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Table Talk 101 · Tips & Tricks
Don’t Overbid Just Because You Have Spades
A hand full of spades can still be short of the books you promised.
0:12 · captions on · tap the speaker for sound, it stays on for the next lessons
Written steps
- 1
Judge the ranks
A 4♠ can lose to a higher spade. Count likely winners rather than counting the number of spades in your hand.
- 2
Read the whole hand
High cards in other suits can help, while long suits and cards above yours affect how safe those winners are.
- 3
Plan with the bid
Consider your partner’s bid and the table’s scoring. Leave room for uncertain cards instead of turning every hopeful winner into a promise.
Try it at your table
Look at five low spades and identify which are uncertain winners.
Quick check
Do five spades guarantee five books?
No. Their ranks and the rest of the hand matter.