45s strategy
Rules of thumb that turn a new player into a steady partner. None of them are laws; the cards in front of you always come first.
Bidding
- Bid on top trumps, not on length alone. Five little clubs will lose to one 5, jack or ace of hearts every time they meet.
- Count the 10-point trick. Holding the 5 of a suit means you'll win the 10-point trick if you name that suit. That's a third of the hand.
- Remember the kitty. As bidder you get four extra cards. A hand that's a little short of 20 often becomes one after the kitty.
- Watch the score. If the other team is close to 120, bidding just to stop them from winning the bid can be worth the risk of being set.
- The dealer's hold is an advantage. If you're bidding ahead of the dealer, assume they can take your bid at the same price. Bid what your hand is worth, not one step more.
Naming trump
Name the suit where you hold the most top trumps, not necessarily the most cards. with three hearts is better as spades than as hearts, because you control the two best cards in the game.
Discarding
- As bidder: keep every trump you can. Keep a plain-suit ace or king only if you're short of trumps.
- As a non-bidder: keep your trumps and throw almost everything else. Fresh cards from the deck are more likely to help than a low plain card.
- Partner of the bidder: keep trumps, especially high ones. You may be the one who saves the 10-point trick.
Leading
- Bidders lead trumps. Leading a trump forces the other side to spend theirs (except what they can renege). Once they're out, your remaining cards are safer.
- Lead a middling trump to draw out the others. A king or queen of trumps makes everyone holding ordinary trumps play one. The 5, jack and A♥ can be held back, so if a player throws off a plain card, they may be sitting on one.
- Non-bidders lead plain suits. Make the bidder use trumps on your tricks rather than leading trumps into their strength.
- Lead toward your partner's strength. If your partner has shown a suit, lead it.
The 10-point trick
The trick with the best trump played is worth twice as much as any other. Keep track of which of the big three (5, jack, A♥) have appeared. If you hold the best trump still out, time it: playing it on a trick your partner is already winning wastes it.
Playing with a partner
- Don't overtake your partner. If your partner's card is already winning, play low.
- Play second-hand low, third-hand high. When you play second, there's still another player to come for the other team, so save your strength. When you play third, play to win if your partner isn't already winning.
- Count trumps. There are 14 trumps (13 in hearts). Counting how many have been played tells you what's left.
Near the end of the game
- With the over-100 rule, a team at 100+ only scores by winning the bid. Expect them to bid aggressively, and consider bidding just to deny them.
- If you're in the hole and your table allows 60 for 120, a very strong hand can win the game outright.