SET, GAME, AND MATCH!
This month's column is short and to the point (some author I know is headed out of town and is way behind schedule).
The following situation is very similar to one that my pard and I faced last night on the 10th hand of the final game of a 10 hand max tourney.
What would you bid sitting in South's seat with a 13 bid facing you on the table?
SCORE
YOUR TEAM: 445
PONES: 270
North 3
West 4
East 6
South ?
5
3 5 6 8
2 4 5 6
3 5 7 8
Hopefully, you will not fall for East's sucker play, and you will make the correct bid of 1 as did my pard (actually, a bid of 1, 2, 3, or 4 is OK here).
The only way that East/West can win this game (gain 180 points on the hand) is to make a big bid, while at the same time setting both a nil and the cover bid. East realized this, and tried to force my pard into a nil bid and a theoretical possible loss. She didn't fall for it.
The 1 bid, with an expected set of the team's 4 bid, results in a final winning score of 405 to 370 + any bags. This may seem like the obvious strategy in this after-the-fact presentation, but many players would make the knee jerk reaction bid of nil here. If your pard has no spades or only 1 small spade, the nil would be at risk and your team could possibly lose the game.
This is just another example of playing by the score rather than by your cards, and how accepting a harmless SET can assure that you will win the GAME and the MATCH!
GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY SPADING!
Tiger_Galt
SITES OF INTEREST How Not To Lose At Spades!
Tiger_Galt's June Tips
Tiger_Galt's July Tips
Tiger_Galt's August Tips
Tiger_Galt's September Tips
Tiger_Galt's October Tips
Tiger_Galt's November Tips
Tiger_Galt's December Tips
Tiger_Galt's January 2002 Tips
Tiger_Galt's February 2002 Tips
