The obligation to follow suit
Updated
Yes: if you hold the led suit, you are obliged to play it. It's the core rule of every trick-taking game.
The follow-suit rule
When a player leads a trick with a suit (spades, hearts, diamonds or clubs), every player after them must play a card of that same suit if they have one. This is called "following suit." You don't choose the rank, but you must follow the suit.
This obligation is shared by almost all trick-taking games: it is what shapes the whole family.
What if you're void in the suit
If, and only if, you have no card of the led suit, you may then ruff (play trump) or discard (play another suit), depending on the must-ruff rules. As long as you hold the suit, you must follow it, even when it hurts you.
Not following = a renonce
Playing another card when you could have followed is called a renonce: a penalised playing error. So check your hand carefully before playing. Trumps follow the same logic: if trump is led and you hold trump, you must play it.
Example: follow suit, but with which card?
Trumps are diamonds. An opponent leads the King of spades. You hold the Ace and 7 of spades. You must play a spade, but the choice is yours: in a side suit there is no obligation to play higher.
- Playing the Ace wins the trick: 11 + 4, plus the other two players' cards.
- Playing the 7 lets the King through and keeps your Ace for later, for example to capture the 10 of spades if it shows up.
Neither is “the right move” in every case: it depends on who took the bid, what your partner can do after you, and the risk of your Ace being ruffed later. The key point is that both plays are legal.
Summary table
| Situation | Obligation |
|---|---|
| You hold the led side suit | Follow, any card |
| Trumps are led and you hold trumps | Follow in trumps, and go higher if you can (common rule) |
| You're void in the suit but hold trumps | Ruff, unless partner is winning (common convention) |
| You have neither the suit nor trumps | Free discard |
| No Trump, you're void in the suit | Free discard |
The natural follow-up to this rule is the obligation to ruff once you're out of the suit.
Want to practise? Play coinche online for free: tunable AIs and a coach are waiting for you on Coincheur.See also
FAQ
Do you always have to follow the led suit?
Yes, if you hold at least one card of the led suit you must play it. You may only ruff or discard when you are void in that suit.
What's the risk of not following when you could?
It's a renonce, a playing error punished with a penalty, for example losing the deal for the offending team.
Do you have to follow with a higher card than the one played?
Not in a side suit: you follow with whichever card you like. In trumps, though, the most common rule makes you go higher if you can.
How does following suit work in No Trump?
Exactly the same: you must play the led suit if you have it. Since there are no trumps, if you're void you discard freely.