INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE COURSE                                                       

PLAY OF THE HAND

 

LESSON 5‑B

 

 

          ENTRIES: - An entry is a conveyance which allows you access from one hand (Declarer’s) to the other (Dummy’s) or vice versa.   When one is developing extra tricks or getting rid of losers, entries, by virtue of their making it capable of access from one hand to the other, facilitate the development of tricks.   Entries can be either high or low cards.   In the following examples, how many entries to the dummy are there in each suit holding shown? 

 

 

EXERCISE 1

 

    DUMMY:      AQ7          AK3          104          K109          KQJ

   DECLARER:    K92          7            AKQJ3        AQJ65         A

 

                 2            1             1            3            0

 

 

          Conclusion:  A sure entry is a winner on one side of the table combined with a smaller card on the other side of the table necessary for communication with the entry.   Several considerations dealing with entries and their usage are important.  They are as follows:

 

 

 

1.      Creating Entries:  When there is no quick entry from one hand to the other, it may oft times be possible to create one by ( a ) promoting a card into a winner, ( b ) establishing a winner through length,    ( c ) using the finesse, or ( d ) trumping a card in a suit contract.

               Whether or not one is successful in these hypothetical endeavors depends upon several possible variables.   In (a), attempting to promote a card through length, success will depend upon what happens when the lead is forfeited to the opponents in order to promote the entry.   In (b), attempting to establish an entry through length, success will be dependent upon the division of the opponent’s holdings in the suit in question.   In (c), the success of any finesse necessary to establish an entry is, of course, dependent upon the favorable location of the missing card.   Finally, in (d), establishing an entry by trumping a card is, of course, dependent upon the shortness in an outside suit other than trump, and the availability of a trump with which to accomplish the attempt.   In the following examples, how might one create an entry to dummy in the suit holdings shown?

 

 

EXERCISE 2

 

     DUMMY:     KQ8           K9             Q83          QJ10          9864

    DECLARER:   732           84             A64          732           AK53

 

             Drive out   Lead Toward    Lead Toward     Drive Out      Give Up

                 A            K              Q            A & K       One Trick

 

 

 

          Conclusion: - Don’t be discouraged if you require an entry and do not see an immediate solution.  With a little effort and patience you can often create an entry using the techniques previously discussed; i.e., by promotion, by establishment through length, with the help of a finesse, or by trumping outside shortness.

 

                                                                                                                                                  

    - 10 -

 

 

2.      Preserving Entries :  Because entries are so very important in the play of the hand, they can be preserved when needed by using the guidelines spoken of earlier; i.e., winning the high card from the short side first, and taking one’s losses early.   Suppose, for example, there are no entries in any other suit other than the ones shown in the examples below, how would you play each suit in order to take all of the tricks to which you were entitled?

 

    EXERCISE 3

 

      DUMMY:       K6          K8754         AK63          A8732         AKJ10

    DECLARER:      AQJ5        A32           QJ4           954           Q

 

                  Play K       Duck        Play Q,J        Duck         Overtake

                   First      1 Trick       First          Twice        Q With A

 

                                                                                                                                                        

 

3.  Estimating the Number of Entries Needed : In order to take a finesse, one or more entries are needed from the side from which the finesse originates, depending on how many times the finesse has to be taken.   In the following examples, how many entries would be needed in outside suits other than the ones shown in the dummy in order to try the finesse(s) necessary to maximize the number of tricks taken?

 

EXERCISE 4

 

     DUMMY:       85         863          652           963          A63

       DECLARER:     AQ6        AQJ          KQ7           AQ10         Q92

 

                   1          2            2              2          0(Use A)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                               

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