CHOICE OF SUITS
There is no rule so necessary to good play as that of retaining the control of the shorter suits and playing to establish the longest suit in the combined hands. Do not let the fact that your long suit contains but a few high cards discourage you—the lead can entail but small loss as the commanding cards would probably make in any case.
When, as frequently happens, your combined hands contain two suits of equal length, make a careful selection of the suit to be played for.
When the ace of one suit and the king or the queen of the other are against you, play for the suit of which the adversary holds the ace. The ace must win, while the fuller information that comes later in the hand may enable you to catch the king or queen by a finesse. Then you can better afford to discard from a suit headed by the ace than from a suit in which an honour must be protected. Moreover, you deprive the adversary of a sure re-entry card.
With two suits of equal length, be careful not to play for one in a hand that contains no re-entry card.
When you hold two suits of equal length, it is usually wise to play for the suit that is exposed on the table and conceal the strength in your own hand. In other words, don’t give the adversaries unnecessary information.
In choosing between two suits select the one that will gain you the greater number of tricks. For instance, when you hold two eight-card suits, one divided five and three and the other four and four, there are clearly more tricks to be made in the former.
Be cautious about playing for a suit of no more than seven cards, for you will often find the remaining cards most unequally divided. When you hold but six cards in the combined hands the balance of strength is with the adversaries, one of whom must hold at least four cards. Try to force your opponents to discard before you indicate strength in six- or seven-card suits.
With two entire suits against you, you cannot afford to lose the lead. Make what tricks you need to save the game and pin your hope on successful finesses.
With but one suit against you, do not fear to establish your long suit. It is not so dangerous to give up the lead when you hold a protection in the suit led originally. The adversary, not knowing your weakness, will probably return the original lead.