If the adversary attempts to force your strong hand, it is usually
advisable to accept the force. Only in rare cases does it pay to
allow the opponent to continue the lead of his established suit.
At times you can afford to give the adversary one trick, knowing
that, on the next lead, your weak hand can take the “ruff.”
With two trumps against you it is often good play to discard rather
than to “ruff” with the commanding trump. But to gain by your play,
you should hold a certain entry card in the suit that the adversary
must lead.
With one trump against you, do not use your one remaining trump until
the leader’s partner is exhausted in the leader’s suit.
If the adversary leads a suit which you can trump in either hand, the
“ruff” should invariably be taken in the weak hand, and a discard
made in the strong one.
You are sometimes in a position to know that if you trump, your
adversary will overtrump. When the best card is led, it is usually
good play to trump immediately and if possible with a card which will
not unguard an honour in your own hand, but will force a high card
from the opponent. If a suit is led, of which you hold the commanding
card in the opposite hand, your best defence is to take a discard,
which will prevent the adversary from making a high card later in
the hand. If you can make no advantageous discard, your best play
is to trump, especially if the trumps in your combined hands are in
sequence, for, if the adversary wins the trick, his high trump will
probably make in any case.