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Cover an honor with an honor
Generally the second player to a trick should cover an honor card if it is led. There are a
couple of situations when this is not the best action
The benefits of covering are that you may set up a trick for your partner, or prevent the opposition making a
'free' extra
trick. Example: Suppose declarer (South) leads the Queen of a suit, dummy (North) has the Ace, and the hand in
between (West) has the King. If West fails to play the King over the Queen, declarer will allow the Queen to
make a
trick, and then the Ace will also make a second trick. By playing the King, declarer must use the Ace and Queen
on
the same trick, and cannot make a second trick with these cards. In addition, partner may now turn out to have
the
Jack doubleton, which will now be a master. The same thing happens with partner having 10 to three cards or 9 to
four cards. Their 10 or 9 will never make a trick if you don't cover.
2. When there is a sequence held by opposition, cover their honor the second time it is led.
3. If your honor is still going to be good if you don't cover it, for example if opponents can only finesse against you a limited number of times before they run out of entries.
Situations you shouldn't cover an honor
1. When there is a chance your partner could win the trick either with another honor or by ruffing.2. When there is a sequence held by opposition, cover their honor the second time it is led.
3. If your honor is still going to be good if you don't cover it, for example if opponents can only finesse against you a limited number of times before they run out of entries.
North
West
East
South