The singleton: holding just one card of a suit
Updated
A singleton is a suit you hold only one card of. Played well it lets you ruff quickly; mishandled it gives away points.
A singleton is a future ruff
The big appeal of a singleton: once the suit is played once, you're out of it and can ruff on later rounds. With trumps in reserve, a singleton in a strong opponent suit is a real weapon.
When to play it yourself
If your singleton is an ace, cash it early for the sure trick, before it gets ruffed. If it's a small card, leading it quickly creates your void so you can ruff later, provided you have an entry to come back. It's not automatic: it depends on your trumps and the contract.
The traps
- A singleton king or queen is easily captured: be careful.
- With no trump to ruff behind, the singleton loses its point.
- Leading a small singleton also informs the opponents: weigh the trade-off.
Example: you took 90 in clubs with a singleton
Your hand: J♣ 9♣ 8♣ 7♣, A♥ 10♥ K♥ and a single spade, the 7♠. You have no diamonds. Two plans come to mind:
- Draw trumps first: the jack then the nine pull a good share of the opponents' trumps and protect your hearts. But you use up the trumps that could have ruffed.
- Play your 7♠ early: you lose a trick worth almost nothing, but you become void in spades as well as diamonds. Your small trumps (8 and 7) can then ruff the opponents' spades and diamonds.
Neither plan is automatic. If the opponents are likely to lead trumps to strip your ruffs, drawing first with the jack and nine keeps control. If your hearts are solid and you're mainly counting on ruffs, the early singleton is a real weapon.
The singleton on defence
An opponent took 100 in hearts. You hold a singleton 8♦ and two small trumps, the 7♥ and 8♥. Leading the 8♦ can make sense: if your partner wins the trick (with the ace of diamonds, say) and returns a diamond, you ruff with a small trump. Be careful, though: declarer, richer in trumps, can overruff. And if your partner doesn't win the trick, your lead has mostly informed the opponents. It's a play worth trying when the bidding suggests your partner is strong in the suit.
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FAQ
What is a singleton in coinche?
It's a suit you hold only one card of. Once that card is played, you're void in the suit and can ruff with a trump.
Should you play your singleton right away?
Not always. A singleton ace is cashed early for the sure trick; a small singleton can be led to set up a ruff, but only if you have trumps and an entry.
Is a singleton king a good lead?
Often not: if the ace is with an opponent, your king falls under it and gives away its 4 points. It can be defensible if your partner probably holds the ace, for instance because they bid the suit.