Declarer Play – General Principles Pause before Playing your first card Count your winners and losers Dangers (bad breaks, defence winners off the top etc) Communication between hands Placing opposition cards (clues from lead and bidding) Make a Plan Extra Tricks Often necessary to lose early tricks to create tricks © Clifton Bridge Club

Intermediate 6 – Declarer Play Trumps(3) The objective is to force the opposition to lead a card to your advantage How is this achieved ? -Eliminate side suits (usually 2) in both hands. This removes safe exit card for the opposition. Eliminating suits involves playing off winners and/or ruffing losers Playing in a suit contract protects you from defenders long suits and can be source of extra tricks not available in No Trumps. Eliminations and End Plays -Usually leaving a trump in both hands (thereby giving a ruff and discard if the opposition lead one of the eliminated suits) - The remaining side suit to benefit from opposition lead (eg tenace) -Throwing in the opposition (sometimes a specific hand) with a known loser. This may also include loser on loser play. © Clifton Bridge Club