ARCH the Hand

This is what you, as Declarer, should do at the beginning of each hand you play. ARCH the Hand before you make the first play from the board, even if it is a singleton on the board. It should take less than one minute, and it will be well worth it.

So, what in the heck is ARCH the Hand? It is simple and easy to remember once you get into the habit of doing it.

A is for Analize

Analize the lead. Why did my left-hand opponent select that card to lead? Was it her high card in her partner’s bid suit? Was it high/low from a doubleton? Was it fourth best? If she leads a Jack, remember to ask if they play anything special about the lead of a Jack. Do they play Jack denies, Ten implies a card higher in that suit? If she leads an Ace or a King, what did that show? But do not ask her partner. That may remind him if it is in act some kind of signal. But remember that it could be Ace from AKx, or if she leads A, then a low card in that suit can be a doubleton? What about if she leads an Ace then switches to a new suit? Ace Singleton? Those are all good things to know or at least think about. It should give you a clue about how early you need to pull trump.

R is for Review the bidding

What did my opponents bid? If you do not remember clearly, ask for a review of the bidding. What do their bids tell me about their holdings and distribution? Which opponent showed the most points? If you need to finesse for a Queen and can go either way this could point you in the right direction. Was one opponent’s first bid a major (showing at least five)? Did she subsequently rebid it (showing at least six)? Did her partner support (he has at least three?) or did he bid something else showing no more support than a doubleton. If she opened 1 Club, did her partner make an announcement “could be short?” If not, then you know she has at least 3 Clubs. Did one opponent fail to support his partner’s 2-level preempt? He may have a singleton so if you have the Ace, do not hold off on it…and for sure, do not hesitate to ask what one of their bids meant if you did not clearly understand it.

C is for Count

Playing in a trump suit, it’s Count your losers. In Notrump, it’s Count your winners. Once you have done that you are ready to attack H.

H is for How

How in the heck am I going to play this hand to make my bid? Do I need to draw trump right away or do I need to void a short suit on the board so I can trump something over there? Do I need to immediately take a couple of losers in a long side suit when I hold ATxxx so I can end up with three winners later? Can I set up a crossruff and get the tricks I need which precludes drawing trump right away? And most important of all, am I concerned about transportation? Can I get to the board as often as I need to? How am I going to do that? That could be the determining factor in answering the How question.

So, remember to ARCH the Hand before you play the first card from the board!

Oh. One more thing, Bid More. Have more fun.