Count effective trump correctly
The right bower—the jack of trump—is highest. The left bower—the jack of the same color—is second and changes into the trump suit. If hearts are trump, the jack of diamonds is a heart for the entire hand.
Count both bowers before judging suit length. Right-left-small is a three-trump holding with two top winners, not a hand with two hearts and one diamond.
A practical hand-strength guide
| Holding | Typical decision | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Right + another trump + side ace | Strong call | Two likely trump tricks plus outside control. |
| Left + ace of trump + one small trump | Strong call | Three trump with two high ranks. |
| Three small trump + side ace | Situational call | Length helps, but bowers can take control. |
| One bower and no other trump | Usually pass | One winner rarely supplies the team’s third trick alone. |
| Both bowers + another trump | Consider going alone | The hand can often draw trump and retain control. |
Ordering up the dealer
In the first bidding round, ordering the turned suit gives the dealer that card and allows a discard. When the dealer is your opponent, your hand should be strong enough to survive that improvement. When the dealer is your partner, a thinner order can work because the pickup strengthens your team.
Position matters. A first-seat player acts with little information. A player later in the round knows more passes occurred, which slightly reduces the chance that another player holds a powerful hand in the turned suit.
Naming trump in round two
After everyone passes the turned suit, choose among the other three suits. Same-color information matters: if the turned card was a high heart and hearts were passed, diamonds may still be attractive because the jack of hearts becomes the left bower.
Made Simple Games uses stick-the-dealer: if every other player passes in round two, the dealer must name trump. As dealer, compare the best available suit instead of waiting for a perfect hand.
When to go alone
A lone caller plays without a partner and needs control of all five tricks for the largest reward. Both bowers, a third trump, and an outside ace is the classic shape. Very long trump with top control can also work.
Do not judge only the first three tricks. A lone hand that draws trump but leaves one weak side card may still lose the fifth. Consider how each card exits the hand in sequence.
Score and risk
A normal call aims to make three tricks. A lone attempt trades partnership safety for upside. When one point wins the game, the safer team call is often correct. When a four-point lone hand can erase a large deficit, more risk can be justified.
On defense, saving one strong trump can stop a march. On offense, leading trump is often best when it removes defenders’ ability to ruff your side-suit ace.