The case is difficult to carry when stated thus generally; for an illustration, see Hand XXXI.
REFUSING TO OVERTRUMP.
Cases often happen where it is not advisable to overtrump. Most of these depend on the fall of the cards and on inferences from the play (see Hands XXIII, XXIV), and cannot be generalised. But there is one case in which it is never right to overtrump, viz., when three cards remain in each hand, and one player holds the second and third best trumps, with one of which he trumps the card led. If the player to his left has the best and fourth best trumps, he can never gain anything by overtrumping, and may lose a trick, as the following example shows:—
- Y 9♦, 4♦, 10♥
- B 9♠, 8♠, Knv♣
- Z Kg♠, 6♠, A♦
- A 3♠, 8♥, 7♥
The position of the trumps (spades) is known. A leads a heart, B trumps it. If Z overtrumps he loses the other two tricks, but if he throws the ace of diamonds he wins the other two tricks.
This rule for not overtrumping cannot be laid down absolutely when there are more than three cards in hand; but when only four trumps remain in, second and third best against best and fourth, it is so frequently advisable not to overtrump, that the player should consider well the position of the remaining cards before overtrumping.
For an illustration of this case, see Hand XXV.