Pattern Recognition 4: Avoid Creating Extra Losers
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A powerful idea is to try not create extra losers, and to lose inevitable losers as soon as possible. .
What does it mean to NOT create additional losers.
When we play this suit, we don't create any losers we didn't otherwise have. We were always going to lose the Ace and King no matter what we did. Contrast that however, with this suit.
We don't have any guaranteed losers in this suit. If we crack the suit open and play a few rounds of it, perhaps take a finesse, there's a good chance we may lose a trick in the suit however. If however, we don't play the suit, there's a good chance we will not lose a trick in the suit. In simple words, the losers in that suit are not inevitable or guaranteed.
Let's reiterate the golden rule of this article, it is typically a good idea to lose inevitable losers as soon as possible.
Let's look at an example, the opponents lead the two of hearts against 3NT. They are leading 4th highest.
Are you tempted to set up that diamond suit? Often in bridge It's a good idea to go after your long suits, they are often assets. However, the rule of losing inevitable losers immediately typically takes priority, and this hand is no exception. The main thing to understand, is that you don't necessarily have to lose any diamond tricks at all. You may end up just losing two hearts, and two spades whereas if you go after diamonds, you open up potentially two diamond losers, and that will defeat the contract.
By this point I hope you can see that some losers are inevitable and some losers aren't. Its often correct to go after the inevitable ones if it sets up tricks for your side.
Lets finish with a final Example, Playing in 4 Spades, Lead is a trump.
Can you see where your inevitable / gauranteed losers are? Can you also see a suit where you do not HAVE to lose a trick in?
It is best here to play hearts, intending to throw a diamond on your set up heart. Thereby never losing a diamond trick. If you lose a diamond trick you will go down as you will lose 2 heart tricks, 1 diamond and 1 club which is too many. There is still work to do on this hand, 10 tricks are not gaurnateed yet, but by playing hearts you are well on your way in the right direction.
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