We use many methods of hand evaluation while playing spades. I will describe two methods, the Quick Trick method and the Losing Trick Count.

One of the oldest methods is the Quick Trick method. Quick tricks are card combinations that may be expected to win one or more trick. Quick tricks should be limited to a maximum of two tricks in each suit (exception being spade suit.)

Estimation of expected quick tricks assuming suit is 4 cards or less:

We then should add 1 trick for a 4th spade and a subsequent trick for each additional spade.

New Total = 6.5 tricks

We are faced with a decision now to round up or down. Whenever such a decision exists the size of spot cards, length in suits that honor cards are located in, quality of spot cards in the spade suit, and distributional hands that are 6/5 or 5/5 or 6/4 generally qualify for rounding up. Trumps are disaster insurance. The ability to take them when you want to take them makes them very valuable. Anytime I am faced with a close bidding decision trumps will always make the difference. On this hand if you employ the dnil convention it will prevent you from bidding 7, but I would round this hand up to seven and fully expect to take 7 tricks with it.

If you are nervous about your spades, consider that 8 are outstanding. If you divide them by three players that gives 2.66 spades per person. This makes you slightly favored to get 4 spades tricks. Even a small chance, about 30% exists in the heart suit for a 4/3/3/3 division yielding you 3 tricks.

The one thing you do not want to do on this hand is tap yourself. Anytime you are two-suited, say with 5 spades and some reasonable side suit, you should begin by playing the side suit not a short suit. The idea is to get your side suit set up before pulling trumps. If the opponents trump a good trick of yours in this suit so be it. It is likely that the opponent that did trump was the one holding spade length anyway. You have effectively shortened his trump holding and may have helped your cause in yet another way.

If you begin by leading a short suit the opponents can lead it back making you trump. You have lost control of the hand now. Your power in spades is crushed. When you go to set up your hearts they will tap you again in this short suit pulling another spade out of your hand. This sort of defense is called "forcing"; I call it chopping down a tree. Each time the opponents hit you by making you ruff, their trump holding gets better and yours gets worse. When they have you weakened in trumps to the same length as they it will be impossible for you to pull trumps and regain control of the hand.

Example 2:

AK - 2 quick tricks.
A843 - 1 quick tricks.
AQJ9 - 1.5 quick tricks.
AJ10 - 1 quick tricks.

5.5 Quick tricks

We have less then 4 spades so we cannot make any allowances.

Total = 5.5 Tricks

With any competent partner I would round this hand to 6 tricks. I love my diamonds, and those club spots are none too shabby. If my right hand opponent has bid 3 or more my hand is almost a shoe- in for 6 tricks. Positional value is very important; also Aces are slightly undervalued whenever decent spots are held that accompany them. I sure would hate to lead from this hand though. So consider that in your rounding as well. Will I be 4th to play at trick one, or first. This by itself is worth a trick many times and must be considered when you are bidding this close. It is also unadvisable to bid this close if your card technique is not first rate. Otherwise you find yourself going set too many times.

Example 3:

QJ7 - 0 quick tricks.
J1094 - 0 quick tricks.
K3 - 5 quick tricks.
KQ86 - 1 quick trick.

1.5 Quick Tricks

Less than 4 spades, no allowance

Total = 1.5 Tricks

I would also round this hand to 2 tricks. I have an overabundance of spots and quacks (Queens/Jacks). The hand has a very good chance of taking 3 tricks but it also has a chance of taking 0 tricks. If every card were badly placed you would take 0 tricks with this hand, especially if opponent sitting behind you held a doubleton diamond with the Ace and King of spades.

I recommend an alternate method of hand evaluations when it is known that the partnership holds at least 8 spades based on the losing trick count. We select 8 because that is a sufficient number of spades to control the hand. Before understanding this law we must understand how to count our losers.

When counting losers we only assume the ACE, KING, QUEEN in all suits. A void in a suit counts as 0 losers, a singleton counts as 1, and a doubleton counts as 2 losers etc. We use twelve as the maximum losers. This is done because we already know that at least 5 spades are held in hand lest you would not be considering this form of evaluation.

Example 4:

AQ654
32
AQ5
543

In spades you are missing the King so that is one loser. In hearts you are missing the Ace, King and Queen but you only hold two cards in that suit so your losers cannot be more then 2. In diamonds you hold the Ace and Queen but are missing the King, so 1 loser exists in that suit also. The club suit is missing the Ace, King, and Queen for 3 more losers. This brings the total losers to 7 in this hand.

This is the first part of using this kind of evaluation. Determine your losers then subtract from 12 to come to the number of winners. In this case this would be five, and that is the bid I would make. Even if I come up one short my length in spades will produce one or more tricks in pard's hand. The key here is to duck a diamond lead. If diamonds are led on the right don't jump in with the queen like most would do, play the 5!!

This serves about three purposes. Opponent on your left will likely be afraid to play the King if he holds it. Your pard may very well likely score up a 10 or Jack that he didn't bid on. Also if the opponent on your left does play the King your in much better shape to score up two tricks then you would be if you had played your Queen the first time. This is just an old bridge play of second hand low. This applies itself very well here because of the shortness in the diamond suit. Very little risk is taken by ducking the diamond Ace and queen. And guess what? If opponent has led from his king and pard has the Jack you are likely to get all of the tricks in this suit. Jeez, who is that masked man?

If you think I am a wildman, I am. I have learned from the very best in the world. I've had my butt kicked by the best and I've learned to pull tricks through a keyhole. Besides, Pard will save me--just ask her (lol). Why do I say "her"? Mixed pairs are complimentary. Males have egos the size of mountains. I will not even say who I think make the better card players, hehehe, lest I get run out of the Zone. I will say the top ten best card players in the world are men. However, many of them play quite regularly with women.

Wow, how did I get on this subject? If you are female and reading this, know that I play with female pards. I learned a long time ago that two guys would fuss and fight and want to prove the other wrong far too many times. Most men however have enough respect for the fairer sex to not provoke, or agitate. This produces a nice mess. One final note on the subject, however. I learned initially from a female, I played for years in a club owned and operated by a female, the majority of card players are female, and I play the majority of my games with females lol. Enough said!

Example 5:

AQJ54 1.5 quick tricks.
AQ 2 quick tricks.
KQ8 1quick tricks.
AJ10 1quick tricks.

5.5 + 2 tricks for length = 7.5 tricks total. I would round this hand to 8 tricks.

Using the losing trick count method. I have one loser in spades, 1 in hearts, 1 in diamonds, and two in clubs. This is a five-loser hand. Subtract five from 12 and you get 7 winners. Wow -- magic!!!

Example 6:

K76543
32
AJ987
--

Missing the Ace and Queen of spades, so two losers. Missing the Ace, King, and Queen of hearts so three losers, but only hold two cards in the suit, thus only two losers. Missing the King and Queen of diamonds, two losers. No losers in clubs, holding 0 cards in that suit. Total losers = 6. Now, 12-6 = 6. Bid 6 on this hand, and God help you if you trump an opening club lead!

If you get a club lead pitch a heart. If the opponents win the club lead and lead a second top club pitch another heart. If you are going to bid aggressive you must play like an expert. You cannot let the opponents tap you in trumps to early. At some point you may have to trump but at least give it a chance. Also lead diamonds before tackling the trump suit. Remember set you side suit up before trying to pull the trumps.

Example 7:

87654
87654
76
2

Three losers in spades, three losers in hearts, 2 losers in diamonds, and 1 in clubs. Total losers = 9. 12-9 = 3 winners; bid 3.

What I challenge you to do is deal out hands in which you and pard have at least 8 spades. Count the losers in both hands! Then subtract from 24 now. You are using both hands instead on just one. This will tell you how many winners you have. Don't believe me, try it lol!!! Also leave the other two hands of the opponents exposed and try to give yourself the absolute best defense possible, and then the absolute best play possible.

One final note just to save face! Women are really equal to men in the card playing world. The reason that it appears otherwise is due to a man's ego. Men will quit something much faster than a woman will do. If we get involved with something and it looks like we aren't getting as good as we would like, we just drop it. By doing this the field is skewed. It looks like the males dominate. Women however will stay with something if they like it many times not worrying about their level of play. I have redeemed myself now! Good luck with this and please share it with a favorite pard.

Regards,
Ruffkid1 (Jay Tomlinson)