Safety Plays

How to handle common suit-combinations

Safety plays are a form of insurance against bad breaks.
Suppose for example, that a normal division of the adverse cards would enable you to lose no tricks at all in the suit that interests you, whereas against very bad distribution you might lose 2 tricks; if there is a way to lose just 1 trick, whatever the distribution, than a safety play is available and you must employ it, whenever the contract depends on losing not more than one trick. Putting it another way, you sacrifice a trick when the distribution is favourable, but when it is unfavourable you make sure not to lose two tricks.

It is essential to know the standard safety plays. In principle you can figure them out at the table, but if you never saw them, you will not have the time to do.

You must seen a lot of these examples. You can learn the standard patterns by heart. But best is, you do some practice:

Take a deck of cards. Sort out the 13 spades. Take one of the beneath examples e.g. #6. Deal four you and dummy the given cards.

Now try every thinkable line with every possible distribution of cards between the defenders. Write down how many tricks every line loses against each distribution.

For #6 I made this for you with percentages.

You can proof the distributions and calculate exact probabilities with the MissingCardsCalculator.

It seems difficult, but once you have understood the principle, you will enjoy.

ÜBUNG MACHT DEN MEISTER
Practice makes perfect.

Nr.	Nr, of cards	Declarer	dummy	To lose not more than	Adverse cards		Solution
1.	10	A1032	Q87654	1	KJ9	The only problem is a 3/0 distribution. You must play low against the Q. If LHO shows out you can finesse on the way back.
2.	10	AJ432	Q9876	0	K105	Play the Q first and finesse the 10 later, if RHO has K10x
3.	9	AJ8xx	Qxxx	1	K109x	The only distribution to worry about is RHO having K1097. If LHO has these cards there is nothing you can do about. Therefore lead the Q and finesse the 8 on the next round, if RHO doesn't split his 10 9. You need 3 entries to dummy to execute this line.
4.	9	AK9xx	Qxxx	0	J10xx		You have to worry only about 4/0 distribution. If LHO has J10xx there is nothing you can do. You must lose 1 trick. But if RHO has J10xx you must play the Q first and finesse twice, if you see, that LHO shows out
5.	9	AK9xx	Q10xx	0	J876		See the great difference to #4 in view of the 10 additional. Now you can win, if either opponent has J876. Play the A first and if one opponent shows out, you can finesse against the other.
6.	9	AQ109x	xxxx	1	KJ32		You cannot be sure losing only 1 trick. But you give yourself the best chance by playing low from table to the A and play accordingly what the opponents play. Take the A if RHO plays low. Those who are interested in details and percentages look here.
7.	9	AK98	76543	1	QJ102		If the suit is distributed 2/2 you'll make all tricks, by cashing AK. If it is 3/1, you'll lose 1 trick whatever you do. But If RHO has QJ10x you can hold your loss to 1 trick, if you finesse on the first round. You pay the premium of an overtrick if the suit is distributed 2/2.
8.	9	A109xx	K876	1	QJ32		If you need all tricks, you should play A or K, hoping for 2/2 distribution or restricted choice. If you can lose 1 trick, you can ensure not losing 2 by leading e.g. up to the A10, finessing the 10, if RHO plays low. This saves against either opponents having QJxx, but gives up a overtrick, if the suit is 2/2 or you can execute restricted choice.
9.	9	AQxxx	xxxx	1	KJ109		Here is the same principle as in #7. Give up a possible overtrick, if RHO has Kx, but you can ensure not to lose 2 tricks, if LHO has K alone by playing the A first.
10.	9	KJ852	Q643	1	A1097		This is the same motif as in #3. You must protect yourself, if RHO has A1097. Therefore your first lead must be the Q. This is not a real safety play, because there is no insurance-premium. It is only the rite suit-management.
11.	9	A9xxx	QJxx	1	K1087		You have a perfect safety-play against either opponent having K1087: Play a low card against QJ. If someone shows out, you know, what to do. You lose your overtrick, if LHO has xx or 10 stiff. But that is the insurance-premium for your safety.
12.	9	A10984	Q765	1	KJ32		The double finesse loses if LHO has KJ or KJx. The rite percentage line (Lay down the A first) loses if RHO has KJxx or KJx. The difference in percentage is small. Cp. #16
13.	8	AJ87x	K9x	1	Q10654		Play the A first and finesse the 9, if LHO plays low. You'll lose only 1 trick if either opponent has Q10xx.
14.	8	AQ5432	J6	1	K10987		You'll lose 1 trick if opponents cards are 3/2. You win against either opponent having the stiff K by playing the A first.
15.	8	AQJxx	xxx	1	K10987		Play the A first and then lead up against QJ (if necessary twice). You'll lose only 1 trick except if LHO has K1098 or suit is 5/0.
16.	8	A1098	Q765	1	KJ432		Contrary to # 12 the right line is here the double finesse.
17.	8	A1032	K654	1	QJ987		"You must worry only about 4/1 distribution. If LHO has 4 cards you must lose 2 tricks whatever you play play K first and then finesse the 10. But if RHO has 4 cards, you win if you . You lose an overtrick if LHO has the QJ doubleton. Compare with #19."
18.	8	AK832	1065	1	Q10974		No problem if the suit is divided 3/2. Play the A first and if either opponent has single Q or J or LHO single 9, you should then play small against the 10, ensuring 4 tricks if LHO holds Q9xx or J9xx or if RHO holds QJxx, Q9xx or J9xx.
19.	8	AK10xx	xxx	1	QJ98x		You must worry only about 4/2. If LHO has 4 or 5 cards you must lose 2 or 3 tricks whatever you play. But if RHO has 4 cards of the suit, you win if you play K first and then finesse the 10. You lose an overtrick, if LHO has QJ alone cp #17
20.	8	AQxx	xxxx	2	KJ1098		Play the A first and then from dummy low to the Q. There is nothing lost if RHO has Kx, Kxx or Kxxx, but you gain a trick if LHO has the stiff K."
21.	8	AQxxx	10xx	2	KJ987		"If the suit breaks 3/2 you can't lose more than 2 tricks and if it is 5/0 you must lose 3 tricks anyway, so you have to worry about 4/1 break. Play the A first and play then small to the 10. (it wins if LHO has KJxx, Kxxx, Jxxxx, K or J). If you finesse the Q and then play the A, you win only if RHO has KJxx, Kxxx, K or J."
22.	7	AKJ5	432	1	Q109876		Play A and K and then small against the J. You'll lose only 1 trick if the suit is 3/3 or RHO has 4 cards. You ensure against LHO having Qx but pay the price of an overtrick, if RHO has Qxx.
23.	7	A10753	K9	1	QJ8642		If the suit is 3/3 you lose 1 trick anyway. If it is 5/1 or 6/0 you'll lose more than 1 trick for sure. As often the 4/2 distributions are of interest. The best line is to finesse the 9 to the first trick. This wins against LHO having QJxx Qx Jx QJ xxxx Playing A and K wins only against either opponent having QJ. There is another matter, if you have A10975 – K3. Now playing A and K has the better percentage.
24.	7	QJ32	K54	1	A109876		No problem if the suit is 3/3. No chance if it is 5/1 or 6/0. 4/2 is the matter again. Play low against QJ and if the Q holds back to dummy and play again low against the J. You'll win whenever the opponent before QJxx has Ax!!!

Try these link too: http://www3.telus.net/ldh/bridge/safety.txt