This series of blogs will cover the 3 most common errors made by average-level players.
Average players very commonly lead aces because they deem them “safe leads”. In actuality, the ace lead is a very unsafe lead and I will explain why.
The ace is a very powerful card for many reasons. When an ace is led, it loses every one of its advantages. Here are the advantages of holding onto your aces:
a. Your side may capture an enemy honor card.
b. Your side may win the first round of the suit with a lesser card.
c. You retain an entry for later in the hand.
d. You maintain control of the suit (i.e. a “Stopper”)
e. You make it difficult for your opponents to win unsupported kings.
f. You make it difficult for the opponents to read your hand. By refusing to lead aces, the opponents have less ability to use the count card principle.
To sum things up, by refusing to lead these aces, you will have a better chance of developing extra tricks -- which may either gain a set, or prevent your side from going set!
You will make things hard on the opponents. They will grow frustrated with losing many of their counted king tricks due to you refusing to show the ace. This frustration will lead to underbids later on. These underbids will then lead to bags and cause even more frustration. This kind of pyschological frustration that great players cause is an extremely valuable weapon.
2 comments:
I would add that even on bag hands (where you may not be maximizing your tricks), an Ace lead gives the opps the most leeway in choosing what to play. That is giving away control. I do not say that leading an Ace on bag hands is NEVER right, but most times there are better choices.
So, Dustin, this is what you were doing on election day huh? Glad to see you are writing on this site again.
I don't know even in a bag hand why we might lead an Ace. In my opinion that's wrong as well (unless your ops are beginners). Also, in what way your P should interprete that lead? Is he trying to signal me that he will play to set? Should I pitch a honor or a grunt card on that Ace?
No, the right way to play your Ace in a bag hand is when your P pitch a honor. Then you decide.
I even saw lot of people leading an Ace when opponents went for the Nil. And there is not a way to make them understand about their mistakes (they have been playing for centuries, so they assume to be expert).
I'm glad to see you are writing about Spades game but the question is: do you really think that beginners will improve?
After years of playing, they think to be good and still they are clearly beginners. The reason?
Simple: they don't listen.
And probably they don't have the right abilities.
Bye.
Hitto Ogami
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