If your opponents have an odd number of cards in a suit, they will tend to break as evenly as possible. For example, if you have an 8 cards in a suit, your opponents have 5 cards in the suit. 67.8% of the time your opponents' cards will break 3-2. If you have 7 cards in a suit, your opponents have 6 cards in the suit. Your opponents' cards will break 3-3 just 35.5% of the time.
Knowing how suits are likely to break helps you choose how best to develop tricks. See our "Building Tricks" video for tips on this topic and many other trick building techniques.
Recommended articles:
- "Odd numbers break evenly, even numbers break oddly" by Andrew Robson
- "Going with the Odds" by Richard Pavlicek discusses suit breaks, finessing, choice between finessing and suit breaks, multiple chances, and restricted choice
- Bridge Hands suit break table
