Master Cards Example 1

♥ A 8 4  

If you lead the ♥A, it will win the trick. Since there are no higher hearts, your ace will be the highest card played in that suit, making it the winning card for that trick. (Unless stated otherwise, you can assume there are no trumps in play.) The ♥A is referred to as the master card in the heart suit because no other heart can outrank it.

Yes, I know—that was a simple example, wasn’t it? But it’s important for me to cover every detail so that no matter what you need to learn, nothing gets left out. Plus, I wanted to give you a chance to see how my interactive colored buttons work. Go ahead and click the button again!

Master Cards Example 2

♠ A K 4

With this hand, you can win a trick by leading your ♠A. Once that trick is complete, you will retain the lead and can win a second trick by playing your ♠K, which will then be the highest unplayed spade. The ♠K becomes the master card after the ♠A has been played.

Could you have still won two tricks with these cards if you had led the ♠K first, before playing the ♠A?

Well done! From your perspective, the ♠A and ♠K are equally powerful. It doesn’t matter which one you play first, as your opponents cannot outmatch either card. Whichever one you lead first will win the trick, and then you can lead the other to win a second trick.

Sorry, you missed this one.

From your point of view, the ♠A and the ♠K are equal masters. It doesn’t matter which one you lead first. Your opponents cannot beat either card. Whichever one you lead first will win a trick. Then you can lead the other one and win a second trick.

It might seem odd to call a card a master card when you have it, but not a master card when your opponents have it.

For example, if you hold the ♥A and ♥K, you would consider the king a winning card because it is effectively equal to your ace. However, you wouldn’t think of the ♥K as a winning card if your opponents hold it, as you could easily capture it with your ace.

Another example: If you hold the ♦Q, it would only be considered a winning card if you also hold the ♦A and ♦K. If your opponents have a higher card that can capture your queen, it would no longer qualify as a winning card.

Master Cards Example 3

Dummy
♠ A Q 4  

  You
♠ K 3 2

With the ♠K in your hand, and the ♠AQ in the dummy, you can win three spade tricks. When you play the ♠K from your hand, which card do you play from the dummy?

There is no reason to play two of your masters on the same trick. It only takes one master to win the trick. Save the other masters for future tricks.

There is no reason to play two of your masters on the same trick. It only takes one master to win the trick. Save the other masters for future tricks.

Indeed! Your ♠K will win the first trick. To win three tricks, you also match up spot cards from your hand with your other two masters from the dummy.

Review

  • A master card is the highest unplayed card in each suit.
  • When you lead a master card, it will win the trick.
  • If you play a master card, the next lower card becomes the new master.
  • When you hold equal master cards, the order you play them doesn’t matter.
  • Play only one master card on each trick.

Challenge Problems

Dummy
♠ A Q 4
♥ K 8 2
♦ 5 4 3
♣ 6 4 3 2

You
♠ K 3 2
♥ A Q 3
♦ A
♣ Q J T 9 8 7

Do these spades look familiar?

I’m glad you recognized them. They are the same spades as in example 3.

Compare the spades in example 4 with example 3.

How many master cards do you have in spades and hearts combined?

One? Sorry… Did you only count the ♥A?

Count your hand and the dummy combined. Dummy’s ♥K is an equal master. And when you have both the ace and the king, you can also count the queen. Three masters in hearts.

Now count the spades.

Oops. Did you only count the master cards in your own hand? Count your hand and dummy’s hand combined.

Not quite… I’d love to offer my help, but there’s a small problem—I don’t have any fingers for you to count on! If I could, I’d gladly lend a hand (or two), but as you can see, I’m not exactly equipped for the job. Still, I’m here to cheer you on and support you in any other way I can!

Ah yes, six! In spades the ♠A, the ♠K, and the ♠Q are all masters because the opponents have no higher spades. The same is true for hearts. Remember to look at your hand and the dummy’s hand combined.

Your opponents lead diamonds, and you win the trick with your ♦A. How many tricks can you be sure of winning on this deal?

Dummy
♠ A Q 4
♥ K 8 2
♦ 5 4 3
♣ 6 4 3 2  

  You
♠ K 3 2
♥ A Q 3
♦ A
♣ Q J T 9 8 7

Well done! It might be tempting to play clubs because you have so many strong ones. However, your opponents hold the top club winners, and they can also continue playing their high diamonds (now that your ♦A is gone) for as long as they like. You only have seven winning cards yourself, so the correct answer is seven.

  Dummy
♠ A Q 4
♥ K 8 2
♦ 5 4 3
♣ 6 4 3 2  

 You
♠ K 3 2
♥ A Q 3
♦ A
♣ Q J T 9 8 7

The opponents have only two top club winners, after which you can take 4 club tricks. At first glance, it might seem like 4 club tricks combined with seven other winners would give you 11 tricks. However, your resourceful opponents will win the lead in clubs and shift to diamonds, playing their high diamonds until they exhaust that suit. By the time they’re done with their diamonds, there won’t be 11 tricks remaining for you to claim.

Uh-oh. Counting is an essential skill for becoming a strong bridge player. You’ll need to count winners, tricks, losers, cards, trumps, and points, and your partner needs to be able to rely on your counting skills. Success lies in careful counting and attention to detail. But don’t worry—it gets easier with practice, and we’ll have plenty of opportunities to sharpen those skills together.

Here’s an example of a possible card layout where you need to play all seven of your high cards. If you mistakenly lead clubs, your opponents will use one of their top club cards to take the lead and then switch to leading diamonds—allowing them to play up to seven diamond winners.

 Dummy
♠ A Q 4
♥ K 8 2
♦ 5 4 3
♣ 6 4 3 2
  West
♠ 7
♥ 9 5
♦ K Q J T 9 8 7 6
♣ A K		  East
♠ J T 9 8 6 5
♥ J T 7 6 4
♦ 2
♣ 5
  You
♠ K 3 2
♥ A Q 3
♦ A
♣ Q J T 9 8 7

Unfortunately, you’ll be forced to discard most of your strong cards as West continues leading diamonds. Once West has played all of their high cards, only three cards will remain in play. Instead of the seven tricks you could have secured by leading your own high cards, you’ll be left with just four tricks because you chose to lead clubs.

Review

  • Master cards are winners when you lead them.
  • Master cards are winners when you follow suit with them.
  • Master cards are losers if you have to discard them when another suit is led.

Next Topic: Play the Honor From the Short Hand First

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