This article is part of a series on Declarer Play. Each article builds on concepts introduced in the previous ones, so it’s highly recommended to study them in sequence for a clearer understanding and improved mastery.
The hold-up play involves intentionally ducking a trick instead of using a stopper, typically in a suit considered to be a potential threat.
An example of a hold-up play, and how it can help.
Example 1
| Dummy ♥ 7 4 |
| You ♥ A 6 2 |
When the opponents lead hearts against your no-trump contract, and you choose to play low cards from both hands, deliberately holding back your ♥A, this is referred to as a hold-up play.
If the opponents continue leading hearts and you once again choose to hold back your ♥A, this is referred to as a second hold-up.
By the third round, you’ll no longer have any low cards to play, so you’ll be forced to use your ace.
A thoughtful question arises: “It’s easy to understand what a hold-up play is, but what’s the benefit? I don’t see the value in delaying.”
Me: Here’s how holding up can help.
Example 2
| Dummy ♥ 7 4 | |
| West ♥ K J 9 5 3 | East ♥ Q T 8 |
| You ♥ A 6 2 | |
West’s opening lead is the ♥5, and the defenders will continue leading hearts until you play your ♥A.
If you take your ♥A on the first or second round, both defenders remain a threat because they still hold hearts. If you lose the lead afterward, either defender can lead hearts again, allowing West to cash the rest of his heart suit—resulting in four heart tricks for the opponents.
If you instead delay playing your ♥A until the third round—when East has played his last heart—the East hand becomes harmless. Without any hearts remaining, East can no longer lead the suit to allow West to cash the rest of his heart winners.
You can then focus on establishing your tricks while ensuring that if you lose the lead, it’s only to the safe East hand. If your strategy works, West will never have the opportunity to cash the rest of his heart winners.
“Nice! There is a reward in using the hold-up play,” comes the enthusiastic response.
One stopper – Axx
How long to hold up
Example 3
| Dummy ♥ 7 4 |
| You ♥ A 6 2 |
If the split is 5-3, East can be made safe if you win your ♥A on the trick when he plays his last heart – the third round.
If the split is 6-2, East can be made safe if you win your ♥A on the second round.
If you’re uncertain whether the split is 5-3 or 6-2, holding up until the third round will ensure that East becomes a safe opponent.
However, if the split is 4-4, neither opponent can be made safe because neither will run out of the suit before their partner. In this case, there’s no advantage to holding up.
A hold-up play isn’t foolproof
Example 4
| Dummy ♠ T 8 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ K Q J 9 5 |
| You ♠ A K 5 ♥ A 6 2 ♦ A 9 6 5 ♣ T 8 2 |
Your contract is 3N. The opening lead is the ♥5.
Hmmm, these hearts look familiar…
Take inventory:
The split assumption for their 8 hearts is 5-3.
You have 5 winners – ♠AK, ♥A, ♦AK. You need 4 more from the club suit to make your contract.
You have one heart stopper and they have one club stopper.
Assess the threat:
With equal numbers of stoppers, they win a simple race to cash their hearts before you can cash your clubs.
Let’s see how running that race would work out (with no hold up).
You play your ♥A on the first trick, and lead clubs. They win the club lead and…
How many tricks can they cash?
Make a plan:
When you know you can’t win a race and your contract would fail, you should look for ways to avoid racing. So…
Instead of racing to take your tricks, let’s suppose you go more slowly and hold up your ♥A until the third round to make East safe.
How might that help?
The best declarer plans often rely on possibilities that, while uncertain, could prove true. This approach is a regular part of the game—whether it’s taking a finesse, assuming a specific split, cashing high cards with the hope of creating additional winners, or holding up to neutralize one opponent.
Mastering these techniques doesn’t guarantee you’ll make every contract, but it will significantly increase your success rate over time.
A hold-up play before taking a finesse
Example 5
| Dummy ♠ T 8 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ A Q J 9 5 |
| You ♠ A K 5 ♥ A 6 2 ♦ A 9 6 5 ♣ T 8 2 |
This hand is almost the same as example 4. I’ve given you the ♣A, and the defenders have the ♣K.
Take inventory:
Your contract is 3N, and the opening lead is the ♥5. The split assumption for their 8 hearts is 5-3.
You have 6 winners – ♠AK, ♥A, ♦AK, ♣A. You need 3 more from the club suit to make your contract.
Assess the threat:
If they might win a finesse in a suit we need to establish, we count their possible winner as a stopper when we’re figuring out if we should hold up.
You need to establish club tricks to make 3N, so you will finesse for their ♣K. Your finesse could lose, so count the ♣K as a stopper.
Who wins the race between their hearts and your clubs?
Let’s see if we can avoid that bad result.
Make a plan:
You can make your contract (even though you are behind in the race) if you make East safe before you take the club finesse.
How can you do that?
If the ♣K is held by West instead of East, your club finesse will succeed instead of failing. In that case, the hold-up play wouldn’t have been necessary. Making East a safe opponent only matters if East eventually wins the lead. Despite not knowing the location of the ♣K, we use the hold-up play in situations like this to ensure East is safe and to protect the contract in case the finesse fails.
Now, suppose you hold up until the third round and discover that the 5-3 split assumption was incorrect—the hearts are actually split 4-4. In that case, East will still have a heart remaining when he wins the club finesse, complicating your position.Will your contract fail?
Suppose you hold up until the third round and the actual heart spit turns out to be 6-2.
Will your contract fail?
Don’t be tempted…
| Dummy ♠ T 8 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ A Q J 9 5 |
| You ♠ A K 5 ♥ A 6 2 ♦ A 9 6 5 ♣ T 8 2 |
This is the same hand we just looked at…
Now let’s go back to the opening lead, the ♥5.
If East plays a big honor on the opening lead – perhaps the ♥K – don’t be tempted to take the trick, even though you can crush his king.
You have no lesser honors to promote, so you are only going to win one trick in hearts. Take your one trick on the third round, when East becomes safe.
If you mistakenly play your ace on the first trick instead of holding up, East will no longer be a safe opponent. If East later wins your club finesse, the defenders will be able to cash 4 heart tricks and defeat your contract. Playing the ♥A early doesn’t protect you, but holding up could preserve your chances of success.
When NOT to hold up
Example 6
| Dummy ♠ T 8 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ A K Q J 9 |
| You ♠ A K 5 ♥ A 6 2 ♦ A 9 6 5 ♣ T 8 2 |
Take inventory:
Your contract is 3N. You need 9 tricks; they need 5.
West’s opening lead is the ♥5. The split assumption for their 8 hearts is 5-3.
How many cashable tricks does each side have?
How many stoppers does each side have?
Assess the threat:
You have more stoppers than they do, so you are ahead in the race.
You already have enough tricks to make your contract, so you can cash all your tricks before they can cash any of their soon-to-be-established hearts.
Make a plan:
Do you need to hold up your ♥A?
A hold up play interferes with their ability to cash their skaters by making one opponent safe. Then losing the lead to that safe opponent will gain time to establish and cash your own tricks first.
But on this hand you don’t need to make an opponent safe because you aren’t going to lose the lead.
Your plan is simple:
Win the opening lead with your ♥A and cash all 10 of your tricks. You’ll even make an overtrick.
You don’t need to use a hold-up play if you already have enough cashable tricks to fulfill your contract. However, it’s crucial to double-check your count, especially in your long suits. Ensure that an unfavorable split won’t jeopardize a winner you were depending on to secure your tricks!
Two stoppers – AKx
Example 7
| Dummy ♠ 7 4 |
| You ♥ A K 2 |
When you have two stoppers, you’re likely ahead in the race, making a hold-up play unnecessary.
However, if you need to dislodge two or more defensive stoppers, you’re behind in the race, and holding up becomes essential. With only one low card remaining, you can hold up just once to delay the opponents’ progress.
On the first round, play a low card, even if the opponents lead with a high honor. Avoid the temptation to cover their honor. Since you don’t have any lower honors to promote, there’s no strategic benefit to playing your high card at this stage.
If you need to hold up with AKx, hold up on the first round.
Up to this point, we’ve focused on the strategy of making one opponent harmless by holding up until they run out of their partner’s long suit.
To clarify, only one of your opponents can be neutralized through a hold-up play. This strategy works only if you can regain the lead when that opponent is out of the danger suit. In other words, you must have a stopper in the suit that you can strategically delay playing.
There is a situation where both opponents can be neutralized without the need for a hold-up play—when you have an additional stopper. With a second stopper, you can regain the lead again, preventing the opponents from cashing their long suit. This second stopper is effective regardless of which opponent leads the suit.
It’s better still if you have a second stopper, AND you can hold up until one opponent runs out of the danger suit.
Let’s look at ♥AK2 in a full hand and see how that works.
Example 8
| Dummy ♠ A 8 5 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ A 9 3 ♣ Q J T 7 |
| You ♠ K 7 6 ♥ A K 2 ♦ Q J T ♣ K 9 4 2 |
Take inventory:
Your contract is 3N. You need 9 tricks; they need 5.
The opening lead is ♥5. The split assumption is 5-3.
You have 5 cashable tricks (♠AK, ♥AK, ♦A).
To gain the four additional winners required, you’ll need to play both minor suits. Start by driving out their ♣A, which will establish three more club winners. Then, take a finesse against their ♦K; even if the finesse fails, it will still establish one additional diamond winner.
How many stoppers does each side have?
Assess the threat:
Who is ahead in the race?
If they get to cash their two stoppers and their heart skaters, would your contract be safe?
| Dummy ♠ A 8 5 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ A 9 3 ♣ Q J T 7 |
| You ♠ K 7 6 ♥ A K 2 ♦ Q J T ♣ K 9 4 2 |
Make a plan:
You are behind in the race, so… Which heart will you plan to play from your hand on the opening lead?
A successful plan will include losing the lead to East when he is safely out of hearts. When will he be out?
You need to develop additional tricks in both clubs and diamonds. Which suit can you play so only East can win?
You must only take this diamond finesse when East is out of hearts, so you must avoid playing diamonds until after hearts have been played three times.
So our plan is:
- Hold up on the first round of hearts. They will lead a second round of hearts, which you will win with your first stopper, ♥K.
- Drive out their ♣A. It doesn’t matter which opponent holds the ♣A. Both are safe because you still have your second heart stopper.
- Win the heart return with your second heart stopper, ♥A. West will be dangerous because he has ready-to-cash heart skaters, but East will be safely out of hearts because hearts have been played three times and the split assumption is 5-3.
- Take the diamond finesse into East’s safe hand. If he wins the finesse, he cannot lead hearts.
- Win whatever suit East returns, and cash all 9 of your tricks.
The hold-up play is designed to neutralize one opponent by waiting until they have played their last card in their partner’s suit, rendering them harmless.
Having an extra stopper, however, can neutralize both opponents simultaneously. This dual safety is temporary, as it disappears once the extra stopper is used.
It’s important to carefully decide which suit to play while the second stopper is still intact and which suit should be delayed until the hold-up play has ensured that a specific opponent is no longer a threat.
Example 9
| Dummy ♠ A 8 5 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ Q J T ♣ Q J T 7 |
| You ♠ K 7 6 ♥ A K 2 ♦ A 9 3 ♣ K 9 4 2 |
This hand is the same as the previous hand, except I have switched the diamonds between your hand and Dummy’s.
Everything else is the same.
As before, a successful plan will include losing the lead to East when he is safe – after the third round of hearts.
Will you lead clubs or diamonds when East is safe?
Let’s see how that changes our plan.
- Hold up on the first round of hearts. They will lead a second round of hearts, which you will win with your first stopper, ♥K.
- Take the diamond finesse. It doesn’t matter that the hand with the long hearts can win. West is safe because you still have your second heart stopper.
- Suppose West wins the finesse. He will return a third round of hearts, which you win with your second heart stopper, ♥A. East will now be safe because hearts have been played three times and the split assumption is 5-3.
- Lead clubs, and hope East is the one who holds the ♣A. If East does win, he cannot lead hearts because he doesn’t have any hearts left.
- Win whatever suit East returns, and cash all 9 of your tricks.
A concerned voice asks, “You suggested hoping that East holds the ♣A, but if West has it, he could cash all of his hearts. Won’t my partner be disappointed with me?”
The response is reassuring: “I believe your partner will be impressed. She’ll notice that you used the hold-up play in hearts and prioritized playing diamonds before clubs—both essential strategies to maximize your chances of making the 3NT contract.
In reality, this contract is unbeatable when West holds all the critical cards, so there’s no reason for your partner to be disappointed.”
Two stoppers – AQx
Example 10
| Dummy ♥ 7 4 |
| You ♥ A Q 2 |
You have 2 stoppers with ♥AQ2, because your ♥Q is promoted by playing last.
There are 3 possibilities for how to play this combination:
- As with all of our examples, if you are ahead in the race, you don’t need to even think about holding up. Just win the opening lead as cheaply as you can, establish additional tricks if you need them, then recapture the lead with your second stopper, and cash your tricks.
- If you are behind in the race, you will need to hold up. But be careful. It may not be safe for you to hold up on the first round. You might be wondering how it could be unsafe to hold up.Well… if you don’t win the first trick, your ♥Q may never play last to another heart trick, so you may lose the chance to enjoy a second stopper. If you can win the first trick with your ♥Q, that’s the play to make. Then hold up on the second round, saving your ♥A for the third round when East becomes safe.
- However, if you’re behind in the race and East plays the ♥K on the opening lead, your queen is permanently promoted without needing to play last, so you can hold up on the first round. It may feel odd to NOT squish East’s ♥K, but once your ♥Q is permanently promoted, you can play this holding as if you started with ♥AKx. Hold up on the first round.
If you need to hold up with AQx, only hold up on the first round if the K has been played. Otherwise win with your Q and hold up your ace on the second round.
What counts as a stopper?
We count stoppers to see if we are ahead or behind in the race. Then we hold up if we are behind. But what counts as a stopper?
A question arises: “Aces are stoppers, and so are kings if you also hold the ace. An A-K combination counts as two stoppers, correct?”
Me: Not necessarily. Let’s think about the idea of a stopper.
What is it stopping?
It’s stopping the other side from cashing newly established tricks in that suit. So if you have these spades…
Example 11
| Dummy ♠ 6 4 3 |
| You ♠ Q J T 9 |
…and if your plan for the hand includes establishing 2 spade tricks by driving out their ♠AK, then they do indeed have two spade stoppers. Those two big spades stop you from cashing your two future spade winners.
In reality, the ♠A and ♠K don’t completely stop the opponents; they merely delay you from cashing your two future spade winners. However, no one refers to them as “delayers.”
The term “stopper” is used because it’s straightforward and easy to visualize. Most bridge players don’t seem to mind that the term is only accurate if you win the race. If you lose the race, those so-called “stoppers” are simply postponing the inevitable.
Now we come to a key concept.
Suppose your plan to make your contract does not include establishing and cashing any spade tricks. You plan to make all the tricks you need in the other three suits.
Then your opponents’ ♠AK don’t stop you from doing anything at all. Count their ♠AK as cashable defensive tricks, but do not count them as stoppers.
How many stoppers?
Example 12
| Dummy ♦ 6 4 3 |
| You ♦ A K 7 5 2 |
The split assumption for their 5 diamonds is 3-2. If you plan to take only 2 diamond tricks, they have no stoppers.
But if you plan to establish diamond skaters, you cannot prevent them from winning a diamond trick before you can enjoy any skaters. So count their ♦Q as a stopper.
In fact, there may be a 4-1 split, in which case they would have two stoppers blocking you from cashing one fifth-round skater.
Be sure to pay attention to the first two rounds of diamonds so you will know if the split is 3-2 (one defensive stopper – two skaters) or 4-1 (two defensive stoppers – one skater).
How many stoppers? … and the player quietly observing from the corner…
Example 13
| Dummy ♠ J 8 3 2 ♥ 7 4 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ K Q J 9 |
| You ♠ A K 8 ♥ A K 2 ♦ Q J 6 5 ♣ T 8 2 |
| West 2♥ P | North P 3N | East P P | South 2N |
Your contract is 3N, and the opening lead is the ♥Q.
Take inventory:
The split assumption is 6-2, based on the bidding.
You have 4 winners – ♠AK and ♥AK. You need 5 more, so you will need to develop tricks in both clubs and diamonds.
Next, we count stoppers to see who is winning the race.
When we count stoppers, why will we count their aces in two suits (♣A, ♦A), but we will only count your ♥AK and not your ♠AK?
Assess the threat:
Who wins a simple race between their hearts and your minors?
When you know you can’t win a race, it’s often wiser not to start running. In bridge terms, this means avoiding the mistake of rushing to develop and cash tricks as though you’re ahead, when in reality, you’re not.
Imagine this: someone in the corner of the room is watching closely, ready to record your every move. By next week, everyone at the club could know you attempted a hopeless strategy. Even tea and toast might not fully comfort you after that.
Instead, focus on counting winners and stoppers carefully so you can recognize when to avoid unwinnable races. With the right hold-up play, you could turn that recording into a highlight of success rather than a misstep. Who knows, a few players might even see you as a strong potential partner for future games.
Make a plan:
With two stoppers each, you are behind in the race, so you will need to hold up.
| Dummy ♠ J 8 3 2 ♥ 7 4 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ K Q J 9 |
| You ♠ A K 8 ♥ A K 2 ♦ Q J 6 5 ♣ T 8 2 |
Remember, the opening lead is ♥Q.
If you hold up on the first round, West will lead his long suit again, and you will then play the first of your 2 heart stoppers.
How many hearts will East have left?
Now it’s time to begin developing your tricks. You’ll need to lose the lead twice—once in clubs and once in diamonds. Start with clubs, as this suit offers a higher likelihood of producing more winners (3) compared to diamonds, which may yield only 2 winners if the opponents have a fourth-round winner with their ♦10.
We don’t know who has the ♣A…
- If East has the ♣A, that’s good for you. Your hold-up play has made him safe, so he won’t be able to lead hearts and force out your second heart stopper. Whatever he does lead, you will win and drive out their ♦A while you still have your second heart stopper. Then you will use that second heart stopper to recapture the lead and cash all your tricks.
- If instead West has the ♣A, there’s a potential problem to consider. When you lead clubs, West can win and force out your last heart stopper. That gives you the lead back. The problem is, their hearts are ready to cash but you haven’t established your diamonds yet. And one of the defenders still has the ♦A.
Which opponent would you hope holds the ♦A?
So… if you hold up on the opening lead, you will make your contract whenever East holds at least one of the minor suit aces.
Looking Deeper…
Let’s figure out if West can hold both minor suit aces.
What do we know about West’s hand?
If West has both missing aces, how many hcp would he have?
With a six-card heart suit and 11 high card points, including two side-suit aces, most players would open 1♥ rather than 2♥. This makes it highly unlikely that West holds both of the missing aces. As a result, your hold-up play is likely to succeed and enable you to make your 3NT contract.
Can you hold up with Kxx?
Example 14
| Dummy ♣ 6 4 |
| You ♣ K 8 2 |
The opening lead is ♣7. The split assumption is 5-3.
Your ♣K is a stopper because it plays last.
Suppose East plays the ♣J on the opening lead.
Should you hold up with your ♣K?
And besides, if you do hold up, you may have an unexpected problem later…
After the game ends, players will likely gather to review each other’s scorecards and discuss the results. You may find yourself questioned—possibly more than once—about how you ended up losing so many club tricks on this hand. You’ll have to admit that you missed the opportunity to win a trick when your ♣K played last to the opening lead. As the conversation continues, you might catch some quiet laughter behind you and wonder if it’s about your misplayed king.
A voice chimes in, “That happened to me once. It felt absolutely overwhelming.”
Example 15
| Dummy ♠ T 8 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ A Q J 9 5 |
| You ♠ A K 5 ♥ K 6 2 ♦ A 9 6 5 ♣ T 8 2 |
On this hand you don’t have the master heart, so…
Take inventory:
The contract is 3N. The opening lead is ♥5. The split assumption is 5-3. East plays the ♥Q.
What do you play on the opening lead?
OK, now let’s do the counting we were supposed to do before we played from the dummy on the opening lead.
After you win the opening lead with your ♥K, how many winners does each side have?
Where can you get the additional tricks you need?
Assess the threat:
What will happen if East has the ♣K and your finesse loses?
Was there any way to make East safe before taking the club finesse?
Make a plan:
Win the opening lead with your ♥K. Then take the club finesse, and hope for luck.
Example 16
| Dummy ♠ T 8 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ A Q J 9 5 |
| You ♠ A K 5 ♥ K 6 2 ♦ A 9 6 5 ♣ T 8 2 |
This is the same hand we just looked at.
Only this time I’ve borrowed a magic wand and I’m going to grant you one wish.
Your contract is the same (3N). The split assumption (5-3) and the opening lead (♥5) are the same.
You would like to be able to hold up until the third round to make East safe. But you can’t because your ♥K isn’t a master card. If you try holding up you might never win a trick with your poor disappointed king.
You play low from Dummy on the first trick, and I wave my magic wand (a twist and flick should do the trick…). What card would you wish for East to play on this first trick?
Hint: There’s only one card East could play that would make it OK for you to hold up your ♥K until the third round…
Now I’ll hand back the magic wand to the experienced player at the sign-in table—the one wearing the wizard hat adorned with stars. It’s a shame; I would have loved to keep that wand. But the good news is that you’ll make your contract because East will no longer be a threat when you take the club finesse.
When is holding up risky?
Example 17
| Dummy ♠ A Q 7 5 ♥ 7 4 ♦ 9 6 4 3 ♣ A 6 5 |
| You ♠ K 6 ♥ A 3 2 ♦ K Q J T 2 ♣ 8 4 2 |
When you are ahead in the race to make your contract you don’t need to hold up. In fact, it can be risky to hold up.
Take inventory:
Your contract is 3N. The opening lead is the ♥5.
How many winners does each side have?
What is the split assumption for hearts, and do you believe it?
| Dummy ♠ A Q 7 5 ♥ 7 4 ♦ 9 6 4 3 ♣ A 6 5 |
| You ♠ K 6 ♥ A 3 2 ♦ K Q J T 2 ♣ 8 4 2 |
Assess the threat:
You have one heart stopper, and they have one diamond stopper.
Who wins the race to cash skaters first?
When they cash their hearts, will they have enough tricks to set your contract?
When you cash your diamonds, will you have enough tricks to make your contract?
So… they win the race to cash their hearts before you can cash diamonds, but they don’t have enough winners to defeat your contract.
A sharp question arises: “Wait a minute… you said that if I was behind in the race, I should hold up. But now you’re saying something different. What should I do?”
The response is clear: “Yes, there are exceptions to that general rule. If your contract is secure because the opponents cannot establish enough tricks to defeat it, then holding up is unnecessary.”
| Dummy ♠ A Q 7 5 ♥ 7 4 ♦ 9 6 4 3 ♣ A 6 5 |
| You ♠ K 6 ♥ A 3 2 ♦ K Q J T 2 ♣ 8 4 2 |
Make a plan:
Your contract is not in danger after a heart lead, so…
What is your plan?
When they cash their heart tricks, you will need to make two discards from Dummy. What could you discard?
When they cash their heart tricks, you will need to make one discard from your hand. What could you discard?
A thoughtful question emerges: “I understand that I don’t need to hold up in this situation. But you mentioned that holding up unnecessarily could be risky. I don’t see the risk here—they only have 4 tricks, and I can even let them cash those first. So, what’s the actual risk in holding up?”
“What a fascinating question… I’m impressed by your insight!”
| Dummy ♠ A Q 7 5 ♥ 7 4 ♦ 9 6 4 3 ♣ A 6 5 |
| You ♠ K 6 ♥ A 3 2 ♦ K Q J T 2 ♣ 8 4 2 |
Here’s the challenge: every time you hold up, the opponents win a trick and retain the lead, giving them the opportunity to switch to a different suit.
For example, if they win a heart trick because you held up and then switch to clubs, the split assumption for their 7 clubs is 4-3. Similar to hearts, you only have one club stopper. If they continue playing clubs, they could potentially establish additional tricks.
So the question is: how many total tricks could they establish under these circumstances?
It’s risky to hold up when you can make your contract without holding up.
On certain hands, an experienced declarer might identify an opportunity to make an overtrick by employing a hold-up play even when it’s not strictly necessary. However, before attempting such a move, the declarer must anticipate and prepare for any potential defensive responses.
For less experienced players, it’s wise to exercise caution. Risking a guaranteed contract in pursuit of an overtrick can lead to unnecessary losses if things don’t go as planned. Always weigh the potential gain against the risk of jeopardizing a secure result.
The response comes with a nod of agreement: “That reminds me of an old saying—’When the reward is already yours, simply enjoy it.'”
A challenge problem… how many stoppers is KQx?
Example 18
| Dummy ♥ 7 4 |
| You ♥ K Q 2 |
Looking at the holding of KQx, the player pauses to assess and count potential stoppers:
“The ace is always a stopper, and I don’t have it, so maybe I don’t have a stopper. But I do have high honors, so maybe I do. In fact, since I have two high honors, could that mean I actually have two stoppers?”
Some clarification is needed here to help resolve the uncertainty.
Me: You have the advantage of playing last to the first trick, so…
If the ♥A is played on the opening lead, of course you will follow with your ♥2. Then you will have 2 stoppers, no matter which opponent later leads hearts. Who would be safe?
But if the ♥A does not appear on the first trick, counting your heart stoppers is not straightforward.
If you hold up by playing the ♥2 on the opening lead, you’ll be left with just one future stopper. Your two high honors will be played on the second and third rounds of hearts. The opponents’ ace will overpower one of your honors, but the other will remain a stopper. Regardless of which opponent leads the second and third rounds of hearts, you’ll still retain that single stopper.
If you play this way, will West be safe?
And if you play this way, what has to happen for East to become safe? (Take your time… I told you this was a challenge problem.)
Now we go back to the beginning. What about winning the opening lead with your ♥Q? That’s one stopper. Do you have a second one? You have to consider how the future play will go before you can answer.
Let’s see:
- If West later leads for the second round of hearts, your remaining ♥K2 will play last and be promoted into a second stopper. This is an excellent result for you. You get two winners and two stoppers from your ♥KQ2.
So… If you decide to win the opening lead with your ♥Q, which opponent becomes safe?
- But if you win the opening lead with your ♥Q, and East later leads for the second round of hearts, he will be leading through your remaining ♥K2.
Is East safe or dangerous?
So… how do you decide whether to win the opening lead, or hold up?
- As always… if you have enough cashable tricks to make your contract, win the opening lead and cash your tricks.
- If you don’t have enough cashable tricks, check to see which opponent might win the trick when you establish new winners.
- …If you might lose a future trick to West, what will you do?
- …But if you might lose a future trick to East, what will you do?
Hold up on the opening lead, and hope East will be safely out of hearts when you later lose the lead to him.
“But I’ll only know whether East or West holds the missing honors after I play the suit,” comes the question. “I can’t tell beforehand who will win a future trick while I’m making my plan. So, isn’t it just a 50-50 guess?”
Not exactly. When you take a finesse, you’re not guessing—you already know which opponent has the chance to win the trick based on how you play the cards.
Similarly, when you’re driving out a master card that either opponent might hold, the opponent who has shown more points through their bidding or play is more likely to hold the missing honor. Relying on this information, rather than random guessing, helps guide your decisions.
Let’s explore a couple of example hands where there’s no need for guesswork.
The club finesse tells you to hold up, or not
Example 19
| Dummy ♠ A K 4 2 ♥ 7 4 ♦ A 6 4 ♣ T 6 4 2 |
| You ♠ T 6 4 ♥ K Q 2 ♦ K Q 2 ♣ A Q J 9 |
| West 2♥ P | North P 3N | East P P | South 2N |
West opens the bidding with a weak two in hearts. You overcall 2N, and Partner raises to the 3N game.
Take inventory:
You need 9 tricks; they need 5.
The opening lead is a 4th-best ♥8. East plays the ♥J.
The split assumption for their 8 hearts is 5-3, but the bidding tells us to reject 5-3 in favor of 6-2.
Your count of winners is 2 spades, 3 diamonds, 1 club, and at least one heart – not enough. So you will need to develop tricks from clubs.
They have only one master card, their ♥A. but since we’re going to take the club finesse and we’re supposed to assume it loses, we should also count their ♣K as a winner (and a stopper).
Assess the threat:
They have one stopper, the ♣K.
Which opponent can win the lead when you take the club finesse?
If their hearts are ready to cash when you lose to West’s ♣K, they will set your 3N contract. A lot.
Make a plan:
You cannot stop West from winning the club finesse, but you can make him safe before you take the finesse.
Do you make West safe by winning the opening lead with your ♥Q, or by holding up?
So our plan is:
- Win the opening lead.
- Cross the lead to the dummy and lead the ♣T for a finesse.
- If the finesse wins, the lead will be in the dummy to repeat the finesse.
- If the finesse loses, West will go back to hearts. But your ♥K2 plays last and provides a second heart stopper. West has only one cashable trick (♥A). Win whatever else West returns.
- Cash your tricks.
Now let’s see how our plan must change if the club finesse goes in the other direction:
The club finesse goes in the other direction
Example 19
| Dummy ♠ K T 4 2 ♥ 7 4 ♦ A 6 4 ♣ A T 4 2 |
| You ♠ A 6 4 ♥ K Q 2 ♦ K Q 2 ♣ Q J 9 6 |
I’ve kept the same honors from the last example, but the club and spade aces have traded places.
Take inventory:
The only inventory change from the last hand is the club finesse now goes into the East hand.
Keep the 6-2 heart split in mind.
Assess the threat:
We assume the club finesse will lose. So we want East to be safely out of hearts when the finesse loses.
Make a plan:
Do you make East safe by winning the opening lead with your ♥Q, or by holding up?
- So our plan is:
- Hold up on the opening lead. No matter what East plays, play your ♥2.
- They will continue hearts. One of your heart honors will win, either the second or the third round of hearts.
- Lead the ♣Q for a finesse.
- If the ♣Q wins, the lead will be in your hand to repeat the finesse.
- If the finesse loses, East will be safely out of hearts. Win whatever he returns.
- Cash your 9 tricks. And quietly return your partner’s smile.
The soft sound you hear is the applause of unseen observers. You didn’t realize you had an audience, did you?
It’s important to note that holding up with ♥KQx is guaranteed to be effective only when the split is 6-2. If East has a third heart (indicating a 5-3 split), West can disrupt your strategy by allowing you to win the second round of hearts. This would essentially be a defensive hold-up play, forcing you to take your finesse before East has played his third and final heart.
As a matter of good technique, it’s actually better to win the opening lead with your ♥K, not your ♥Q.
A thoughtful question emerges: “I always try to win tricks as efficiently as possible, using the lowest card I can. Since my ♥K and ♥Q are equal in value, how could it make a difference?”
It’s all about minimizing the information you give to your opponents.
When you win the trick with your ♥Q, West knows you have the ♥K. His partner cannot have it because he would have played the king on the opening lead (playing third hand high) if he held ♥K-J.
But if you win the first trick with your ♥K, West can’t tell who has the ♥Q. East would play the same ♥J (playing lowest of equals) if he also held the ♥Q.
When a defender can’t tell who has the honors he can’t see, he just might make the wrong choice about how to defend the hand.
Summary for Holding Up
- Count winners and stoppers carefully. If you are ahead in the race, you don’t need to hold up.
- The goal of holding up is to make one opponent safe, so you can succeed even when behind in the race.
- If possible, manage your play so you only lose the lead to the safe opponent.
- Consider the advantage of playing last (now and later in the play) when deciding whether or not to hold up, and how to plan so only a safe opponent can win the lead.
- Each time you hold up, you lose a trick. And they keep the lead, so they can switch to another suit. Consider how possible switches would affect your counting of the race when deciding whether or not to hold up.
- Don’t expect to master hold up plays by reading this page only once. Come back tomorrow! It’s important.