Bridge Tip # 14
by Mark Blumenthal on
March 2nd, 2009
Be aware of the advantage of having a long trump suit. Always reassess your hand when you know you have a fit. For example, assume the bidding goes one spade by you, two spades by partner, and four spades by you. Suppose you get an average dummy of KJ3, 9862, 10976, K8. You might have AQ109753, 3, KQJ8, Q or you might have AQJ76, K3, A74, A76.
With the first hand you will make your contract unless the opponents get a diamond ruff.With the second you probably won’t unless the heart ace is onside even though declarer has eighteen high hgh card points as opposed to the fourteen of the first hand.
It is easy to conprehend if you realize each of your long trumps will probably be equivalent to aces if you play the contract in that suit. If you have length in your partner’s suit there is a good chance your partner will be able to ruff a suit in a suit you have shortness gaining one or more extra tricks. If that doesn’t eventuate your length helps to obviate bad breaks in the suit or may help partner execute a strip and endplay.
The old Goren books told you to add points for length for a supported suit and told you to add more points for an outside singleton or void if you and your parner had found a fit so this idea is hardly original to me.
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