Court piece strategy

Call trumps on length

With five cards, count suits rather than high cards. Four small spades are a better trump suit than the ace and king of hearts, because a suit you hold four of is one the others are short in.

With two suits of equal length, choose the one with the higher cards.

Keep the call

The caller keeps the right to name trumps for as long as their side wins. A hand won by a single trick is worth the same point as a comfortable one, and it keeps the call on your side for the next hand.

When you are not calling, the goal of the hand is to take the call away: seven tricks win it back.

Chase the kot, or stop it

At 7–0 the leading side plays on for the kot, worth three points. If you are leading, keep playing your best cards: one lost trick turns three points into one.

If you are on the other side, everything goes into winning a single trick. Save your highest card for it, and do not throw it away on a trick you cannot win.

Make voids and ruff

There is no obligation to trump, so a void gives you a choice: ruff when the trick matters, throw a low card when your partner is already winning.

Get rid of a short side suit early so you can trump it later.

Do not waste high cards on your partner

When your partner is winning the trick, play your lowest card. A king thrown onto a trick your side already has is a trick lost later.

Count the trumps as they fall. There are thirteen, and knowing how many are left tells you when your aces are safe.