The slam

Deal analysis

The slam in a game of tarot with 4 players is very rare and rather uninteresting because it requires a hand with no losers to succeed. At 5 players, it is more frequent and can be realized in various types of play and with hands containing several losers. In the majority of cases, an aggressive trump play is necessary at the beginning of the play. This is why we see much less slam on tables of beginners. Those players in general are rather timid with the powerful hands with strong trumps holding.

For those who wonder, the small slam (all tricks minus one) does not exist in tarot, according to the French Federation of Tarot. Only the grand slam is rewarded (400 points when it is announced, 200 points when it is not). The failure of an announced slam is always penalized by a loss of 200 points. All these bonuses are non-multipliable and are added or withdrawn after the calculation of the contract score.

Tarot at 5 players
SOUTH dealer and declarer (garde-against-the-dog)

Dog: Exc, K, 1

Distribution and bidding

WEST	NORTH	EAST
16-6 9-4-1 7-6-5-4-3 10-9-6 J-7 Passe	15-12-7 Q-C-3 J-8 C-8-4 C-6-5-2 Passe	17-14-3-2 10-8-5-2 9 J-7 10-4-3-1 Passe

SOUTH	S-EAST
21​-20-13-9-8-4-1 - K-Q-C K-Q-2-1 8 G-Against ()	19​-18-11-10-5 J-7-6 10-2 5-3 K-Q-9 Garde (!)

The play of the hand

The play of the hand

SOUTH	S-E	EST	NOR	WEST
20	.10	14	15	16
.K	5	7	4	6
.D	3	J	8	9
.2	19	2	C	6
21	.11	17	7	6
.1	18	3	12	1
8	.5	9	2	4
and South takes all remaining tricks

South succeed by 41 for a score of +656 !

Although his hand is exceptional, SOUTH needs a partner with a hand configured perfectly to hope for a slam. Several high trumps are missing and it is also necessary to find a parking for the 2 losers.

Note that the slam is also possible on a trump play by the 2 declarers (4 rounds) followed of K-Q and small ruffed by the partner. South cashes all its trumps and the remaining honors in before giving the lead to partner (with the king of club) who finishes with K-Q of , the queen being used as a parking for the fourth (such as are the cards however, the fourth was not a loser since nobody holds 4 cards in the suit). It is in this manner that declarer should have played with an inevitable loser in hand. To draw all the trumps costs the Petit at the end but makes possible to discard the losing diamond on the club queen (instead of ruffing stupidly).

Concerning the choice of calling or not a partner, SOUTH can think that he'll have difficulty to bring the Petit at the end if he chooses to play alone, especially when the player who has bid the Garde has the opening lead (I agree the Garde is a little bit esoteric... but we have seen worse !).

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