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Best discard

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:49 pm
by Richardb02
I am the Dealer
(Card_J-D) (Card_K-H) (Card_A-C) (Card_K-C) (Card_A-S)
Up card
(Card_10-H)
My Partner ordered me up. I now held:
(Card_J-D) (Card_K-H) (Card_10-H) (Card_A-C) (Card_K-C) (Card_A-S)
My question is, what should I discard?
I discarded (Card_K-C)
The play went:
1. Low S lead. I took it with (Card_A-S)
2. I lead (Card_J-D) S1 tossed. S2 & S3 low trump
3. I lead (Card_A-C) Ac, S1 club S2 diamond S3 club
4. I lead (Card_10-H) S1 tossed S2 (Card_J-H) S3 (Card_A-H)
5. Partner S2 (Card_A-D) S3 tossed S4 (Card_K-H) S1 (Card_Q-D)
2 points us
2nd question. Was I just lucky? Note: Partner bids conservatively
I apologize for the lack of details.

Re: Best discard

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 6:24 pm
by RedDuke
Your partner is a conservative bidder? He ordered you up with right+low trump and a side ace. Not many conservative bidders would do that, although yes it was unlikely that you'd be euchred in that situation.

I would have discarded the Ace-Spades instead of the King. That would have left you with a very strong three trump/two suited hand.

First lead was a low spade. What did your partner throw? If he played the king or something else that would have taken the trick, you could have easily thrown off the King. If your partner wouldn't have taken it, you take it with the ten.

You then lead back the left. Since your partner ordered you up, given what you've got in your hand, he's got the Right plus at least one other trump. If he doesn't have at least that, then ordering the ten to you is a moronic move. With this lead then, you'll pull the trump out of your opponents' hands (including hopefully the Ace) and your partner would throw under you. This hopefully leaves pretty much all the trump strength in your and your partners' hands, plus you still have the Ace-Clubs for a trick. If your partner has a side ace (probably) then you've got your sweep.

It worked out well for you because of the spade lead. If third seat would have been void in spades though, your ace would have been wasted when he trumped his partner's low spade. The Ace-Spades is the best discard.

Re: Best discard

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:08 pm
by Richardb02
RedDuke wrote:
Sun Jan 20, 2019 6:24 pm
Your partner is a conservative bidder? He ordered you up with right+low trump and a side ace. Not many conservative bidders would do that, although yes it was unlikely that you'd be euchred in that situation.

I would have discarded the Ace-Spades instead of the King. That would have left you with a very strong three trump/two suited hand.

First lead was a low spade. What did your partner throw? If he played the king or something else that would have taken the trick, you could have easily thrown off the King. If your partner wouldn't have taken it, you take it with the ten.

You then lead back the left. Since your partner ordered you up, given what you've got in your hand, he's got the Right plus at least one other trump. If he doesn't have at least that, then ordering the ten to you is a moronic move. With this lead then, you'll pull the trump out of your opponents' hands (including hopefully the Ace) and your partner would throw under you. This hopefully leaves pretty much all the trump strength in your and your partners' hands, plus you still have the Ace-Clubs for a trick. If your partner has a side ace (probably) then you've got your sweep.

It worked out well for you because of the spade lead. If third seat would have been void in spades though, your ace would have been wasted when he trumped his partner's low spade. The Ace-Spades is the best discard.
Thank you for answering this question (and my many questions).
My take away is throw away the Ace. I knew the generality. It is just my mental block to throw away an Ace.