Thursday, February 10, 2005 9:42 AM

 Hand Evaluation – Tactics ( Rule of 11 )

PITBULLS:

The rule of 11 should be an automatic reflex  as either declarer or defender. Playing with a tormentee , I lead the heart 7 against Susan in 3NT . The board had Q1082 of hearts and partner held K53 . Susan played low on the heart so what is your play ? Subtract from 11 and if my card is an “honest” 4th best  it should win the trick ! 4th best would be AJ97 . If it is not 4th best, you are just helping declarer by playing the King. Declarer has AJx or maybe AJ frozen if I was leading from a 4 card heart suit to the nothing 7642 for example. Playing  a small heart is a discovery play & makes declarer use entries to pick up your King. The board was ♠AQxx Q1082 xx ♣Jxx on a 1NT – 3NT auction. What if Susan had Kx of spades ? She would have to play them to get to the board and finesse twice to pick up the heart King. Then she cannot get back to the board for the 4th heart !! Do not make it easy for declarers !! The rule of 11 meshes with patterns to plan your defense .

Playing with Leslie I led the diamond 7 against 3NT , the board came down with Q109 & Leslie had K832 of diamonds . Leslie subtracted from 11 , knew it could not be 4th best so she ducked & the jack won in declarers hand . I got in again , continued the diamond 6 so Leslie ducked again & this time the diamond Ace won ! I got in again and led a diamond and Leslie won her King and we cashed 2 diamonds to defeat 3NT for a top board. I lead the diamond 7 from 7654 as I did not want to show an honour. If Leslie had played “3rd tormentee high , it would have been a disaster.

The following is an article on the rule of 11 from the Internet.

“Ever since Bridge became a popular game, players have been trying to come up with new ideas to improve the game. Some have succeeded and some have not succeeded very well. The bridge community is quite selective and sometimes a new idea takes a long time before becoming accepted.

This is especially true if the new idea is based on mathematics. Anyone who can count up to 13 can play Bridge. There are 13 cards in every suit and once they are gone, there are no more to be played.

Here is another mathematical calculation, equation, formula. Its application becomes active, only when you are absolutely sure that the lead is the fourth down from the suit lead. Once you have ascertained this possibility,  you start applying patterns.

This formula was devised by someone who was actually playing Whist at the time, Mr. Robert Frederick Foster in 1890, and also by Mr. E.M.F. Benecke of Oxford around the same time. Mr. Robert Foster established his reputation with his publication of the book Foster's Complete Hoyle, 1897, and a copy of which was embedded into the time capsule at the 1939 New York World's Fair. However, his Rule of Eleven was published in his writing of the Whist Manual.

Their Rule of Eleven states that you subtract the number of the card lead from the number 11, and then the result is the number of cards HIGHER contained in the hands of the Partner of the Leader and the Declarer and the Dummy. This information is useful not only to the declarer, but also to the Partner of the Leader, who can apply the same mathematical calculation. This information can be useful in deciding to play which card, either from the hand of the Partner of the Leader, or the hand of the declarer or from dummy.

Declarer: South
Contract: 3 No Trump
Vulnerability: None
Lead: 6 of Diamonds

 

Dummy

AK98

987

QJ53

J4

 

West

J532

K54

K1076

107

 

East

104

J102

82

A96532

 

South

Q76

AQ63

A94

KQ8

 

According to the Rule of Eleven, the Partner of the Leader subtracts 6 from 11 and the result is 5. There are 5 cards HIGHER than the 6 of Diamonds in the hands of the Dummy, Declarer and the Partner of the Leader. Likewise, the Declarer subtracts the number 6 from 11 and the result is 5 cards HIGHER than the 6 of Diamonds in the hands of the Dummy, of the Declarer, and of the Partner of the Leader.

The Partner of the Leader looks at Dummy and his hand, and counts 3 cards HIGHER than the 6 of Diamonds. The Partner of the Leader has 1 card HIGHER than the 6 of Diamonds. The Partner of the Leader is not happy about the lead.

Declarer looks at Dummy and his hand, and counts 4 cards HIGHER than the 6 of Diamonds. Declarer has 4 cards HIGHER than the 6 of Diamonds. Declarer is happy about the lead.

Declarer: South
Contract: 3 No Trump
Vulnerability: None
Lead: 7 of Spades

 

Dummy

K52

987

KQJ53

J4

 

West

QJ87

K543

1076

107

 

East

A1093

J2

42

A9653

 

South

64

AQ106

A98

KQ82

 

Declarer sees the 7 of Spades, and assumes it is the fourth down from the longest and strongest suit. Declarer subtracts 7 from 11 and counts 4 HIGHER cards than the 7 of Spades. Declarer counts only 1 card in his hand and Dummy HIGHER than the 7 of Spades. This spells trouble for the Declarer.

The Partner of the Leader also assumes that the 7 of Spades is fourth down from the longest and strongest suit of his Partner. East also arrives at 4 cards HIGHER than the 7 of Spades. East can see all of these 4 cards: King of Spades in the Dummy, Ace-10-9 in his own hand. If Declarer calls for the King of Spades, East plays the Ace of Spades and returns a Spade. With this lead, East-West win 4 Spade tricks and the setting trick is the Ace of Clubs.

If Declarer decides to play low on the first trick, East lets the 7 of Spades ride, because he knows that there is no HIGHER Spade than the 7 of Spades in the hand of the Declarer. West continues to play the 8 of Spades, and Declarer plays low, as does East. There is no way that Declarer will take one Spade trick. East-West set the Contract by applying the Rule of Eleven.

The Rule of Eleven has a lot of merit and can be used effectively. Each partner must be attuned to recognize when it is appropriate to use it, or even to consider it. The Rule of Eleven has its most application against a No Trump contract since it is generally accepted that the Leader plays the fourth card down from his longest and strongest suit. If you wish to make this a part of your Partnership Agreement, then practice this Rule of Eleven beforehand with your partner and see how it works and recognize when it is best used.