Play Some BishDaily Challenge Recap
The Jack of Diamonds Loses by 2; Two Low Spades Win by 62
A Jack and a King of diamonds look good. Two low spades look weak. Only one of them wins, and it is not the Jack.
The hand
Your first six cards are the 8 of hearts, the King, Jack and 8 of diamonds, and the 9 and 8 of spades. The kitty is the King of spades, the Queen of clubs and the 10 of hearts.
The decision
Diamonds is the natural call, with the Jack and King and an 8 for company. It loses 90 to 92, because Opponent 2 holds the Ace and Opponent 1 holds the Nine. Hearts and clubs lose badly.
Spades starts with just the 9 and 8, and the King from the kitty makes three. It wins 122 to 60. Your Partner holds the Jack and Ace of spades, so the Jack and Nine of the suit are on the same team. Two cards you would barely look at turn out to be the point of the hand.
The line that wins
The hard AI, playing all four seats with the cards face up, won six of nine tricks with spades as trump.
Trick 5: your Nine under Partner's Jack
Your Partner leads the Jack of spades. You follow with the 9, and Opponent 1 puts the 10 on it. The trick is worth 44 points, the biggest of the hand.
Trick 8: the King cuts a ten
Your Partner leads the 10 of clubs and you cut it with the King of spades, taking 19.
Trick 9: Partner's Ace finishes
Your Partner takes the last trick with the Ace of hearts, 39 points with the bonus.
The takeaway
A Jack is only worth what it can protect. Here the other side holds the Ace and the Nine of diamonds, so your Jack has no one to catch. The same cards in a suit your Partner shares are far stronger. Opponent 1 also holds a 20 run in clubs, 7-8-9, and it still does not matter. For the order of the trumps, read why the Jack beats everything.