Beer or No Beer?

Almost all bridge players are familiar with the beer card, and some are adamant about it, especially the college crowd having just reached legal age — or close enough if they can get away with it. For anyone living under a rock, declarer wins a beer if he wins the last trick with the 7, provided diamonds are not trumps.

Who must buy the beer is arguable. Many contend it is dummy, but then the incentive to be declarer could undermine partnership bidding. For this episode, one of the defenders must buy, so a defensive goal will be to prevent the beer. Consider this deal:

Beer-a-thon	A 4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	7 5 4		1. W	Q	4	6	2
	K 6 5 3		2. W	10	5	K	9
	A 5 4 3		3. E	3	A	8	7
9 8 2		Q J 10 7 6	4. S	2	7	3	6
Q J 10 8		K 6 3	5. W	Q!	4	10	K
10 8		J 9 4	6. S	8	9	A	6
Q J 9 7		10 6		Cash 6 winners, lose the last
	K 5 3
	A 9 2
	A Q 7 2
3 NT South	K 8 2

After a routine 1 NT-3 NT auction, West leads the Q, and declarer holds up until the third round. With only eight sure tricks, the obvious move is to duck a club in case clubs are 3-3 (with diamonds 4-1) or to realize squeeze opportunities if neither minor splits. This is completely safe with only one heart outstanding.

After being gifted a trick with the 7, West pauses to think. Cashing the good heart would be a risky play, as it would rectify the count for declarer to squeeze partner holding Q-J-x-x J-x-x-x.

Seeing through this possibility, West does not assist declarer and wisely returns the Q. Not only was this an excellent bridge play, but it became an effective beer defense as well.

With diamonds splitting, the contract was never in jeopardy; but what about the brew? To win the last trick with the 7, declarer must lose another trick first, but doing so would risk being set. Even at double-dummy, any attempt to duck a spade to East could be thwarted with accurate defense. Darn that West! No beer!

Beer Ethics 101

Trying to win a beer, or prevent one on defense,
should never be done at the expense of a trick.

Willkommen im Biergarten

Test your brewing skill on the following six contracts. After the given opening lead, assume double-dummy play by both sides, but remember that winning or preventing a beer cannot cost a trick. Can declarer win the last trick with the 7? Select Beer or No Beer.

1.	A K 3 A 6 2 10 9 7 4 3 8 2
J 10 9 7 K 8 3 8 2 K Q J 10		Q 6 4 J 10 9 5 Q J 5 9 7 3
3 NT South Lead: K	8 5 2 Q 7 4 A K 6 A 6 5 4		Beer No Beer

2.	Q J 9 4 9 8 7 A 10 9 8 8 2
7 5 3 Q J 10 3 5 2 Q J 7 6		2 K 6 5 4 Q 4 3 10 9 5 4 3
6 South Lead: Q	A K 10 8 6 A 2 K J 7 6 A K		Beer No Beer

3.	Q J 9 8 7 K Q J 10 9 K 7 5
K 8 2 Q J 10 9 2 A 5 4 3 2		7 6 5 4 3 6 5 4 3 3 2 A 6
3 NT South Lead: Q	A 10 A K 8 7 6 Q J 10 9 8 4		Beer No Beer

4.	A Q 10 8 J 10 7 5 4 Q J 10 9
K Q 8 7 4 3 9 6 K 9 6 2 3		6 5 K 7 5 3 2 A Q 8 3 7 2
7 South Lead: K	J 10 9 2 A J 4 — A K 8 6 5 4		Beer No Beer

5.	A 6 4 8 7 6 5 K Q 7 2 A 2
10 8 5 2 A J 3 9 3 K J 9 4		Q J 9 3 Q 6 5 4 10 7 6 5 3
4 South Lead: 9	K 7 K 10 9 4 2 A J 10 8 Q 8		Beer No Beer

6.	A J 7 5 5 2 K Q J 6 5 4 3
K 9 8 3 2 10 8 7 6 3 J 10 10		10 6 4 4 6 5 4 3 2 A 9 8 7
6 NT South Lead: J	Q A K Q J 9 A 9 8 7 K Q 2		Beer No Beer

Quit Top Beer or No Beer?

Tina Denlee Wins

The object was to determine on each of the six deals whether declarer can win a beer — win the last trick with the 7 — assuming double-dummy play after the given opening lead. Scoring is simply 10 points per deal, so a perfect score is 60. Most solvers were off the mark this month; too many practice beers? And one unsolver managed to score zero; an apparition of the late Foster Brooks? Ranked below are the few who scored at least 50, with ties broken by date and time of entry.

Winner List

Rank	Name	Location	1	2	3	4	5	6	Score
1	Tina Denlee	Quebec	No	Beer	No	Beer	Beer	Beer	60
2	Alan Frank	Massachusetts	No	Beer	No	Beer	Beer	Beer	60
3	Jean-Baptiste Courtois	France	No	Beer	Beer	Beer	Beer	Beer	50
4	Jim Munday	New Mexico	No	Beer	No	Beer	Beer	No	50
5	Nicholas Greer	England	No	Beer	Beer	Beer	Beer	Beer	50

Puzzle 8Q09 Main

Top Beer or No Beer?

Solutions

1. No Beer

Beer-a-thon	A K 3		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	A 6 2		1. W	K	2	3	4
	10 9 7 4 3		2. W	J!	K	4	2
	8 2		3. N	10	J	K	2
J 10 9 7		Q 6 4	4. S	5	10	8	7
K 8 3		J 10 9 5	5. W	9	3	Q	5
8 2		Q J 5	6. E	6!	8	7	A
K Q J 10		9 7 3	7. N	9	Q	A	8
	8 5 2		8. S	6	3	3	5
	Q 7 4		9. S	A	J	2	9
	A K 6			Cash 3 winners, lose the last
3 NT South	A 6 5 4

If West continues clubs at Trick 2, declarer can win a beer, but the brew-buster is a spade shift.

Tina Denlee: Declarer wants to lose four tricks… At Trick 2 West switches to a spade, which North wins to finesse diamonds. South ducks a second trick in clubs, ducks a spade, wins the spade return and frees diamonds; but it is too late to lose another trick, as West has a spade winner.

Jim Munday: Looks like declarer can duck four tricks and use dummy’s three entries to pick up diamonds, saving the 7 for last — except a spade shift by West will keep the defenders a step ahead in the duck-a-thon.

Jean-Baptiste Courtois: Best defense is to attack spades as soon as possible… When diamonds are led from North, East should cover the first round but not the second; on the third diamond West should discard the 3.

2. Beer

Beer-a-thon	Q J 9 4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	9 8 7		1. W	Q	7	6	2!
	A 10 9 8		2. W	10	8	4	A
	8 2		3. S	6	3	Q	2
7 5 3		2	4. N	4	3	A	5
Q J 10 3		K 6 5 4	5. S	8	7	9	4
5 2		Q 4 3	6. N	J	5	K	3
Q J 7 6		10 9 5 4 3	7. S	10	6	8!	5
	A K 10 8 6		8. S	A	7	2	9
	A 2		9. S	K	J	8	10
	K J 7 6		10. S	6	2	A	3
6 South	A K		11. N	10	4	J	5
				Cash K then 7 wins last

The key play is to duck the first trick, after which the beer flows smoothly.

Alan Frank: Duck Trick 1 then pitch a diamond on the fifth spade. It doesn’t work to win and duck a heart later, as opponents will force a ruff.

Jean-Baptiste Courtois: There is no way to make 13 tricks at double-dummy, so the beer play is to duck the lead and later discard a diamond from North on trumps.

Nicholas Greer: Declarer ducks Trick 1 then cashes 12 tricks, discarding a diamond on the long spade to allow the beer.

3. No Beer

Beer-a-thon	Q J 9		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	8 7		1. W	Q	7	3	A
	K Q J 10 9		2. S	J	2	5	A
	K 7 5		3. E	4	K	9!	8
K 8 2		7 6 5 4 3	4. S	8	3	K	6
Q J 10 9 2		6 5 4 3	5. N	7	3	Q	2
A 5 4		3 2	6. S	10	4	9	4
3 2		A 6	7. S	9	5	10	5
	A 10		8. S	4	10!	J	6
	A K		9. S	6	A	Q	3
	8 7 6		10. W	J	K	5	10
3 NT South	Q J 10 9 8 4		11. W	2	9	6	8
			12. E	2!	7	8	J
				Last trick won by A

The key defense is for West to retain the 2 to reach East, then a diamond at Trick 12 forces the beer card prematurely.

Tina Denlee: Declarer plays on clubs, and running the suit squeezes West for the contract; yet West keeps the 2 to preserve an entry to East, who discards spades only. After eight tricks West has K-8 J-2 A, and upon winning the A, leads the J and 2 to East, who shoots back a diamond to knock off the beer one round early.

An equally good defense was found by:

Jim Munday: West is squeezed on the clubs, so 3 NT is fated to succeed. Unguarding spades costs a trick, so West must keep K-8 A and at most two hearts, as declarer unblocks three diamonds from dummy. If West is kind enough to keep two high hearts, the beer will score; but West keeps K-8 2 A-5 and ducks the first diamond, winning the next. South is then squeezed out of his beer card to win the A at Trick 13.

4. Beer

Beer-a-thon	A		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	Q 10 8		1. W	K	A	5	2
	J 10 7 5 4		2. N	4	A	K	2
	Q J 10 9		3. S	4	3	Q	2
K Q 8 7 4 3		6 5	4. N	5	3	8	6
9 6		K 7 5 3 2	5. S	5	3	J	7
K 9 6 2		A Q 8 3	6. N	J	8	A	9
3		7 2	7. S	J	4	9!	6
	J 10 9 2		8. N	Q!	2	J!	6
	A J 4		9. N	10!	3	4	9
	—		10. N	10	Q	6	K
7 South	A K 8 6 5 4		11. S	A	7	8	5
				Ruff spade and 7 wins last

This was the easiest beer of the six-pack. Declarer clearly must ruff four diamonds to establish the 7, but while doing this there are two different paths to success. The above line ignores the friendly spade lie and uses a clever maneuver in hearts (Tricks 8-9) to retain a crucial entry to dummy. The heart plays can be made any time earlier as shown by:

Tina Denlee: Lead the Q at Trick 2. If East covers, the 10 becomes a key entry in the variation: Q, diamond ruff, J, diamond ruff, spade ruff, diamond ruff, spade ruff, diamond ruff, J, 10, beer! If East ducks, declarer unblocks the J and leads the 10. If East covers, play is the same but with the 8 key entry. Else ruffs start with the lead still in dummy, and the last three tricks will be A, spade ruff, beer!

The other successful path takes advantage of the spade suit:

Nicholas Greer: Declarer’s tricks come from spades, ruffs and the long diamond (not the heart finesse): A, diamond ruff, Q, diamond ruff, J, diamond ruff, J-queen-ruff, diamond ruff, 10-9 pitching hearts, A, heart ruff, beer!

5. Beer

Beer-a-thon	A 6 4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	8 7 6 5		1. W	9	K	4	8
	K Q 7 2		2. N	5	Q	K	A
	A 2		3. W	2	4	J	K
10 8 5 2		Q J 9 3	4. S	2	J	6	3
A J 3		Q	5. W	5	A	3	7
9 3		6 5 4	6. N	8	5	4	3
K J 9 4		10 7 6 5 3	7. N	6	Q	10!	8
	K 7		8. E	9	9!	10	2
	K 10 9 4 2		9. S	10	4	7	6
	A J 10 8		10. S	A	3	2	5
4 South	Q 8		11. S	J	9	Q	6
				Win A then 7 wins last

Besides the two obvious heart losers, declarer must arrange to lose a spade trick to rid one of South’s diamonds to clear the way for the beer card. One of various paths is shown above. Declarer must win the first spade (Trick 3) else a club shift by East is devastating. Note the devious ruff-sluff offered by East at Trick 8; if declarer pitches to ruff in dummy, he loses the beer.

Tina Denlee: A key threat is a strip and throw-in for an overtrick if West ducks any heart lead. Play begins A, K, heart to king-ace, spade to king, heart to jack, spade to ace, 8, 6 pitching a diamond.

Jim Munday: Win A, lead K. In time declarer can draw trumps keeping East off lead (West scoring A-J) then pitch an offending diamond on the third round of spades. The  7 is then free to score Trick 13.

Alan Frank: As on Deal 2, pitch the blocking diamond on the long spade.

6. Beer

Beer-a-thon	A J 7 5		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	5 2		1. W	J	K	2	8
	K Q		2. N	3	7	K	10
	J 6 5 4 3		3. S	Q	2	4	8
K 9 8 3 2		10 6 4	4. S	Q	3!	5	4
10 8 7 6 3		4	5. S	9	10	Q	3
J 10		6 5 4 3 2	6. N	J!	6	2	K
10		A 9 8 7		Win the rest, the 7 last
	Q
	A K Q J 9
	A 9 8 7
6 NT South	K Q 2

Dummy wins the K, then K-Q win the next two as East ducks (winning the A allows an easy beer). Declarer next leads the Q; if covered, declarer ducks, but West smartly lets the Q win. This appears to prevent the beer, but declarer has a clever counter: 9 to queen, then the J pitching his club! West must win (else declarer scores an overtrick) and is endplayed to concede the rest — and a beer.

Tina Denlee: If East wins an early club, either the J or Q will be an entry to win two spades; so East ducks twice. Then if West covers the Q, dummy ducks, then South’s two losers go on the A-J. If West ducks the Q, win the Q and lead the J to pitch the club and endplay West.

Nicholas Greer: Win in dummy and play two top clubs from hand. If East wins, everything can be untangled. If East ducks, lead the Q and duck if West covers. If the Q wins, cross to the Q and lead the J, pitching the club. West must either give declarer five hearts or access to the A.

Cheers!

My memories of beer go back to my U.S. Army stint in West Germany, where my buddies assured me there was no need to learn German: beer and bier are pronounced the same! Alas, I didn’t really enjoy beer, but I would often partake, if only to be one of the guys rather than the odd man out. Another curious connection is that my early bridge partner, and best man at my wedding, was none other than Jim Beery. Ironically, Jim didn’t drink anything alcoholic, though he did succumb to a toast of champagne after winning the first Grand National Teams. Ah, those were the days.

Enough reminiscing. Today we are burdened by this motley brew:

Tina Denlee: In French clubs, tradition is that you must buy champagne if you win a trick whose cards are 2-3-4-5 of the same suit. Puzzle time: Construct a deal where the only winning line offers champagne.

Seems impossible. No, wait… Didn’t Jim Beery solve it?

Jim Munday: To qualify for a beer, I believe the contract must succeed as well. The recent Bridge Brawl between bridge media proponents had this wrinkle as part of the scoring…

Nicholas Greer: I hope everyone remembers not to drive home after this session!

Puzzle 8Q09 Main

Top Beer or No Beer?

© 2026 Richard Pavlicek