Too much of a good thing
It has been awhile since this column has mentioned the Law of Total Tricks.
This article is devoted to example hands that you can play with to your heart’s content.
The first hand. You, South, pick up this attractive hand.
♠ A K Q J 6 4
♥4
♦ A J 2
♣ A Q 7
You open 2♣ and before long, you find out that your partner has good spade support. You make slam noises and finally finish in 6♠.
Here are five similar layouts. Which one do you prefer?
| Dummy | ||
| ♠ 10 9 8 7 5 2 | ||
| ♥ 10 5 | ||
| ♦ 9 4 3 | ||
| ♣ K J | ||
| South | ||
| ♠ A K Q J 6 4 | ||
| ♥ 4 | ||
| ♦ A J 2 | ||
| ♣ A Q 7 |
Dummy has six spades and you end up with 11 tricks.
| Dummy | ||
| ♠ 10 9 8 7 5 | ||
| ♥ 10 5 | ||
| ♦ 9 4 3 | ||
| ♣ K J 3 | ||
| South | ||
| ♠ A K Q J 6 4 | ||
| ♥ 4 | ||
| ♦ A J 2 | ||
| ♣ A Q 7 |
Dummy has five spades and you end up with 10 tricks.
| Dummy | ||
| ♠ 10 9 8 7 | ||
| ♥ 10 5 | ||
| ♦ 9 4 3 | ||
| ♣ K J 3 2 | ||
| South | ||
| ♠ A K Q J 6 4 | ||
| ♥ 4 | ||
| ♦ A J 2 | ||
| ♣ A Q 7 |
This time dummy has four spades and you end up with 11 tricks.
| Dummy | ||
| ♠ 10 9 8 | ||
| ♥ 10 5 | ||
| ♦ 9 4 3 | ||
| ♣ K J 5 4 3 | ||
| South | ||
| ♠ A K Q J 6 4 | ||
| ♥ 4 | ||
| ♦ A J 2 | ||
| ♣ A Q 7 |
Odd hand. Dummy has just three spades, but this time your slam is cold.
Finally, this hand.
| Dummy | ||
| ♠ 10 9 | ||
| ♥ 10 5 | ||
| ♦ 9 4 3 | ||
| ♣ K J 6 5 4 3 | ||
| South | ||
| ♠ A K Q J 6 4 | ||
| ♥ 4 | ||
| ♦ A J 2 | ||
| ♣ A Q 7 |
Dummy has only two spades so he does not really have any support at all, but the result is that if the defenders fail to take their heart winner, West can take 13 tricks.
The point of this hand is not to abuse the Law of Total Tricks but to show that trumps, while needed to some extent, are not always the crux of a hand.
Here is one more example.
| Dummy | ||
| ♠ K 10 9 7 3 2 | ||
| ♥ K J | ||
| ♦ Q 2 | ||
| ♣ Q 8 4 | ||
| South | ||
| ♠ A Q J 6 5 4 | ||
| ♥ A Q | ||
| ♦ A K | ||
| ♣ A 9 7 |
West may or may not make 6♠. If there are two club losers, slam is down.
Make a little change or two.
| Dummy | ||
| ♠ K 10 9 7 | ||
| ♥ K J | ||
| ♦ Q 4 3 2 | ||
| ♣ Q 8 4 | ||
| South | ||
| ♠ A Q J 6 | ||
| ♥ A Q 4 2 | ||
| ♦ A K | ||
| ♣ A 9 7 |
Now, with two trumps fewer in each hand, you are a favorite to make 7♠. If trumps divide 3-2, 13 tricks are easy and even if trumps are 4-1, there is a strong play for all the tricks.
The main idea behind these hands is the one found in the title. Sometimes the trump suit gets in the way of other good things. Too much is sometimes too much.