This term has been used to describe many facets of our game of spades. Usually one may hear this expression after a hard-fought game that ends in a close finish. We may congratulate our partner and the opponents with this expression.

We may also use this expression when one opponent has just finished playing some monster of a hand with about eight solid spades, or some hand that we feel one opponent is never going to lose the lead.

The expression "good cards" is also used to denote cards that have been established during the play and are winners that can be cashed. But the expression I think should be used more technically to refer to honor cards that have improved in value as a result of the bidding. In a competitive bidding sequence these honors may become more or less valuable because the significant honors are either over or under some opponent.

Bidding on Good Cards

If the opponent on your right has made some higher bid it becomes more reasonable that your King or your Ace-Queen combination has a positional value. At that point bidding on these honors is something one would consider. If, on the other hand, the bidding indicates that the big hand is to your left you should devalue these honor cards, becoming far more conservative with your bidding.

A J 7 3
10 6 3 2
K 4 2
10 9

In this hand your left-hand opponent has bid 5, your pard 2, and your right hand opponent has bid 2. The bidding makes your left-hand opponent an odds-on favorite to hold the A thus devaluing your hand. The K is not a "good card" nor is the AJ likely to be well placed.

Positional factors greatly influence the outcome of a hand, bags, and sets. One will do well to consider them when information from the bidding provides the clues. Another key thing to consider is that everyone one of your hunches will not be correct, but if you improve them to say 75% you will add that much more to your win ratios in the long haul.

The terms sitting over, and sitting under usually refer to honor cards also. Say for instance West held the K43 and North (on his left) held the AQ7. You would say North is sitting over the K. You might also hear someone say we could have set him, or made our bid, etc, since the King was on a hook. On a hook, or In-the-Pocket also refers to a finesse that is working.

Good Cards Affect your Lead

As a final tip. When you are on lead, whether it is the opening lead, or during the hand, casually glance at the opponent on your right's bid. How close is he in fulfilling the number of tricks that he has contracted to take. How high was that number? If it appears that all the strength is on your right and will be the last to play, why make some attacking lead that is going into the strong hand? Instead lead very passively, making a top-of-nothing lead. Top-of-nothing means leading some suit that you hold absolutely nothing in. You may cause partner to lose a trick, but if you do it is a trick that was sitting under the bid hand anyway.

What you don't want to risk is hurting your hand. When the strength is on your right protect your hand, honor cards and tricks by leading conservatively. You are sitting over the opponent. All of his cards are in the pocket for you. Why help him out of this hole by leading Aces and Kings? His honor cards are trapped by the honors that you have sitting directly behind him.

When the strength is on your left however it is advantageous to make attacking leads. You already know your cards are in the pocket and badly placed. If you make small card leads any good opponent will play small in second seat and let the trick float around to his pard, or either finesse you out of your spades and honor cards anyway. This will be the time to lead King from King-Queen, or from any sequence that is not likely to cost you a trick.

Regards,
Ruffkid1 (Jay Tomlinson)