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What is the best defense against a loner? Some loners, as a lay-down lone, just can't be stopped. (The odds of getting one are about 1 in every 1500 hands.) Given the right opportunity most can be stopped. I have played with partners that will say it doesn't make any difference what I lead. That's just not true, many lones are stopped on the first lead.

Three sure ways to stop a lone:

   1) Holding the right.

   2) Protected left (left and another trump), do not use your trump unless you have last play and can take a sure trick

   3) Protected ace (3 trump with the ace) again don't trump in unless you have last play.

So how about the rest? Knowing what cards to play and a little luck will stop many of the rest. While we have no control over luck, there are many tricks that skilled players use to put the odds in their favor.

If you have first lead, knowing what card to play can make the difference between opponents making one point or four.

If you only have one ace do not lead it, give you partner a chance to play his ace by leading a different sui. He may hold the ace to that suit and be able to make his ace good. This also helps your partner in that, if he has two aces he gets to play one of them, so he doesn't have to choose at the end.

If you have two aces led the ace in the suit you have the least of. This avoids putting yourself in a situation where you have to choose between two aces at the end. This also tells your partner you have another ace. If they happen to have the third ace in their hand they will know what suit your ace is in (not trump, not the ace you played, and not the one they hold. As I have said before this is a partnership game.

If the lone maker has first lead, and your partner throws off an ace on the third lead, it should be assumed that he is holding two aces. If you also an ace then this will tell you what ace he has.

If the lone is called by the person in the third seat* and you are the dealer try and discard next, leaving a void in next, your partner should lead next, giving you the chance to trump or overtrump, stopping the lone

If your partner has first lead and you can not follow suit, trump with your highest trump, even if they lead an Ace. (Do not trump if you only hold the left protected) The idea behind this is to draw out bidders high trump. You partner may hold next high trump and then be able to stop the lone. If partner leads an Ace and your only trump is a Nine (maybe a ten) hold on to it, If bidder is void in that suit he will just over trump it.

So OK the lone maker trumped your first lead and led back trump. If you can't follow suit this is your chance to let your partner know what suit you have stopped. If you have ace-king of a suit play the ace saying "I have this suit covered". If you have an ace with a lower card of the same suit, play the lower card, this again, while not as sure as the ace-king combo, is a way to let your partner you have a suit covered.

How about the hand that seems to say there is nothing I can do to stop this. Well that may be true, but to give you the best odds, throw off any single carded suits first, If you have a set of three, as unlikely as it may seem this suit is you best chance, (not if the three bottom cards of course) If you are 4 suited and have a two card suit hold that suit till the end.

Using the above techniques many would be lones can be stopped.