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Two Quick Suit Preference Tips
Thomas Rush
PlayBridgeWithThomas@gmail.com
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I've been thinking a lot lately about the defensive technique called "suit preference". It's a way for the defenders to tell their partner which suit they have interest in. Two hands supporting the concept of suit preference came up at BCoH this past week, and I wanted to share them with you.
First -- a refresher on what suit preference is.
Sometimes in the course of a hand, 1) our partner knows our attitude about the suit we're leading, 2) we have a choice of equals to play, and 3) which card we play doesn't affect our trick-taking potential in the suit. A classic example: We lead a diamond that partner is going to ruff with a heart; it doesn't matter if we lead the 10 of diamonds or the deuce, partner's going to ruff declarer's good Queen anyway. Make the card you lead suit preference, that is, lead the Ten to say you want the higher suit returned, and the deuce to say you want the lower suit returned. In this example, partner is ruffing a diamond, if hearts are trump, the higher suit is spades, and the lower suit is clubs. If instead spades are trump, the higher suit is hearts and the lower suit is clubs. If clubs are trump, higher = spades, and lower = hearts. The suit you're leading is never a possibility, and neither is trump. (If you don't have a preference, or don't have an entry in either outside suit, play your middlest card if you have one).
The first point is this:
- If you think you might be getting a ruff, pay attention to the spot cards!
North/South ended in 4H by South. On the auction, partner (W) believed me (E) to have strength in spades, so he led the Ace. Playing upside-down attitude, I played the 6 to encourage while declarer played the 4. Partner knew that my 6 was my lowest spade, and that I was encouraging him to continue, so he put the deuce on the table to trick 2. I won the King and returned a third round of spades.
My lead to trick 3 is a classic suit preference opportunity. I want a club back so I can give partner a second ruff (possible trump promotion if he holds something like QT doubleton, or if declarer is careless and ruffs low). But look what happens if West isn't paying attention to the spade spots that have been played -- he sees my 8 and may think, "Ah, high spade, I'll lead a diamond", when in fact, my 8 is my lowest and requests a club.
If you're expecting a ruff, pay attention to the spots! In fact, spots are important in other situations, too; the classic that happened to me is when I played the 7 to partner's lead (again, upside-down attitude so high is discouraging and low encouraging). Partner switched because of my "high card" -- but she could see in her hand and dummy the 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2; the seven was clearly my lowest card!
And a bonus! If you and your partner are giving suit preference signals on hands like this, you won't have to think nearly so hard -- remember a few spot cards and you don't have to furrow your brow, go into a tank, and then guess which suit to lead! Save your thinking for the hard problems by watching spot cards, and by giving partner clear suit preference signals.
The second point is this:
- There are a ton of suit preference signalling opportunities that most people never recognize
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On this hand, N/S made it to 3D by N; I was East and on lead. My partner had bid spades twice in the auction. (The contract was the result of a misunderstanding, but the defense illustrates suit preference too well to pass up!)
East on lead leads the spade six to his partner's rebid suit (which is almost certainly six or more cards at this vulnerability). Declarer went up with the Ace and played the Ten from his hand.
At trick 2, suppose declarer leads the nine of spades from dummy. Since the Ace and Ten have been played and West retains the K, Q, and J, it doesn't matter from a trick-taking perspective which of his honors West plays. Whichever honor wins if North has another spade, or gets ruffed if not.
Now, the thing we teach beginners is, "When following suit, follow suit with the lowest of touching cards", which would tell West to play the Jack on that second round of spades. But West has shown six spades and knows that East will know the spade distribution when North ruffs. That' means it can be suit preference time once you're past being a beginner:
- Play the King on the 9 if you have an entry in the higher suit (here, hearts)
- Play the Jack on the 9 if you have an entry in the lower suit (clubs)
- Or, you can play the Queen to say 'no preference' or 'no entry' if that's the case
This kind of suit preference opportunity comes up a lot. It's usually when your partner knows the count in the suit, and when your choice of card doesn't affect your side's tricks in the suit you're playing.
Summary:
Don't restrict you and your partners to the familiar "suit preference signal when giving a ruff". There are many times when you can -- and should! -- tell your partner about your other suits with suit preference signals.
Remember to pay attention to the spot cards if you expect to get a ruff. It's often too late after the first trick has been quitted: "Was that a six or a nine? Was it a high spot or a low spot? Oh, if I could only remember what dummy's cards were..." Don't let that happen to you!
Thoughtful and accurate use of suit preference signals can make a huge difference in the accuracy of your defense. You'll find your side defeating contracts that others let make, or not giving up overtricks that most declarers easily scored. Have fun!
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Do you have other interesting hands from recent games? One where you pulled off a coup, or you can't figure out how to take more tricks? Perhaps you used my tip on suit preference to get a great board? Send me an email with a description, and I may write it up in a future column. PlayBridgeWithThomas@gmail.com
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