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Welcome to "Bridge Basics," the podcast that makes learning bridge easy and fun. Each episode breaks down strategies, game dynamics, and teaching tips for beginners. Whether you're new to card games or looking to improve your skills, you'll find valuable insights to enhance your bridge experience.
You should force the declarer to trump when you want to limit their control over the trump suit. This strategy is especially effective if you or your partner hold four or more trumps. By making the declarer ruff repeatedly, you can exhaust their trumps, giving your side the upper hand.
Another key situation is when the declarer has a long trump suit. Forcing them to ruff can shorten their trump holding. This may leave them unable to draw your trumps later in the game. If you suspect the trump suit is breaking badly for the declarer, forcing them can be particularly effective.
If there's a side suit that the declarer must ruff, leading that suit can also force them to use up their trumps. Each time the declarer ruffs, they lose a trump from their hand. Once they run out of trumps, you and your partner can win tricks with your remaining trumps or establish winners in side suits.
However, there are times when you shouldn't force the declarer. If they can discard losers from dummy instead of ruffing, forcing may not cost them a trump. It's also less effective if the declarer’s trumps are well divided between their hand and dummy. Lastly, if you and your partner have few trumps, forcing is unlikely to work.
Forcing the declarer to trump is a classic defensive strategy. It can help reduce their trump control and potentially defeat their contract when the right conditions are met. Thank you for listening. Visit PodSights.ai to create a podcast on any topic.