ACBLO6A – Declarer: Rule of Seven Ward Trumbull
Oct 29, 2007
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What is it?
It is a hold-up play of an ace, usually on the opening lead.
When does it apply?
1. When declarer is in a notrump contract.
2. When declarer has 3-or-more cards to the ace either in his/her hand
or dummy.
3. He/she hopes to keep the Left Hand Opponent (LHO) from getting
in.
How does it work?
Declarer does not take the first trick and maybe not the second. That
is, he/she holds-up once (first trick) or twice (first and second tricks)
before taking the trick with the ace. By then RHO may be out of that
suit.
Rule of Seven
Count the number of cards that you have in that suit in both hands.
Then subtract that number from 7. The result is the number of times
you must hold up.
Example
The contract is 3 notrump and the opening lead is the 4 of hearts.
Dummy Declarer
9 8 A 10 6 (that’s 5 cards in the heart suit)
Do the math (7 – 5 = 2). So hold up twice and take the third heart trick.
ACBLO6A – Declarer:Rule of Seven Oct 29, 2007
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Example Analysis
If LHO has only 4 hearts (e.g. K J 7 4), then RHO also has 4 hearts.
You can’t sever their heart suit communication. They could eventually
get 3 heart tricks.
If LHO has 5 hearts (e.g. K J 7 4 3), then RHO has only 3; and by
holding up twice, RHO will have no more hearts.
If LHO has 6 hearts (e.g. K J 7 4 3 2), then RHO has only 2. You could
have held up only once to stop the heart communication, but you
probably don’t know that LHO has 6 hearts.
NOTE: However, if LHO had opened with a weak 2 heart bid, you did
know he/she had 6 hearts. Then you should forego the Rule of
7 and hold up only once.
Full Example A Q J 8 5 (contract 3 NT – open 4 of hrts)
9 8
K Q 7 6
10 8
9 7 2 K 6 4
K J 7 4 3 Q 5 2
10 9 8 5 3 2
Q 7 6 A 9 5
10 3
A 10 6
A J 4
K J 4 3 2
Take the third heart trick and then the spade finesse. It loses, but RHO
can’t get to LHO. You get 4 spades, 1 heart and 4 diamonds. Take
the first or second trick, and they will get 1 spade, 4 hearts and 1
diamond.