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The following page is a compilation of all the DNP strategies I've found from the Net. Naturally, some strategies conflict. This information is borrowed from Superior DNP and Stepchildren of Spades, neither of which appear active any more. This information is preserved in hopes of exciting other players about DNP.
Basic DNP - by dnp_wizard[-]
Passing double nil is like standard except:
- when you are not 200 or more behind the opponents you can see your cards without clicking show,
- you cannot bid a blind dn unless your opponents have a 200 point lead, and
- if you do bid a blind dn, you get to exchange 2 cards with pard.
Many players play DNP like it is standard with a catchup provision for the incompetent. Others use every facet of the game as a tool. If you would like to be one of those who really understands the game, hereafter referred to as a DNP-qualified player, then continue reading.
Differences between DNP and Standard[-]
The passing double nil (DN) bears no resemblance to the blind DN of standard spades. A passing DN will succeed approximately 80% of the time, and when it is impossible, DNP-qualified players have alternate strategies which take the sting out of a failed DN. These tactics have been covered by underdog, so will not be rehashed here. The easiest thing to do in DNP is bid the DN when you are eligible, but it is the one thing that it is hardest to get the non-DNP qualified player to do. Even when a player becomes convinced of the reasons the first eligible player should bid the DN (for reasons, see Trollpop's thesis on DNP play), it is difficult to break the habit of clicking show first, and if you click show, you cannot bid DN.
The Score[-]
I recommend that the first thing you do when it is your turn is click "score", and look at it. Also look at the score after your pard bids, and after opponent bids. In DNP, the score is what tells you what your pard is doing, and what your opps are doing. The advanced players bid the score more often than they bid their hands. This is quite the opposite of standard, where you bid the score only on the last hand of a close game. As final insurance against failing to bid a DN when eligible, you should make a table, summon 3 bots, and bid 13, giving you the opportunity to dn. When the bid box comes up, you should place a piece of tape over the "show" button. this serves as a final reminder to not click show, so you can click DN. There may be very few occasions when you should not click DN, and if you know when they are, I wish you would let me know about them. If these tactics fail, and you do click show, see underdog's work about alternate plans.
The Pass[-]
Another major difference between DNP and standard is the pass. If you remember what you passed, and what was passed to you, you have some very valuable information which will help you to succeed with the DN, make the cover bid, or set the opps bid or nil, or avoid bags, or all of the above. It is remarkable how many players have no idea what was passed as soon as they click the cards they are going to pass. For this reason, you should always write down on paper the cards you were passed, and the cards you passed. This is critical information which you will need. Unfortunately, it is this information which causes so many unknowledgeable players to accuse DNP-qualified players of cheating. (He bid DN and lead the king of clubs, and his pard had the ace----they must be cheating!) Of course the pard had the ace; the DN passed it to him. I have encountered DNP players who cheat, but they were not DNP-qualified players. The good ones love the game too much, and besides, they can win 90% against non-DNP qualified players by using the methods you are reading about here.
It can be critical to pass the right cards, particularly from the cover hand. The DN hand is easier, but still there are subtle reasons to pass some cards instead of others. Some of these reasons are covered by nice_kitty; I won't point out the obvious (for instance, if you have the ace of spades, pass it, unless of course you have the ace, king, queen, jack, ten of spades. This would be an obvious case of a busted DN; don't even try to save a busted DN).
Passing to a Double Nil[-]
Generally, your pass as the cover hand is determined by what you have and by your pard's pass. You should usually pass a card in each non-spade suit that the DN did not pass. (If your pard passes you a spade and a diamond, generally, you pass back a club and a heart.) A very thorny situation is when pard passes you two high spades, and you have 3 bad non-spade suits. Frequently, the suit you do not pass is going to be trouble. If your pard passes you two low spades, you can be reasonably sure pard has a fairly good nil, and doesn't need a lot of help, and your pass may be tailored to improve your own hand. Look to the opps bids for hints here. The caution here is that pard may be taking substantial risk to give you the tools to beat an opponents nil, and one or two very low spades in the pass serves as a warning that the spades are not gonna break, and you will be set if you bid spades normally.
Void Suits[-]
Getting a void suit can be very important, especially if you have a good hand and are wanting to set the opps. But be very leery about voiding a suit when you have limited spades, especially when you would pass middle cards. Those are the cards which will set pard after the opps extract your spades. The less experienced your opps are, the better you need to be at passing optimally, because the less experienced players will try hardest to set your DN. DNP-qualified players don't try too hard to set a DN, but work on other things, like bags, or their own bids. They know that most DNs are going to succeed, and those that don't usually couldn't succeed under any circumstances.
Tips & Strategies for Regular Spades - by nice_kitty_22[-]
Since being a successful DNP player requires good regular spades skills as well as good DNP skills, I thought I would share some of my own strategies, as well as some of the spades conventions that have been taught to me by some very fine spades players.
Bidding[-]
Considering seat position[-]
This was a breakthrough for me when an excellent spades player took the time a few years ago to teach me the importance of considering seat position when bidding my hand. A hand that is a 2-bid in first seat may be a nil hand in second seat. A hand that is a 2-bid in 2nd seat may be a 3- or 4-bid in fourth seat. Remember to carefully consider all the information you have at hand before you make your bid. For example, the second-seat bidder should think about the bid that is already on the table, the cards in his hand, and the score before bidding. Naturally, the fourth-seat bidder has a wealth of information at hand to use in determining his bid. Using all of the information available to you before making your bid makes a big difference in the outcome of the game.
Bidding nils[-]
Seat position is extremely important when considering a nil bid, but probably the most important thing to realize about nils is that nearly without exception, it takes more than one other hand to cover a nil. That means that you do not have to rely on your pard's hand alone for coverage. Generally, a hand with one very long suit and low cards in short suits makes for a good nil. A hand with A K Q J 10 6 4 diamonds may be an excellent nil hand, because the only diamonds left out there are the 2 3 5 7 8 and 9. Even if your pard is holding the 2 3 and 5 of diamonds, it is highly unlikely that you could be set in diamonds. Hands that have even suits, such as 3 clubs, 4 diamonds, 3 spades, and 3 hearts are generally NOT good nil hands, even if most of your cards are low cards. You must take the time to work out the possible scenarios for each suit in your hand to determine your chances of being set before you bid a nil.
Bidding your spades[-]
Another truly fine spades player taught me about how to bid the spades in your hand. The rule is that you do not bid cuts — you bid your spades. It is easy to bid your spades if you are holding A K Q J of spades, but those hands where you have a bunch of little spades or a mishmash of spades can be tricky to bid. If you have 4 spades, you automatically count 1 trick. For every spade over 4 spades, you count 1 trick. If you have 3 spades, you only count a trick if you have the Q high. If you have 2 spades with the K high, you can only count the K depending on seat position. If you are in first seat and have a K-x spades doubleton, you should not bid the K. In a different seat position with K-x spades, it is a judgment call on whether or not to bid the K. A big bid from your pard indicates safety in bidding 1 trick on your K-x spades. You should never bid a singleton K spades.
The one exception to this rule is when a player has bid 6 or more in front of your bid; in that case you might not take a trick with 4 spades unless you have J high. Maybe you have a 4-spade nil?
Likewise, if you have a hand full of A's and K's but no spades or a singleton spade, you need to bid conservatively. Someone will trump at least one of your suits, it may even be your pard who trumps you if he is spade-tight. If you bid correctly and your pard bid his spades correctly, your team will not bag unless you intend to take bags. nor will your team be set.
DO NOT BID CUTS — ever. Even if your pard is nil, correctly bidding your spades takes into account the tricks you will take by trumping, if you decide to trump. Don't bid cuts! I will explain more about why this rule is important when I talk about the partnership.
Bidding your spades correctly is so very important, especially on those 11, 12 and 13 bids. Properly bidding spades is the only way to set opponents when your team has set and avoid bags when your team does not have set.
Bidding K's and Q's[-]
I generally do not bid K's or Q's in long suits, sometimes I will not even bid an A in a long suit; likewise, I am careful about bidding K's in a short suit. If my hand is fairly even, I will bid K's. I rarely bid Q's. If I have bid my spades correctly and my pard has bid his spades correctly as well, then our team will not take bags unless it is our intention to take bags.
Underbidding[-]
Often referred to by novices as "bidding for set", I refer to underbidding as "lying" .. and as is the case with lying, more often than not it backfires on you. It is a strategy that should be used only in certain circumstances, and seat position is very important when considering this strategy. Underbidding in first seat is almost always a bad idea. Your pard needs to be the first one to realize that you are lying about your hand, the sooner he realizes it the better. If you underbid in first seat, your pard is bidding from third seat and can only guess from the score whether or not you might be lying. If you do it from third seat, it is easy for your fourth-seat opponent to guess what you are up to and bid defensively. Second and fourth seats are the best seats for using this strategy. Sometimes the score requires your team to take this kind of a chance from first and/or third seats, and that is why it is so very important to always consider the score before you bid. Also, underbidding your hand can be an excellent defense against opponent's nils.
Bidding a set[-]
If you are the fourth seat bidder and you know you have set on your opponents before you bid, do not be afraid to bid the set. Bid the total to 14, make your set with no bags.
Leading[-]
Leading is always a big topic of discussion among spades players, with many different styles. The basic rule to remember with leading is that you are not an island ... you are half of a team. What you lead affects what your partner will play. The most important conventions in leading are:
- Return suits led to you by your pard.
- Lead spades ASAP on potential setting hands.
- Oftentimes, NOT leading gives your team the most control over the table, so resist the urge if it is not apparent that leading is to your team's advantage.
- Remember that more often than not, it is not the spades that sets opponents, it is the cards that are played AFTER the spades are run. If you have taken tricks in a suit that you did not expect to take, such as taking tricks with K's and Q's, it is most likely because your PARD has the boss cards in that suit. Avoid leading the suit until after spades are run, or you may be forcing your pard to lose potential tricks while allowing your opponents to use their spades to trump.
Leading spades[-]
On almost every potential setting hand, it is extremely important for your team to lead spades as soon as you possibly can. Many novice players will say they did not lead spades because they only had "little ones." Those little ones may be just the weapons your team needs to set opponents. Not leading them insures that you will lose them under your pard's or opponents' higher spades, and they served no purpose to your team at all. Leading them will force BOTH players on the opposing team to play a spade. Lead your low spade to your pard at first opportunity; your pard will play his highest spade and lead back his lowest spade to you. Make your opponents throw their spades two at a time whenever posssible — not allowing them to use their spades one at a time to trump suits to get their tricks and their bid.
The exceptions to that rule are:
- You and your pard are cross-cutting. If it happens that you are void in one suit and your pard is void in another, using your team's spades to trump opponents can earn you a set. Trump the suit then lead back into your partner's void suit.
- You know before the spades come in to play that your opponents are set. In this case, you use your spades to maintain your set while keeping your bags down.
- Your opponents have been trumping tricks early on, or using their spades to cross-cut your team. In this instance, holding on to your spades is a good strategy for setting or protecting yourself from a set. Playing your spades on suits your opponents are already cutting puts you in danger of being overtrumped (engaging in a "cutting war" is very dangerous for the team that is being cross-cut). Keep your cool and let your opponents use up their spades to trump suits; you will end up with tricks you did not initially bid because you have spades left and they don't. After you play your team's spades, you can play the remaining cards from the the suits where your opponents are void ... and set them.
Nils[-]
Leading out of your nil or into your pards' nil: Bidding a nil from first seat gives a team a tremendous advantage because the nil bidder has the opportunity to lead the first card. The first card you lead should always be an indication to your pard of where you are safe. If your pard bid nil in first seat and led the 6 of diamonds and you have a doubleton 8-2 diamonds, cover with the 8 if necessary. At your first opportunity to lead, remember that your nil partner asked you to send diamonds if possible. Even though you only have the 2, take a deep breath and lead it. You must trust your partner to have figured out the odds of being set in that suit even if you are not the one who has cover for him in diamonds. Also, it is very likely that your pard will lead a singleton card. Leading back into that suit, even if you only have a low card to lead, gives him the opportunity to slough his danger card in another suit. You will more often than not set your pard's nil by avoiding the suit he led because you think you have safer suits to lead.
If you were the first-seat bidder and your pard is nil, take a good look at your hand and remember that your pard said he didn't have any tricks ... so believe him. You do not have to lead the highest cards from your hand, and in fact it may be to your advantage to not lead the table, at least intially. Leading middle or lower cards from your hand will force your LHO to either play under you and keep his high cards, or play a high card that your pard can throw under.
If you see your nil pard throw off a high card such as a K or Q, it is an indication that he has or had protection in that suit with some low card holdings. If you have not seen your pard play more than 1 or 2 low cards in that suit, you can feel safe in leading a low card from that suit into your pard's nil to force the opponents to take over the lead again.
Not leading a hand can also be the saving grace if your pard's trouble suit is spades. Keep in mind that depending on seat position, other bids on the table, and the score, your pard may be holding a high spade or even 4 spades. If you allow opponents to lead the hand early, you can void yourself in one or more suits, discover when your pard is void in a suit, and then trump your pard's void suit with a middle or high spade to give him the opportunity to throw off a spade. Letting opponents lead then trumping your nil pard's void suit is an excellent strategy for ensuring the success of the nil. If your pard does not throw off a spade under your spade, it gives you a wealth of information about what cards are remaining in his hand, and you can choose your lead accordingly. If he does throw off a spade under your spade, then your opponents are still holding all of their spades and your pard has extra opportunity to slough when they play them.
Defending against a nil[-]
Take the advice for leading into your pard's nil and turn it around backwards for leading into opponent's nils. If the nil was bid from first seat, do not lead into the suit that the nil led. If the nil shows a void suit, do not lead into that suit. Returning suits led by your pard becomes very important here, because your pard is likely to have led a middle card from a suit where he is holding both high and low cards into the nil, forcing the nil to throw low and leaving the nil team vulnerable in that suit. Throw off high to get control if possible and lead back low in that suit to your pard.
Also, considering the score when bidding against a nil bid is very, very important. Many novice players think they need to bid higher against a nil bid because they are afraid they will bag or they feel that they need to grab as many points as possible if the nil is likely to be successful. This is often the opposite of the correct defensive bid. A low bid from your team provides several advantages:
- Your team does not have to worry about making your bid. As I said earlier, almost without exception it takes more than one hand to cover a nil bid, so if your team is making absolutely no attempt to take tricks, more often than not the opponent's nil is doomed. Give them a set nil ... and the bags too!
- Your team can virtually ignore the nil and play the hand as a bagging hand. Giving your opponents a nil they were likely to make anyway while loading them up with bags can negate the points they gained from the nil just a few hands down the road. Also, giving your opponents a point advantage while giving them bags at the same time is an excellent winning strategy. A bag-heavy team becomes extremely vulnerable to being set as the game progresses, and they are also likely to bid riskier nils to try to clear their bags while maintaining a point advantage. Setting your opponents while leaving them with 8 or 9 bags completely wipes out any point advantage they may have gained from a previous successful nil. Learning to totally ignore an opponent's nil is one of the hardest lessons to learn and requires tremendous teamwork and trust with your partner.
The end game[-]
So many games are expertly played from the start, only to be lost in the last hand. Ideally, your team wants to get to the end game with 4 or 5 bags and opponents holding 7, 8 or 9 bags. If you are close to that last hand, consider not bagging out your opponents. It is an excellent winning strategy to hold them at 8 or 9 bags coming in to the final stretch. It shuts down their options and gives your team a tremendous advantage.
The rule to follow at end game is this: always bid for the win. No exceptions. If your team needs a nil bid to win after the first 2 seats have bid, then bid it. Ace of spades? Doesn't matter, bid the nil if that is the bid you have to show to win. Never bid your team into a position where you cannot win unless you are bidding to make sure that your opponents cannot win, either.
Take your time and consider the score very carefully. Remember to add in the points your opponents will make if they take 1 or more bags, and the points you will make if your team takes bags.
Try to give your opponents as little information as possible about what your team is holding. If your pard bids nil and you need 60 points to win, and you have 2 tricks in your hand, then your bid is 4. If you are set, you win. If you are not set, you win. If opponents think you have a stronger cover hand than you do, they are likely to think your pard has a better nil than he probably has. Also, opponents often do not consider the score the way they should, and mistakenly go after your cover hand instead of the nil. They cover your pard's nil, they set your 4 bid, and your team wins.
The Partnership[-]
Because spades is a partnership game, naturally the key to success is synchronized strategy. You and your pard should agree on what strategies and playing conventions your team will use, and then be consistent. You must trust your partner to stay on the same page with you in bidding and playing, and you must watch every card that your pard plays. Only then can your team become proficient at:
Bagging opponents[-]
This takes the most trust between you and your partner, because each of you will end up taking different tricks than the tricks that you bid, and also because you must watch your partner's cards very carefully. The magic to bagging opponents is this:
Example Situation 1[-]
On a low table bid where your team decides in advance not to take bags:
If your team starts the hand with the lead, lead the highest card of your shortest suit to your partner. Your partner will take it if he can, and lead back the highest card of his shortest suit to you. You take it if you can.
The reason for this is simple: communication. You now know what long suits your partner can use to throw under or slough; your partner knows what long suits you can use to do the same. If the suit in play is your partner's short suit, you both play your highest cards of that suit. If the suit in play is your partner's long suit, you can throw low under an opponent's lead knowing that your pard can do the same.
It takes trust not to hold on to those tricks that you bid. For instance, if you bid the K of clubs and clubs is your short suit with K high, you must lead the K knowing that it is likely to be taken. The reason for this is that you and your pard will make your bid with different tricks than the ones that you bid when you use this convention.
Equally importantly, DO NOT CUT TRICKS ON A BAGGING HAND. If you and your pard are bidding your spades correctly, cutting on a bagging hand will almost guarantee that your team will take the bags. By the time spades come in to play on a bagging hand, it should be fairly clear whether or not to throw under an opponent's spade.
Example Situation 2[-]
On those 11-bids where your team wants to try for set but doesn't want bags if there is no set:
If your team starts the hand with the lead, lead the highest card of your longest suit to your pard. You may take the trick without expecting it to take, or may force out the high cards from your opponents' hands and give your partner an extra trick in that suit. If that happens, then the possibility for set is very real, and you play the hand accordingly from there. If the trick doesn't take, you have told your pard what your long suit is ... if your pard bid tricks in that suit, it is a heads-up to your pard that opponents are likely to be short-suited in that suit and will trump. Your pard should know almost immediately if the opportunity for set is there, because he knows your long and your likely short suits, compares it to his hand, and leads back to you accordingly. So watch his cards!
Remember that leading aces is a very good way to make sure that your opponents make their bid. Resist doing it whenever possible, get the spades run, be aware of what your pard is holding, and play your spades so that the partner with the remaining boss cards in side suits ends up with the lead after spades are run. Always keep in mind that a 2, 3, and 4 of clubs lead will take the A, K, Q of hearts after spades have been run — it is a common error to think that you do not have set when in fact, you do.
At the time that both of your opponents show void in spades, stop leading them! You and your pard can use your remaining spades to cross-cut opponents.
Using this strategy gives you the option of going for set at the front of the hand, then playing your spades to avoid bags if the set is not there. Another reason you and your pard must use the same bidding conventions to count spade tricks! If both partners on your team play correctly-bid spades from high to low, you can save your team at least 1 and usually more than 1 trick. If you play correctly bid spades low/high low/high, you can set your opponents or get your bid right on the money.
Setting opponents[-]
Setting opponents generally involves cutting. A word of warning about cutting ... don't be a spades chimp! Spades chimps grab everything they can on the table and forget about the partnership. This usually results in cutting too low and being overtrumped; cutting in front of their partner and costing the team a trick; or running themselves out of spades early with no ability to tag team opponents with their pard's spades. The outcome is usually disastrous, with a missed set, getting your team set, or taking bags unnecessarily.
Set first THEN bag: This is one of the standard playing conventions in spades. You should always expect that your partner will be bidding and playing for set if:
- Your team is bag heavy. Best to bag out your team while taking your opponents down with you.
- Your opponents are bag heavy. Bag-heavy opponents are extremely vulnerable to being set. Set them while letting them keep their bags!
Again, setting opponents or bagging them successfully is the result of a good partnership and good bidding by both partners on the team. If your team is using proper bidding conventions, you should immediately know when your pard takes a trick that he did not bid. If your pard cuts a trick in 3rd or 4th seat, that is generally a clear signal to you that he wants to go for set, because if he bid correctly he does not need to cut tricks to make his bid. When he leads you a low spade, play your highest and lead a spade immediately back.
If your pard cuts a trick and then does not immediately lead a spade or does not lead into your void suit, it is generally a clear signal that he is in trouble on his bid. Watch your pard's cards and play smart!
Advanced conventions such as "walking" and suicide hands[-]
When you have a partner who is using the same bidding conventions as you are, more options for advanced play become available to you, such as "walking" cards. As cards are played during a round, you should be able to tell what cards your pard has left by the tricks he has taken, and in particular you should know what spades he is holding by how many tricks he has left to make in his bid, if he bid his spades correctly.
The same applies for suicide hands. Consider seat position, what bids were already showing on the table, and the score when 2 nils are bid. Remember that you are not playing suicide, you are playing regular spades. Bidding conventions that work in suicide will not work for you in a straight game. Being consistent and bidding your hand with the bidding conventions your team has used throughout the game is the only way your team can be successful in a suicide hand. You can trust your partner to know that a 1 bid from him can be a much more powerful defense against the opponents' nil than a suicide hand, and you can expect him to have an easy nil if the table bid is low in front of his bid.
Conclusion[-]
Winning at spades is not about winning individual hands, making lots of nils, being lucky or getting good cards; it is about a good partnership, consistency in applying spades conventions, and controlling the score throughout the entire game. A challenging game of spades requires much thinking through of point positions and possible scenarios for the hand. Take your time and do your thinking; intimidation is a tactic that opponents will use on each other in any game, so don't let their intimidation tactics be successful against your team by allowing them to make you rush your bid or play.
Last but by far the most important, when you find good pards who are willing to learn with you, practice with you, and trust your bidding and your play, be good to them, treat them kindly when they make mistakes, and remember that no one can win every time and that even YOU make mistakes sometimes! A good partnership equals fun, challenging and exciting spades.
I Bid the DN ... What Cards Should I Pass? - by nice_kitty_22[-]
This is one of the most common questions that new players have. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to think that you should pass your 2 highest cards to your pard. Here is how to decide what cards to pass if you are the one who bid DN:
- First, don't be dismayed if your hand does not look like a nil. You and your pard can work together to transform it into a nil hand.
- Identify which are your long suits and which are your short suits. A long suit is one where you have a lot of cards (A Q 10 7 5 of clubs). A short suit is one where you have few cards (Q 6 of diamonds).
- Next, take a look at your spades. Ask yourself this question: If I did not pass any spades, how likely is it that I would be set in spades? Take your seat position into consideration as well as any other bids already on the table, and remember that your pard does not have to have cover for every card in your hand; opponents will be forced to cover some of your cards.
- Then, take a look at your short suits, and ask yourself the same question. How likely is it that I would be set in diamonds?
- The next step is to take a look at your long suits. Are they long enough to safely outlast leads into the suit?
- Finally, remember that your pard will pass cards back to you in DIFFERENT suits than you passed. If you have a lot of clubs, you may want to keep them all. Your pard will pass back to you at least 1 of his low clubs. If you have a lot of them, then by pard sending one of his to you (which would be one that he could cover after the pass), then it is likely that he has few, if any, clubs left in his hand and can trump them if necessary.
After thinking through your hand this way, it becomes much easier to choose the 2 cards to pass to your pard. The suits you pass to your pard are a signal to him telling him where you are safest after YOUR pass; your pard will then choose cards from his hand that give him the ability to cover you in your trouble suits after HIS pass.
Be sure to read the other advice about what to do if you have an unmakeable DN (10 spades? hehheh), and some of the advanced advice on passing cards. Once you get some experience with a pard in good signaling with your passing, then you too will be called a CHEATER when your opponents can't figure out how you make all those nils.
Down & Dirty DNP - by nice_kitty_22[-]
Here's a quick list of the DO's and DON'Ts of DNP that will hold true in almost every situation:
DO bid the DN if you are the first on your team eligible to bid it.
DO take your time thinking over your bidding and your play. DON'T let opponents intimidate you by trying to make you rush.
DO keep the score visible on your screen at all times.
DO bid for the win whenever possible.
DO remember to be defensive in a DNP game by keeping your opponents less than 200 points behind. You may have to cover opponent's nils or pass up opportunities to set them or underbid your hand and take some bags — you may even have to set your own team's bid. You're not in Kansas anymore!
DON'T give your opponents more information than is necessary about your team's cards or strategy.
Example: Opponent's score is 380 and their team bids 7. If your team's score is 450 and your pard bids a nil, and you have a 3 bid, BID FOR THE WIN. The winning bid is 5 (you don't have to make your 5, you won't take any bags, it is easier to cover your pard's nil if you are not trying to make your bid, if your pard's nil makes you will get the 50 points you need to win, and the opponents will be worried about their own bid, will assume your pard has a better nil than he probably really has, and will not know what you are really holding in your cover hand.)
Another example: You are already close to the -200 floor, your pard bids dn and signals in the pass that he has an unmakeable dn. You can not get any lower than -200, bidding a 13 (unless you need bags) will give NO information to your opponents about what cards either you or your pard are holding. You can bag them or set them, your choice.
DON'T bid your team into a position where you will end up substantially behind but less than 200 points behind after the hand is over.
DO consider bidding your team into another DN when you are a dn cover hand.
DO remember the key strategies in regular spades:
- SET opponents before you bag them;
- LEAD spades as soon as they are broken on a setting hand unless you are cross-cutting;
- RETURN the same suits led to you by your pard;
- BID to set opponents while bagging out if your team is bag-heavy.
- DON'T BID CUTS unless your pard is nil.
DO take note of seat position on every hand. DO consider all the options available when you are the 4th seat bidder.
DON'T automatically pass the 2 highest cards out of your DN.
DON'T pass back the same cards to your pard that he passed you. DON'T pass back the same suits that were passed to you.
DO remember that a spade pass out of a dn always is a signal to your pard that your dn is makeable.
DON'T bid fake or risky nils after the first hand, unless you are doing it because you have to or because your team needs bags. If you want to lose 100 points, it is usually much better to bid 10 and get set, than it is to try to get -100 with a set nil.
DO always write down the pass!
DON'T be afraid to bid those 13's and let your team sit at -200 for a while. You can't get any lower than -200 on a Yahoo DNP table, and sitting at -200 can be fun ... you can set and bag opponents hand after hand until the time is ripe to forge ahead and overtake them.
DNP Spades Tips / Strategies / Tactics - by Trollpop[-]
- The DNP game is primarily about controlling the bag situation and controlling the 200 delta that enables the DNP. It takes lots of math before the bid, after the bid, and during the play when players make their tactics known by which cards they play. (If not already obvious from their bid.)
- One must always be aware of the impact on making and setting their team's bid(s) and covering or setting opponents' bid(s). Need to work out all the permutations before deciding on the tactics for the hand.
- Watch partner's and opponents' discards for clues on how best to proceed in the play of the hand.
- Early in the game, I am quite willing to bid risky nils. If they make, fine; if not, sets us up for a DNP.
- One tactic to create the 200 delta so your team can DNP is to bid nil planning on going set and taking enough bags to clear your bags.
- Another tactic to create the 200 delta so your team can DNP is to have the second partner to bid (especially if the last to bid) in the double digits so that they bag the opponents (while taking no bags themselves) and the bid is just enough to be 200 and change behind.
- In my opinion, this is the only Yahoo Spade variation where player strategies and tactics can overcome a biased dealer. I only wish Yahoo didn't have the -200 floor that rewards the aggressive bidders. Many games among top players have both teams hanging around -200 for a while. LOL
- Usually, I expect the first teammate to bid to bid somewhat normally and let the second teammate to bid make the creative bids to try to control the 200 delta.
- When DNP is enabled for our team, I expect the first teammate eligible to bid, goes ahead and bids the DN. This allows the covering teammate to bid after the pass and after seeing one or both of the opponents' bids. This will provide the most information with which to make the best bid.
- The DNP coverer should always calculate whether any resonably high bid, (and going set) while still covering the DN, would enable the DNP for the next hand as well. If opponents are doing this to you, you may have to deliberately go set to get back within the 200 delta.
- Be very, very cautious of bidding nils (to make) if you have a spade 10 or higher and the opponents have bid DNP. Since the DNP bidder usually passes high spades, the DNP coverer has an idea on the top spade left in the DNP bidder's hand. This allows the DNP coverer to lead medium and successively lower spades to easily set a risky nil (one with a middle or higher spade).
- Once my team gets to 5 bags, I tend to underbid to clear the bag situation. I like to be in control of my bags rather than having a threat hanging over my head and my opponents able to take advantage of my baggy situation.
- Bags can be very important, especially in the end game, so don't always be quick to duck the bags.
- Be careful of bidding Kings against a DNP bid. With the passing, it is likely that the DNP coverer is void in some suit, or at most has a singleton.
- Don't pass a low card back to the DNP bidder in a suit he/she passed to you. Rather send low cards in the other side suit(s).
- Enjoy the game and realize that everyone is spending a lot of energy trying to figure out all the permutations of making or setting bids, so relax about any lags.
Passing DN Damage Control - by underdog_o3[-]
What happens if you engineer a nice DN, you have no bags, opps are bag heavy, and you click DN and find that magic hand you have been looking for...a natural 8 bid? First consideration is you have to let your pard know that you are set, so you pass at least one low card. (Never pass even one low card from a makable nil, because of the confusion it will cause.) You could pass an A,2 doubleton, but a 2,3 doubleton would be unmistakable, or 2 low cards in different suits. Your pard will know you are set and will either pass you either high spades or a doubleton of his own, voiding himself in a suit. You could both easily end up with a void suit. With this kind of holding, you can frequently set the opponents bid, whether it is a nil or otherwise. Your pard will be expected to create an advantageous bid, either low, to bag out, or high, to make without too many bags, or higher, to get set. If near the -200 barrier, he will probably bid 13. If you're not at the -200 barrier, it is more difficult to bid right. It is not a disaster to get set on a double nil if you can set the opponents and not pick up a load of bags. This is just one more reason the DN should be bid by the first eligible bidder.
Oops, I looked - by underdog_o3[-]
You were eligible to bid DN, but you clicked show instead of DN. What to do now? If you are lucky, you have a powerful hand, and you have again proved that it is better to be lucky than good. But what if you are looking at a 3 or 4 bid. I would add 2 or 3, and bid 5 or 6, depending on the situation. Remember that pard still has a fair chance with a DN, and you are bidding the tricks he will pass you. If pard does not bid DN, he should decrease his bid by the same amount. If I have a 1 or 2 bid, I would bid it; too high a likelihood pard will not be able to make a DN. If pard sees a 1 or 2 bid, he will prob not DN, unless his RHO bids very high. If I have a good nil, I would bid it. Pard will be able to overbid and easily avoid bags, while adjusting the score for a DN next hand.
Leading out of a DN in 1st seat - by yesiknowhow2play[-]
When you are first seat and are DN, lead the highest card out of your safest suit that you know your pard can cover. Example: You are dealt the K Q 4 hearts. You pass your high spade and the K hearts to your p. Your p passes back to you in diamonds and clubs. Since a nil in first seat generally leads out the safest suit, in this situation you lead the Q hearts to your p, NOT the 4 hearts. This affords your pard many more options for play of his hand. He will cover your Q hearts with the K that you passed him(if he wants you to make your dn), and since you have indicated safety in hearts, he has a very good idea of where you are safe now in EVERY suit in your hand. He can choose to cover you while bagging opps, cover you while setting opps, or set you while bagging out or bagging opps or setting opps ... you get the picture. This lead is especially important on a setting hand, as a high lead from your dn may fool a LHO holding the A hearts into throwing under in hopes of setting your dn (then holding that A hearts just a little too long because he didn't want to lead it into your dn ... and wham bam, your pard trumps it), OR your LHO could play his A hearts knowing that it is highly likely that your pard can cover you ... and in that case, you have used your queen to force out the A and have bestowed upon your pard the boss card in hearts, should he be looking for a set, or depending on other hearts (or lack thereof) in his hand, he may choose to toss the K hearts under the A to bag opponents.
Correctly leading from a dn in first seat can:
- communicate to your pard the one last piece of information he needs to know about your hand ... which is where you are safe in EVERY suit, and
- give your pard even more control over the table, usually by allowing him to choose the card/suit that is the 2nd lead on the hand; and
- cost the opposing team a trick that ultimately could lead to their downfall.
Defense Against the Parasite Nil - by pterodactyl[-]
The thorniest problem we encounter with our method of DNP is the parasite nil. Some games, the opponents bid a nil every time you DN. Therefore, setting that nil is a high priority. If you have a suit which has ample low cards, your pard needs to know this. If you have the 2, 5, 6, J, K, and your pard passed the 5, the lead of the 6 is very informative. He still knows you have the 5 and can lead low confidently. If you have the singleton 8, and you passed the K, you can lead that 8, and pard knows you have no remaining card higher than the 7. On the other hand, if you have the Q,x,x,x, after passing the K,and lead the Q, pard still does not know what is safe, and must lead high. In setting a parasite nil, the most important information is the DN's spade situation. This is why it is critical to pass a spade, particularly if the highest spade is a low spade. Starting with a singleton spade 2, for instance, I will take considerable risk in the other suits to pass that 2 spade. If the opps do bid nil, pard may waste spades cutting high and may lead low. It is also a warning to pard that the spades are breaking very badly and pard must bid conservatively or risk getting set. One other thing...if pard passes you a 4, and you have several cards including the 6,4, and opp leads a low card, you should play that 4. Entirely too often, pard will have only the 5 (that is why he passed the 4), and if you play that 6, you are set. This goes for your lead too. Never lead a nonconsecutive card higher than what was passed in a suit you didnt pass, but always lead a consecutive card that is different from the one passed, so that pard knows you still have the card he passed. When you finally do play that low one, if there are any remaining high cards in that suit, pard better assume you have them.
What if you have a lay-down DN? - by nice_kitty_22[-]
You are first eligible to bid DN, and you have the nil of your dreams. Highest card you have in any suit is a 9, and you have 2 spades, the 2 and 3. Make sure you pass one of the spades!! If you pass 2 cards that are non-spades, even though they are your highest, your p could misinterpret your pass and pass you back high. A spade pass from a dn, even if it is the 2, always means you have a makeable dn. This is especially true if you and pard are 1st and 3rd seat, pard may have a big hand and think that RHO has a natural nil, when in fact you are the one who has it.
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Page last modified on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 [22:53:28 UTC] by admin.
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