“NO-TRUMP” WITH THREE ACES
Unless you hold a strong heart hand, or, unless the game can be won with a trump declaration, three aces should usually be considered an obligatory “no-trumper.” No doubt a three-ace hand containing no other honour, is a weak one with which to make the strongest declaration; but experience demonstrates that if your partner holds an average hand or any one long suit, loss seldom occurs. When the make does lose, the points secured above the line usually compensate for the loss sustained in trick points, and if the rule is consistently followed, the total gain will be many times greater than the aggregate loss.
“NO-TRUMP” WITH TWO ACES AND ONE OTHER GUARDED SUIT
At a love score, if the ace suits contain additional honours, “no-trumps” should always be declared with two aces and a guarded honour in another suit. This is particularly true if the aces are red; if you hold the two red aces, it is doubtful if your partner could declare any other than a black make. A long suit, particularly one that can be easily established, is additional strength; and jacks, tens and nines are an important assistance to a two-ace “no-trump” declaration.
If all the remaining cards in the ace suits are small, and if the protection in the third suit is doubtful, “no-trumps” can scarcely be considered a safe declaration. A guarded honour or a protected suit is supposed to imply a certain trick; but a king once guarded or a queen twice guarded may be led through and captured.
Guarded suits are:
| K Q J | K 10 x | Q J 10 | Q x x |
| K Q x | K x x | Q J x | J 10 x x |
| K J x | K x | Q 10 x | J x x x |
The value of these suits is greater or less according to the size of the top honour, the number of cards in sequence, and the length of the suit.
An ace suit may contain: