Never forget that the dealer is in the possession of the strength of twenty-six cards all the time. If you, with half that force, play at random, and your partner, with no more numerical strength than you possess, is also playing a fourth of the game on his individual account, with no particular interest in what is being done with the other three-fourths of the fifty-two cards, it is surely not common sense to imagine that you and your partner are likely to be superlatively blessed with success.
United play in bridge is absolutely essential to success. This has been demonstrated from the inception of the game, and those who are most mindful of this fact are those who see fewer ghosts of “lost tricks” stalking dejectedly about as they recall the hands of the past.
Occasions do arise however when you may deceive the dealer and not your partner. If you wish the dealer to finesse, it will often pay to play a high card second in hand, holding a small one. For instance, with King, Jack, nine, four and three in dummy, the dealer leads the Ace and then a small card. By playing the ten from the ten, five, deuce on the second round of the suit you may lead the dealer to believe that you hold the Queen or no other card in the suit, and this may tempt him to finesse.
When Ace and Queen are in dummy over your once guarded King, you will probably be led through and your King be captured. It will pay you at times, especially if the card next to the King is a nine or ten, to lead the suit in the hope that the dealer will play the Ace second in hand and that he will infer from your lead that the King is in your partner’s hand.
Should you and your partner hold all the remaining cards in a suit, do not hesitate to play or discard a card of the suit so as to mislead the dealer and make it difficult for him to count your own and your partner’s hand.
To enumerate the many situations wherein tricks are lost and where partners go astray would need a keen observer and a pencil and pad at almost every rubber that is played.
It is usually accepted that a short suit is led for the purpose of establishing a ruff. Very good. Yet players are often met who complain about being forced after showing a desire to ruff. Then avoid giving the invitation. Your partner can only read it as you played to him and followed out your own suggestion as he felt in duty bound to do.