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Entries

When playing it is important that you keep or create entries into the weak hand if it contains a long suit. An entry, is a card that wins a trick and allows you to get into that hand. The purpose is either to play the winning cards in that hand, or to lead low toward an honour card.

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Entries are Important

Entries are the means of getting from one hand to the other. When a card wins a trick you have gained entry to the hand. You have won the ability to lead out of that hand.

For Example

You are North South in the deal below.
In a 4H heart contract, the spades in dummy are high, you have no way of getting to dummy to play them. You will end up trapped in declarer's hand leading out your low diamonds for the opposition to win. You need Entries.

North

West

East

South

The contract is 4H and South is Declarer

The Process

South is declarer and hearts are trumps.The declarer has a good chance of winning 13 tricks on any lead if they plan their entries.

  • The Opening Lead is a Club
  • Win with the AC in Declarer's hand
  • Play only two rounds of hearts.
  • Lead out the 3C and ruff with 4H in dummy - this is the entry play.
  • PLay the three top spades in Dummy discarding Declarer's losing low 7D, 6D, and 5D cards
  • Play a low diamond from Dummy to AD and play KD
  • Lead out your last round of hearts dropping East's outstanding 7H
  • The rest of the tricks are yours
Notice that Declarer didn't play all the 6 winning spades because they were anxious about being ruffed by the outstanding trump card.

To develop your entry in this game you had to arranged to draw trumps but not all of them! In this case One trump is still out but firstly you need to ruff to enter dummy and play your winning spades.

Remember, the main way of avoiding losers is by establishing and playing your long suits.

Instant Progress Quiz - Check all correct answers




 

 



  Play clubs leading low from Dummy soon as possible to extract the AC

  Play the spade and heart winners to ensure you don't lose them

  Play the spades to lead low from Dummy and finesse East for the QH

  Play the diamonds at every opportunity to extract the AD and the KD

Practice This Lesson

This hand in 6 hearts makes 13 tricks if you do not draw all trumps but instead ruff a club in dummy to run all the high spades - see if you can do it

PLAY

Extra for Experts

A different game on the same subject as this lesson, with questions for community discussion in the comments area below.

PLAY