You are the Forehand, the other three have passed, and you play the Call. You have called the King of Clubs. Your hand: Skus, XVIII, XIII, IX, VII, II, K
, Q
, C
, J, 2, 4. The talon halves turn face-up, and the K
lies in one of them. Half A: K, 3, 9. Half B: X, 1, 7.
Do you concede, or do you play on?
Reveal answer
Answer
Concede. The called King in the talon means there is no Partner: you are alone. Count the hand: the Skus and the XVIII at 2 each, the XIII, the IX, the VII and the II at 1 each, the K at 1: a 12-count of 9. That matched the Call, because a called Partner is budgeted at about two tricks. Alone, the bar is the full 12, and either half lifts the count only to 10. Concede, and the hand ends there: each of the three Defenders adds the plain Call value of 1 Victory Point. If you play on and lose, each Defender adds that same 1 Victory Point.
at 1: a 12-count of 9. That matched the Call, because a called Partner is budgeted at about two tricks. Alone, the bar is the full 12, and either half lifts the count only to 10. Concede, and the hand ends there: each of the three Defenders adds the plain Call value of 1 Victory Point. If you play on and lose, each Defender adds that same 1 Victory Point.