There are two hands which are usually played with only one trump, from both of which the best card of the long suit is led:—
| 20 | ||
| 21 |
THE LEADER. There are a great many more opportunities to make the vole than most players are aware of; especially with jeux de règle. Where the vole is improbable or impossible, tenace is very important, and all tenace positions should be made the most of. In No. 5, for instance, if the clubs were the Queen and ace, it would be better to begin with the heart King, instead of leading away from the minor tenace in clubs. Observe the lead in No. 4. Many tenace positions cannot be taken advantage of because the player must win the trick if he can. For instance: Several discards have been made, and each player suspects the other holds three trumps, with three tricks to play. The Queen is led, and the adversary holds K A 7. If he could pass this trick, he must lie tenace; but as he has to win it with the King, he gives tenace to his adversary, who evidently has J and another.
When the dealer is four, the player may stand on much weaker hands.
It is usually best to lead from guarded suits, in preference to single cards. Lead the best of a suit if you have it. If the third trick is the first you win, and you have a trump and another card, lead the trump; but if you have won two tricks, lead the plain suit.
THE DEALER. When the player asks for cards, the dealer knows that his adversary probably does not hold a jeux de règle. The dealer must not be too sure of this, however, for proposals are sometimes made on very strong hands in order to try for the vole, or to make two points on the refusal. The dealer should assume that he is opposed by the best play until he finds the contrary to be the case, and it is safest to play on the assumption that a player who proposes has not a jeux de règle.
For all practical purposes it may be said that the dealer can refuse to give cards with hands a trifle less strong than those on which the player would stand. The general rule is for the dealer to give cards unless he is guarded in three suits; or has a trump, and is safe in two suits; or has two trumps, and is safe in one suit. If the dealer has only one suit guarded, and one trump, he must take into account the risk of being forced, and having to lead away from his guarded suit.
There are eight recognized hands on which the dealer should refuse. The full details of the calculations can be found in the ninth volume of the “Westminster Papers.” As in the case of the player, the weakest trumps have been taken for the examples, and the weakest holdings in plain suits. If the dealer has better plain suits, or stronger trumps, he has of course so much more in his favour if he refuses. The first column of figures gives the number of times in 65,780 that there will be no proposal, so that the dealer has no choice but to play. The other columns give the number of times the dealer or the player will win if the player proposes and the dealer refuses.