Losing Tricks Early on Purpose

Beginners often cash their winners first and give up the lead last. It feels safe, but it usually works the other way round. If you have to lose a trick anyway, lose it early, while you still control the other suits.

Why it works

Your winners in the other suits are your stoppers. While you hold them, the defenders can't cash much when they get in. If you cash those winners first, the defenders' remaining cards in those suits become winners, and when you finally give up the lead they take them.

A worked example

You are in 3NT. West leads a spade.

Your winners: ♠A K, ♥A K Q, ♣A K: seven tricks.

Diamonds: Dummy ♦ K Q J 10, Declarer ♦ 4 3 2

You need two more tricks, and diamonds will give you three once the ♦A has been knocked out.

Win the spade and lead a diamond straight away. The defenders take the ♦A and lead another spade, but you still have a spade stopper. Now your diamonds are winners: seven tricks plus three diamonds makes ten.

If instead you cash hearts and clubs first, the defenders keep their long cards in those suits. When you finally lead a diamond, they win the ace and cash those cards, along with any spades they have set up.

Four common mistakes

• Cashing every winner before giving up the lead.

• Waiting to set up a suit until your stoppers are gone.

• Not counting how many tricks you have to lose.

• Being afraid to give the lead to the defenders early.

When the rule does not apply

If you have enough sure tricks, just cash them and take your contract. If losing the lead early would let the defenders attack a suit where you have no stopper, think again. You may need to set up a different suit, or hold up first.

Key takeaways

• Lose the tricks you must lose early.

• Your side-suit winners are stoppers, so keep them.

• Set up long suits while you still have control.

• Count your sure tricks and your losers before you start.