When the opening lead is made and dummy tables, give yourself time to plan your play. Use the checklist below to help formulate your plan. For more, subscribe for our "Trick One: A Time for Planning" video.
- Quick losers: How many tricks can the defense take when they are in?
- Potential losers: How many potential losers do you have in each suit? This includes quick losers.
- Quick winners: How many tricks can you win without losing the lead?
- Source of tricks: What additional tricks may be available in each suit? Consider ruffs, finesses, establishing tricks with length, etc.
- Controls: How many stoppers do you have to prevent the defense from developing their winners? (e.g. if you have AK4 opposite 752, the defense needs to knock out your Ace and King before they can win the 3rd round)
- Communication: Assess your ability to navigate between hands. Plan how you will use your entries.
- Dangerous opponent: Is there a defender who can damage you by leading through your positional honors? Can you keep that defender off lead? Does a defender have winners to cash? Can you keep that defender off lead?
- Hold up: Is there a suit where I need to hold up to sever defensive communication.
- Trump management:
- How many trump tricks do I need?
- Do I need ruffs for additional tricks?
- Do I need to use trumps as a stopper?
- Am I in danger of losing trump control?
- Should I play for a cross-ruff?
- When should trump be drawn?
- Honor combinations: Assess the best play in each suit given your honor holdings. Does that fit with your communication? Revise plan if necessary.
- The lead: What clues are available from the lead?
- The Bidding: What clues are available from the bidding (or lack of bidding)?
- The contract: Are you in the right contract. Do you need to adjust your plan to compete with contracts likely to reached at other tables? (e.g. if 10 tricks are available in a major suit fit, 3NT making 3 will not score well. You need a plan to take 10 tricks.)
Given the above, what is your plan to score the tricks you need?
