All trumps: judging the hand, leading and defending

What changes in All trumps

Every suit ranks J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7 and carries trump values: jack 20, nine 14, ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3. A deal is worth 258 points including the last trick – almost as much as No trumps (260), but spread very differently.

No suit beats another. The trick is won by the highest card of the suit led. So there is no ruffing either – if you are void in the suit led, you just play another card.

Declarations count, and there can be a belot in every suit – the king and queen of one suit are worth 20 points. That makes All trumps the contract with the most points from combinations. How they are compared is explained in declarations.

Which hands are worth All trumps

Count your jacks, then the nines next to them. A jack is a sure trick in its suit – nothing beats it. Jack and nine of one suit are two tricks and 34 points. A nine without the jack is uncertain: if the jack is with an opponent, it will catch your nine.

Aces and tens, the strength of No trumps, are dependent cards here. An ace without the jack and nine above it falls the first time an opponent leads that suit. So a hand full of aces is often a No trumps hand rather than an All trumps one.

Rough guide: without at least two jacks All trumps is rarely worth it, unless your partner has shown jacks during the bidding.

The duty to beat the card led – a weapon and a trap

Because everyone must beat the card led if they can, leading the right card forces the opponents to spend their big cards. Leading the wrong one hands those cards a trick.

The trap: you lead A♦ and the opponent after you holds 9♦ 7♦. The nine ranks above the ace, so they must play it – and take 25 points with one card. While the jack of diamonds is with the opponents, your ace is a target.

The other way round: you lead J♦. Nobody can beat it, so the opponents do not have to play their nine – they follow with their smallest diamond. But the jack is a sure trick, and after it your nine becomes the top card of the suit.

1. Lead the suit in which you hold the jack.
2. After the jack, lead the nine if you have it – it is now the highest card.
3. Lead the ace and ten only once the jack and nine of that suit have gone or are in your hand.

Belot and declarations in All trumps

Every king and queen of the same suit are a belot – in all four suits. A hand with K♠ Q♠ K♥ Q♥ is worth 40 points in belots alone. The belot is announced with the first of the two cards when you lead it or follow suit with it. If you discard it on another suit because you are void in the suit led, the belot in that suit is lost – the only way to lose a belot in All trumps.

The king and queen are weak cards in All trumps – below the jack, nine, ace and ten. So play them when the suit is led and you are not forced to play higher, or lead them yourself once the big cards of the suit have gone.

Tierces, quartes and carrés also count, and a carré of jacks is worth 200. In All trumps one good declaration can decide whether the contract is made – so when you hesitate between No trumps and All trumps, combinations in your hand tip the balance towards All trumps.

Defending against All trumps

When the opponents play All trumps, your jacks are the most valuable cards on the table. Lead from the suit of your jack – you take a sure 20 points and flush out the nine from whichever hand holds it.

• Do not lead an ace or ten in a suit where the jack and nine have not gone – the declarer will play over them.
• A nine without the jack is a stopper. Once the jack of that suit has fallen, it becomes the highest card.
• Count the jacks and nines – eight cards and 136 points in all. They decide the deal.
• Remember the declarer has to beat you outright. If you take more points than the declarers (including declarations and belots), the contract fails; with equal points it hangs.

Example: how an ace gets caught

South plays All trumps with J♠ 9♠ A♠ J♥ A♥ 10♥ K♦ Q♦. King and queen of diamonds – that is a belot worth 20 points.

1. South leads J♠, then 9♠ – both win. The jack and nine of spades are gone, so A♠ is safe too.
2. South leads J♥. East holds 9♥ 8♥ and cannot beat the jack – they follow with the eight and keep the nine.
3. If South now leads A♥, East must play over it with 9♥ and takes the ace. The right play is not to lead hearts: South cashes A♠ and leaves hearts to the opponents.
4. Sooner or later East’s nine has to come out. Once it falls, South’s A♥ and 10♥ are the top hearts and win.
5. South keeps the king and queen of diamonds for a moment when an opponent leads diamonds – follows with K♦ or Q♦ and the belot is announced.