Play Some BishDaily Challenge Recap
A Spade Call and a Partner Holding the Jack
Nobody loves this call. You have two aces, no Jack and only two spades. It still wins by a mile, and the reason is sitting in your Partner's hand.
The hand
Your first six cards are the King and 6 of hearts, the Ace of diamonds, the 9 of clubs, and the Ace and 8 of spades. The game rates the call low, but spades is the pick: the Ace is your best card, and the kitty gives you a third spade.
The kitty is the King of clubs, the King of diamonds and the 6 of spades. You do not know it yet, but your Partner holds the Jack and Nine of spades, the two best trumps in the game. That is the whole story of this hand.
The line that wins
The hard AI, playing all four seats with the cards face up, won seven of nine tricks and finished 135 to 27.
Trick 1: your Partner trumps in
Opponent 1 leads the 6 of clubs. Your Partner has no clubs and cuts it with the King of spades, taking 10 points. A short suit in your Partner's hand is a trump waiting to happen.
Trick 2: your Ace goes under the Jack
Your Partner leads the Jack of spades. You follow with the Ace, which is 11 points handed to your own side, and the trick is worth 34. Never save the Ace when your Partner's Jack is already winning.
Tricks 8 and 9: cash your own aces and kings
Once the trumps are gone, the Ace and King of diamonds finish the job: 21 points, then 26 with the last-trick bonus.
Where it's easy to go wrong
Diamonds squeaks home 88 to 74, hearts loses 74 to 88, and clubs loses 70 to 92. Only spades opens up a big gap, and only because of the two cards you cannot see.
The takeaway
A forced call is a bet on two hands at once. Choose the suit where you hold the Ace and have company, then let your Partner's trumps do the heavy lifting. For how the Jack and the Nine rank, read why the Jack beats everything.