Play Some BishDaily Challenge Recap
Calling Diamonds With a Partner Who Holds the Ace
You have the Jack of diamonds, a 6, and nothing in hearts. It is a modest hand with one very good idea hidden in it: get the Jack out of the way early.
The hand
Your first six cards are the Jack and 6 of diamonds, the Queen and 7 of clubs, and the 8 and 7 of spades. You have no hearts at all. Diamonds is the call, because the Jack is your only real card.
The kitty brings the 9 of clubs, the Jack of spades and the King of diamonds. The King gives you three diamonds in total.
The line that wins
The hard AI, playing all four seats with the cards face up, won six of nine tricks and finished 95 to 67.
Trick 3: cash the Jack
Your Partner leads the Queen of diamonds. You go over it with the Jack, and the trick is worth 23 points. That also removes the top trump, which matters for the next trick.
Trick 5: Partner's Nine is now the best trump
With the Jack gone, your Partner leads the 9 of diamonds and it cannot be beaten. You add the King, and the trick is worth 28 points. Your Jack set this up two tricks earlier.
Trick 9: the one that got away
Opponent 1 wins the last trick with the 10 of hearts and collects 29 points with the bonus. You cannot win everything. Your Partner's tricks in between already made the call safe.
Where it's easy to go wrong
Hearts would actually win 111 to 51, even though you hold no hearts at all, because your Partner holds the Ace, the Nine and the Jack. You cannot know that when you call. Spades wins 93 to 69, and clubs loses 57 to 105.
The takeaway
Lead your Jack early when your Partner is likely to hold the next trump. It clears the way for their Nine. For the full order of the trumps, read why the Jack beats everything.