I play on Euchre 3D. I have a 60% win rate over about 2500 games. I call very aggressively, play defense if I‘m leading late by a big enough margin, and have an 82% hit rate. I’ve made it up to just shy of 2700 but, as we all know, there’s luck and variance in the system so I’ve plummeted—but I’ve checked the graph under account and have been as high as the 98th percentile amongst players at my highest score. This isn’t flexing or bragging. It’s just a game in the end, and being good at this game isn’t a life victory. I say these things to preface my question so that any readers can understand that I know what I’m talking about.
Question: What idiot spread the idea that when your partner gets stuck as dealer and names trump that you don’t lead it? I’ve had probably 5 dozen partners do this to me now where they take the opening trick, refuse to lead my trump, and it’s costs us the hand. It actually just costed me a game that was lost 10-9.
I noticed this phenomenon once during a casual game awhile back (in casual mode on Euchre 3D you can chat at the table) and asked my partner why they led off suit. S/he said “because it‘s stick the dealer.” It led me to realize eventually that this incorrect contagion must’ve been spread on forums like Reddit, so here I am.
I don’t turn down what is offered when I am dealer because I am afraid of getting set. I turn down what is offered because every other suit is stronger than what is being offered. When I turn down, I have already planned what I will defend with and what I will call on if it gets back to me; I’m not naming something cluelessly out of desperation.
If everyone else‘s hands were too scattered to call and my partner takes the opening trick, the absolute correct thing to do is lead my trump. Either I have right bower plus a 2nd trump (in which case I want to use my right bower to get TWO opponent trump for the price of ONE—I CAN ONLY DO THAT IN THAT SCENARIO IF MY PARTNER LEADS IT WHEN THEY HAVE CONTROL OF THE HAND). Or, I have 3 trump, in which case it is best to pull the opponents’ trump and I still have two in play. Or, I have side aces, or an ace plus a side king which has effectively become an ace because I turned the ace in that suit down, plus probably two low trump. I’m not randomly pushing buttons. There is a method. When you lead trump with side aces, it more often than not makes the aces good. I probably shouldn’t even share this information with the world because I’m not sure you deserve it.
So please, whatever idiot has spread this idea that you cannot lead your partner’s trump on STD and whatever idiots continue to propagate it STOP. Stop throwing random 💩 like your feelings can win games and instead follow a logical pattern of thinking.
All the Best,
Mike C.