There are many bits of bridge wisdom that you'll run across on your learning journey. Sometimes these sayings stick in our head without us really understanding their meanings. In this quiz, make sure you're on solid footing when you hear some bits of wisdom. You'll also find my opinion on some of these "pearls".
What does the phrase: "8 ever, 9 never" mean?
With an 8-card fit, missing only the Q, finesse. With a 9-card fit missing only the queen, play the A and K and hope it appears.
With an 8-card fit, compete to the 3-level. With a 9-card fit, don't go to the 3-level.
With an 8-card fit missing only the king, finesse. With a 9-card fit missing the king, don't finesse.
With an 8-card fit, ruff in the long hand. With a 9-card fit, don't ruff in the long hand.
What does "High from the short side" mean?
Play your high cards in your short suits quickly.
If you ruff in the hand with fewer trumps, ruff high.
When running a suit, you want to play the high cards from the hand that has fewer in the suit so that you end up in the hand with extra length.
Lead your highest card in a suit partner has bid.
What does "Second hand low" mean?
If you are the second person to bid, you should underbid and reject game tries.
If you play second to the trick as a defender, never cover an honor with an honor.
If you play second to the trick as a defender, it's better to play low than to play a high card, particularly if the lead was a low card.
If you play second to the trick as declarer, duck.
What does "Third Hand High"*** mean.
***The better expression is "Third Hand as High as Necessary"
Third person to bid should bid higher than the opponents.
As a defender, third person to play to a trick should play a high card even if it may lose. They shouldn't play a card higher than necessary (if the Q is in dummy and you have KJ, play the J).
The third player dealt always seems to get the best hands.
The best time to partake of "glaucoma medication" is during the third deal of the day.
What does "Don't underlead an ace against suit contracts" mean?
If you have an ace on lead against a suit, lead the ace.
If you have the ace on lead against a suit, you should lead another suit unless you also have the king of that suit.
On lead against suit contracts, you shouldn't lead a suit that your opponents have the ace in.
If the opponents play in a suit, you want to lead an honor.
What does "The 5-level belongs to the opponents" mean?
Never make a bid on the 5-level.
In a competitive auction if the opponents bid to the 5-level, you should pass (or double) rather than competing to 5-of-your suit.
If the opponents bid on the 5-level, never double since they wouldn't bid if they couldn't make it.
Old superstition says bridge clubs on the five-level deal bad cards.
Back
K32
A9753 and the opponents are playing in spades. You should not lead a low card in this suit since the opponents might have only one card and your ace won't take a trick. You also should not lead the ace here since when you lead the ace it doesn't capture an honor and it might set up the opponent's K and Q. You should lead this suit against a notrump contract since you can set up tricks for yourself for later.