Cash Skaters

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣

What's a "skater"?

example 1

	Dummy ♥ 5 4 3
West ♥ 8 7 6		East ♥ J T 9
	You ♥ A K Q 2

When you play a bridge hand, you won't be able to see into your opponents' hands. But in this example we can see that each opponent holds exactly three hearts. That's fortunate.

On the leads of your ♥AKQ, the other three hands will follow suit three times, and then be void of hearts.

Like this...

	Dummy ♥ -
West ♥ -		East ♥ -
	You ♥ 2

When the lowly ♥2 is led, the other players will each select a discard, and the ♥2 will win the trick.

I call this a skater – it's as if ♥2 were an Olympic skater taking a victory lap around the rink, all alone on the ice. Imagine the ♥2 raising her "hands" and waving as she skates around the bridge table. She's thinking about her upcoming gold medal as she skates to the West, the North, the East, and back South again.

Many a bridge hand is a race to cash skaters before your opponents can cash theirs.

Count their cards

The first step in determining if you have skaters is to count your opponents' cards in a suit.

Then consider how they might be divided between the two hands. If you can make them all drop when you lead out your masters, your remaining spot cards will be skaters.

example 2

Dummy
♠ K 7 2

You
♠ A 4

How many spades do they have?

You have 5, so they must have 8.

Is it possible for their spades to be divided so that they all drop when you lead out your ♠ masters?

No – not even close. You have only two masters. If they follow suit each time you lead a master, they will play only 4 of their 8 cards.

No, of course not. If they both follow suit to the ♠A and the ♠K, they will play 4 spades and still have 4 spades left.

The conclusion is that you will not have any skaters to cash in the spade suit.

example 3

Dummy
♦ 5 4 3

You
♦ A K Q 7 2

How many diamonds do they have?

You have 8, so they must have 5.

Is it possible for their diamonds to be divided so that they all all drop when you lead out your ♦ masters?

Yes, it's quite possible. Their five cards can divide 3-2. You have three masters to lead, so you may be able to make them play all their diamonds.

Actually, it is possible. If their 5 diamonds are divided 3 and 2, they will all drop under your three masters.

If their cards are indeed 3-2, you will have two skaters to cash, the ♦7 and ♦2.

example 4

Dummy
♣ --

You
♣ A K Q J 2

How many clubs do they have?

You have 5, so they must have 8.

Is it possible for their clubs to be divided so that they all drop when you lead out your ♣ masters?

Yes, it's quite possible. Their eight cards can divide 4 and 4. You have four masters to lead, so you may be able to make them play all their clubs.

Actually, it is possible. If their 8 clubs are divided 4 and 4, they will all drop under your four masters.

It would be rare to have a skater to cash when only holding five cards in a suit. But here we see that it is possible.

example 5

Dummy
♥ A 6

You
♥ K 9 8 5 4 3 2

How many hearts do they have?

You have 9, so they must have 4.

Is it possible for their hearts to be divided so that they all all drop when you lead out your ♥ masters?

Yes, it's quite possible.

Their four cards can divide 2 and 2. You have two masters to lead, so you may be able to make them play all their hearts.

Remember to play the honor from the short hand first so your suit does not become blocked.

Actually, it is possible.

If their 4 hearts are divided 2 and 2, they will all drop under your two masters.

Remember to play the honor from the short hand first so your suit does not become blocked.

Review

checkmark Skaters are spot-cards which become winners when your opponents have no more cards in that suit.

checkmark Count your opponents' cards to know when your spot card is a skater.

checkmark Cashing skaters is important to many bridge hands.

Long suits provide the most frequent source of skaters. Sometimes you will have enough master cards to drop all their cards before leading your skaters. Other times you will have to intentionally lose a trick or two before your spot cards are established as skaters.

We'll take a look at hands like that in the next section.

plush toy bear Go to the next topic:

Establish Skaters

Bridge Bears is run by a retired teacher and ACBL life master who has 35 years teaching experience and who's been playing bridge for over 50 years. I don't claim to be one of the top players, but I do understand how slowly beginners need to go when they are trying to learn how to play bridge.