What makes a good Grand?
The play of a Grand is actually much simpler than a suit game—only 4 trumps, not the usual 11!
The hardest part of playing Grands is recognizing when you have one and when you don’t!
The “Full Ones” Test
1. Count the full ones (A & 10) that you can expect to get home if you play Grand.
2. Add one to that—that’s how many tricks you can afford to LOSE.
3. Count your losing tricks. If they don’t exceed the previous number, play Grand.
The “Controls” Test
Count your “Controls”:
-each jack = 1
-each ace = 1
-having the lead = 1
-having a 4 card suit headed by a full one = 1
You need at least FIVE controls and SEVEN positive tricks to play Grand hand or play a Grand after discarding.
You need at least FIVE controls and SIX positive tricks to bid for a Grandwhile chancing the skat. This used to be called a GUCKSER (rhymes with “cook, sir”).
If you have 3 jacks including the club jack or all 4 aces, you can chance pushing thisenvelope a little. Think it through—each hand is unique.
The “Forehand Only” Grand
If you have a 4+ long suit with A and 10, 2 jacks and only 2 suits headed by aces, this is a Grand ONLY IN FOREHAND. And unless you have the club jack, don’t lead one! Lead the long suit to force out the other jacks and trump back in with yours.
The “Club Jack” Grand
Bid to 48 if you have
-The club jack alone
-3 Aces with one matching 10
-The opening lead
-One other trick
Lead the club jack first, then the A-10 suit.
Playing a “3-Jack” Grand
Establish your staggered side suit before pulling the 4th jack—prevent smears/signals by the defense!
The Grand “Without 4”
This contract has the adrenaline rush of going “all-in” in Poker. I LOVE these hands!!
With 5 Full ones
-Bid to 23 and play Null for the cheap loss if you find bad cards.
-Play the odds! You will score more points in the long run this way.
With 6 full ones (or 4 aces and a 10) bid up to at least 36.
-With 4 aces and two tens, bid to the value of the longest suit without 4.
With 7 or 8 full ones, bid to the moon!
Play the Grand without 4 by laying away 2 full ones from the longer suits or losing pictures.
Do not play Grand without 4 with a 5+ card suit unless you lay away A and 10 and keep K.
Look for the favorable 3-3-3-3, 4-x-x-x or 4-4-x-x patterns after you pick up and PAY ATTENTION to the bidding to help decide. Once you play one of these, you can’t wait until you play another!
Defense against Grands
Grands are strong hands. Meet strength with strength. Do not lead weak cards unless you are sure the Player can follow suit, or else the Player will throw off. That is never good.
Opening lead:
Your best Ace (strongest suit), or a picture from a long suit.
Avoid leading a singleton or doubleton in Grand, unless it’s an Ace.
Lead a lone losing jack of diamonds through your partner if you don’t have a good lead.
Or lead the suit your partner bid (his long suit).
Lead the 10 from a 10-K-D-9-8-7 or even a 10-x-x-x-x suit (if Grand Hand). This is fun!
With two black jacks, lead one and pay attention to Partner’s signal.
Change suits once the A and 10 drop. If it’s “Grand Hand” lead Aces each trick and change suits even more frequently.
Pay attention to your partner’s initial discard of a weak suit—keep that suit.
SPECIAL SIGNAL FOR GRANDS: Indicate the Ace you hold be playing a card from the other suit. Example, if you hold the heart ace, discard a diamond as a signal.
Grand is 24 points per multiplier, so don’t allow “cheap” Schneiders. Finesse in your 2 or 3-card suit only if you are out of Schneider.
If the Player has shown a void suit, leading that suit into your partner puts your poor partner in a pickle. He has to sacrifice a full one on it, or else the Player throws off.
Your guarded 10 is more likely to win the last trick in a “run-down” than your Ace.
Your twice-guarded King is even more likely to be the card to keep.
Sometimes the twice-guarded D is the key card to keep.
WATCH YOUR PARTNER’S FIRST THROW OFF! Keep that suit. Don’t lead it unless you have A-10.
When you have the first chance to discard, dump your singleton for this reason, even if it’s points, and, yes, even if it’s a 10! Keep singleton aces.
The In’s and Out’s of Playing Nulls
KEY: Look for safe vs. unsafe combinations of suits. If you have more than two risky suits, avoid bidding null.
Rock solid safe: 7, 7-8, 7-8-9, 7-8-10, 7-8-10-B, 7-8-10-D, etc.
Rock solid safe if not led: 7-8-B, 7-9, 7-9-B, 7-9-B-D, 7-9-B-K, etc.
A little risky: 8, 8-9, 7-10, 7-8-D, 7-8-D-x, 7-9-D-x, etc.
Riskier but playable: 9, 8-10, 8-9-10, 7-8-K, 7-9-K
Other combinations are quite risky—don’t go there.
Bid simple null with 2-3vulnerable cards to put down. Not null ouvert.
Play null hand with two moderate risk combinations that you don’t want exposed, e.g., two bare 9’s, or a 9 and a 7-B.
Go for null ouvert ONLY with ONEunsafe card to put down, like a bare K (85% chance of getting it down).
OK to play null ouvert with a bare 8. If you have the lead, lead the 8 immediately.
Do not try a null with a four card suit and no 7.
Beware of the four card suit—defense will get 2 discards if they lie 3-1 in that suit. Hesitate to play null ouvert with two four card suits in your hand and anything other than rock solid safe.
From an 8-9 or 8-9-x combination with the lead, lead the 9 and the 7 may drop.
If you hold all four suits, only play null with at least three 7’s.
Defenseagainst Nulls
Null defense is HARD. It’s subtle, you don’t get to practice nearly as often. Remember there are 8 cards per suit. You MUST COUNT them. Playing a card of a suit that only you hold is embarrassing.
In fact, defeating a Null is basically solving a puzzle. Some puzzles are easily solved, others get very intricate. Most nulls lose when one partner is able to clear his hand of a suit and the other partner leads a card underneath what the Player holds in that suit. A smaller percentage lose when all 3 follow suit and the Player has the highest card. For this reason, it’s important to play in order to allow each other to THROW OFF and clear the high cards out of their “stronger” suits.
Principles:
-If you have the lead, immediately show a singleton to your partner. He should relead it.
-If you have a bare Ace and another singleton, play the Ace first then the other singleton. Show them both. Partner should relead the bare Ace suit first, then the second suit.
-If your partner led first, return his suit if you can unless you can account for all 8 cards in the suit and are certainthe Player is void. Then show your partner your singleton.
-Keep leading the suit even if you know the Player can play under to allow your partner to discard.
-In null ouvert, look for forcing leads into the Player that make him go under you and allow your partner to clear a high card in that suit.
-Avoid playing your long 4+ card suit until you have to.
-If you hold high cards only in a suit, let your partner open it through the Player if possible, not you. Or wait for opportunities to discard.
-If you have to open a suit with 8 and high card, try the 8 first. More often than not it’s the better play.
-Don’t OVERTHINK nulls. Many times the defense gets so wrapped up in elaborate convoluted thinking that they miss the simple and obvious solution.