle, split second decisions are often made.

The combined bid of 13 tricks created some very aggressive play. After all, it was the bottom of the ninth inning for the N/S team.

Exhibit # 3 - The Queen of diamonds.

West opened with Queen of diamonds, North ditched the four, and East dropped the six. South won the Ace, and promptly played his lone club. West smoothly followed low, and after a momentary hesitation, North held his breath and finessed with the Queen. After all, this was his best chance for making his two bid. When East produced the club three, North continued with the club Ace, and South sighed, and unloaded one of his losing diamonds - a vital play. Another club by North was trumped low by South. The Ace of spades then hit the table as everyone played their lowest spade.

Exhibit # 4 - The ten of spades.

East's ten of spades was duly noted by South. Then came the Queen of spades, as West climbed, and East's discard of the Jack was observed with great interest. In the game of Bridge, this is called scooping. West now grabbed the Ace of hearts and continued with the Jack of diamonds. (Call this card, Exhibit # 5). East knew that the Jack was good and chose to duck, rather than use his King. West next played the nine of hearts. South won the King, extracted the last trump, and gleefully proclaimed victory. Ten tricks made, right on the button and the game won accordingly. And North/South won $4,000. At this point West left the table, and later that weekend, the East player disappeared without a trace! What would cause the West player to be so upset? Looking at all four hands, was there a defense (which made sense) for the E/W Team?

Use your investigative skills, and come up with a winning line of play (if it exists) for E/W. Or close the case by stating that the E/W Team did all they could do to stop N/S from winning. You have the added advantage of seeing all four hands, examining the exhibits, and observing the play.

And Now – The Solution!

Stupid East!  When West played the Jack of diamonds, East should have played the King.  East should have then played another diamond, forcing a trump from South.  If South uses the 6, West takes it with the 8.  If South uses the 9, West saves the 8, and trumps later for the win.

When it came time to play the King, East should know there were 2 diamonds remaining among the other players, with South still to play his card on the trick.  It's hard to know that North has the last diamond, and not West.  BUT if West does have it, you're shafted anyway you cut it.  Your opponents clearly have control of hearts, or else West would have lead out the King of hearts earlier.  East also knows that clubs will be trumped by South.  The only way to win is assume that West has no diamonds and can trump the next diamond led out.

I guess East assumed West had the 9 of spades.  Not a good assumption as it turned out. I'm done! Thanks.

“Stephen D” had 18 correct answers to the short questions, and a perfect "read" on the "mystery" Hand. Nice job and congratulations! The other two winners (2nd and 3rd places) were “Jen S” and “Carl L”. You all will be contacted in few days regarding your prizes.

2006 Live Spades Tournaments

Announcing - the Eighth Annual World Series of Spades
October 6 - 8, 2006, in St. Louis, MO.  Guaranteed Prizes!
Partnership Main Event and "Three Handed Cut" Tournaments
Check out www.grandprixtournaments.com for more information.

Announcing - The 2006 Spades Connection Tournaments
The March 9-12 gathering in Nashville, TN., kicks off a new season!
Three events are planned for the upcoming year. Check it out at http://www.thespadesconnection.com/news.php  for more information.

I’d like to close this year's Spades columns with a list of my favorite Spades people (hosts or players) from the past ten years. (Randomly listed, in no particular order)

1. Southern Doll (Host/The Spades Connection, and long time “Zoner")
2. Jack Galt (Author of "How Not To Lose At Spades" & active MSN Games player)
3. The Henderson Brothers (Winners of the 2003 Grand Prix Spades event)
4. "Holly Oh" (A Zone Spades player and one of my original Spades partners)
5.  Betts B.  (Organizer of the Washington, D.C., "live" Spades event)
6.  Jay T. (Ruffkid) (Editor of "Expert Spades" Site, and ACBL Life Master)
7. Jim Beam and Caddy Ann (Attendees of the 1999 Las Vegas Spades Tourney)
8.  The Kersey Brothers (Winners of the 1999 Las Vegas National Spades event)
9.  Ray and Nancy S. (Spades hosts for the current Grand Prix Spades event)
10. Nancy L. (Organizer of the first "live" Spades gathering in Indiana, 1997)

Happy Holidays to all!