The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (70 page)

1. KQ987 AKQ A

With six or more trumps and safe side suits you can risk

bidding ‘without four’, or even five, in the long suit. With a

fair break of the remaining cards, you could take up to about

80 card-points for a score of 72 (without four, game five, hand

six, times clubs 12). One or more Jacks could be in the skat,

but if it contains only one black Jack, your game wil be

devalued to 36, so be cautious if pushed into bidding beyond

this level.

2. AT7 AT7 AK7 A

If you are prepared to chance a balanced distribution of Jacks

and suits in the adverse hands, this is a ‘grand’ hand without

four for 144.

3. AT97 T87 97 8

Given the lead (♦8), this is a virtual y unbeatable nul ouvert

hand for 59. Even without the lead, it would require a freak

distribution and clever play to fail.

Holding one or more Jacks, consider whether your hand looks

best for a suit bid, grand, or nul , and be prepared to pass if it

doesn’t. Most hands are either a suit bid or nothing; relatively few

are right for grand or nul . Roughly speaking –

If about half your cards are Nines, Kings and Queens, pass.

If about half consist of Jacks and a good suit, consider

game in that suit. With six or more trumps and a void suit,

consider playing it from the hand. With both black Jacks and

a long suit headed Ace-Ten, consider grand.

If about half are Jacks and Aces, especial y Ace-Tens,

consider grand.

If about half are Sevens, Eights and Nines, and you have no

more than one Ace, King or Queen, consider nul . If you can

lose every trick with the hand as dealt, you can bid up to 35,

or 59 if you can play it ouvert. If you need to take the skat to

get rid of a dangerous card, you can bid up to 23, or 46 if the

remaining cards of er an ouvert possibility.