Daily Challenge Recap

Four Diamonds and an Ace: An Easy Call, an Easy Win

Challenge of October 13, 2026 · Posted October 14, 2026

Some forced calls are a puzzle. This one is a gift. You hold four diamonds and an ace, and the only real question is how much you win by.

The hand

You are dealt the Ace, 10, 9 and 6 of diamonds, plus the Ace of hearts and the 8 of spades. The call is forced, so it lands on you before anyone else gets a say. Four trumps and a side ace is the kind of hand the when to call trump guide says to take every time.

Your six cards are the ace of hearts, the ace, 10, 9 and 6 of diamonds and the 8 of spades. The kitty is the 6 of spades, 8 of diamonds and jack of clubs. Trump is diamonds. — Your first six cards, then the kitty you pick up after calling diamonds.

The kitty helps. The 8 of diamonds turns your 8, 9 and 10 into a 20 run and gives you five trumps. The Jack of clubs and 6 of spades are throw-away cards.

The line that wins

You do not hold the Jack of diamonds. Your Partner does. The game's hard AI, playing all four seats with every card face up, took eight of nine tricks and 149 of the 162 points on the table. That count is trick points and the last-trick bonus. Runs are scored on top.

Trick 2: cut the 14 points

Opponent 1 leads the 10 of clubs. You have no clubs, so you must trump, and the 6 of diamonds is enough. It takes the 10 and the King of clubs for 14 points. The cheapest trump you own does the job.

Trick 5: let your Partner lead the Jack

Your Partner leads the Jack of diamonds and Opponent 2 is forced to put the King under it. That is 24 points in one trick.

Trick 9: end on the Ace

Keep the Ace of diamonds for the last trick. It takes two tens and a queen that the others threw in, plus the 10-point bonus for the last trick. The trick is worth 44.

Nine tricks with diamonds as trump. You win tricks 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9, your Partner wins 4, 5 and 6, and Opponent 1 wins only the first trick. — Every trick in order. A gold outline marks the winner.

Where it's easy to go wrong

The call has to be made on your first six cards, before you see the kitty. Call hearts, because you hold the Ace, and the same deal loses 46 to 116. Call clubs and you lose 68 to 94. Spades actually works here, 102 to 60, but only because your Partner holds Queen, King and Ace of spades. You cannot see that when you call.

The takeaway

Call the suit you can count. Four trumps and an ace beat any single high card in a side suit. If you want to know why the Jack matters so much, read why the Jack beats everything.

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