By Jesse · Standard 52
A Spades hand set up in the Bid Lab and played out card by card, with 36 notes where it matters. 52 cards played. Step through it below, or read the play trick by trick.
This is round 3. The score going in is North-South 71 with 1 bag, East-West 124 with 4 bags. South deals and West leads.
Face down. Its cards show as they’re played.
Face down. Its cards show as they’re played.
Before the first cardNorth bid Nil and South bid 6. South's job is to cover: keep North from winning a trick, even at the cost of a bag. North's hand is shown, but South can't see it, so the notes stick to what South can work out from the cards played.
1West leads 4♥ · North 3♥ · East 10♥ · South K♥South wins
After card 1West leads the four of hearts. A low lead is the standard attack on a Nil: North has to follow suit and may have nothing lower.
After card 2North gets under it with the three.
After card 4South plays last. North's three is already under the four, so the trick is safe, and South wins it with the king anyway. On lead, South chooses what North has to follow.
2South leads A♥ · West 6♥ · North 8♥ · East 2♥South wins
After card 5South cashes the ace of hearts. It can't lose, so whatever North plays goes under it.
After card 7North throws the eight of hearts. Under a card that's sure to win, a Nil bidder gets rid of a high card while it's safe.
3South leads A♦ · West 3♦ · North J♦ · East 2♦South wins
After card 9The ace of diamonds, same idea.
After card 11North throws the jack of diamonds.
4South leads A♣ · West 9♣ · North Q♣ · East 3♣South wins
After card 13And the ace of clubs.
After card 15North throws the queen of clubs. Three aces, three high cards gone from North's hand.
After card 16South is out of sure winners outside spades, and spades can't be led yet. From here every lead carries some risk to North.
5South leads 10♦ · West 4♦ · North 9♦ · East K♦East wins
After card 17South leads the ten of diamonds. Any diamond North holds below the ten is covered. The king and queen are still out, and the trick could go wrong if North had one, but that would mean North threw the jack under the ace and kept a higher diamond.
After card 19North plays the nine, under the ten.
After card 20East's king wins, and East and West have the lead.
6East leads K♣ · South 5♣ · West J♣ · North 8♣East wins
After card 21East leads the king of clubs. With the ace gone, no club can beat it, so North is safe.
After card 22So South doesn't need to cover, and plays the five to keep the ten.
7East leads Q♥ · South 7♥ · West 9♥ · North 5♥East wins
After card 25East leads the queen of hearts. Every heart still out is lower, so North is safe again.
8East leads 7♦ · South 8♦ · West Q♦ · North 6♣West wins
After card 29East leads the seven of diamonds.
After card 30South has to play the eight, its only diamond.
After card 32North throws a club, so now South knows North is out of diamonds. West's queen wins the trick.
9West leads J♥ · North 4♣ · East 6♠ · South 9♠South wins
After card 33West leads the jack of hearts, the last heart out.
After card 34North throws another club, so North is out of hearts too.
After card 35East trumps with the six of spades, and spades are broken.
After card 36South overtrumps with the nine and takes the lead back. North's club was never in danger, but South wants to be the one leading.
10South leads 10♣ · West 3♠ · North 2♣ · East 7♣West wins
After card 37South leads the ten of clubs. Only the seven and the two are still out, both lower, so any club North has is covered. The risk is a North with no clubs left, who would have to play a spade, and a spade on a club lead is a trump that could win.
After card 38West trumps with the three.
After card 39North has a club after all: the two, under everything.
11West leads 8♠ · North 7♠ · East J♠ · South 5♠East wins
After card 41West leads the eight of spades straight at North.
After card 42North gets under it with the seven.
After card 43East's jack is winning, and North's seven is already under it.
After card 44South plays the five and gives East the trick. East and West have made their 5, so it's only a bag for them. South keeps the ace and king, the two highest spades, and can beat anything North still holds on each of the last two tricks. Winning here with the king would leave the five, which can't cover North if North has both the queen and the ten.
12East leads Q♠ · South K♠ · West 10♠ · North 4♠South wins
After card 45East leads the queen of spades at North.
After card 46South plays before North and covers with the king. Only the ace is higher, and South holds it.
After card 48North drops the four under the king.
13South leads A♠ · West 6♦ · North 2♠ · East 5♦South wins
After card 49The ace for the last trick. Whatever North has left goes under it.
After card 52North's two falls under the ace. The Nil is made. South took 7 tricks on a bid of 6, one bag, and East and West took 6 on a bid of 5, their bag from trick 11.
Set up a hand in the Bid Lab, play it card by card and add notes where they matter. Sign in free, then ask for it to go on the Lessons page.
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