There are a number of ways in which an experienced opponent can bedevil and befuddle the unwary player. One of the most successful and demoralizing tactics is by way of the experienced player deliberately underbidding his hand during a round... not by just one trick, but by as many as FOUR or FIVE tricks!

I call these players "Predators" because their tactic will almost always compel one or more of the opponents to mistakenly overestimate their own cards. Once the trap is sprung, he'll prey on the opponents until one or all of them are set. Here's how it typically works:

1. Predator is dealt a very strong hand. He can easily win about five or six tricks.
2. Predator bids only one trick! ...and places a hand over his mouth to muffle evil laughter. Bwah-ha-ha-hahaha!
3. When it comes time for the 4th player to bid, he can't help but notice a huge discrepancy in the bids already in place. In each round, there are 13 possible tricks, but only four total tricks have already been bid by the three other opponents. That leaves 9 tricks for the taking. That's 90 points up for grabs! Hmmmm...
4. Player 4 succumbs to the trick and overbids his hand, rationalizing that all his Kings and Queens will somehow win a trick... and thinking HE is the one taking advantage of this round because he sees his opponents as playing overly cautious... and why shouldn't he pickup an extra 30 or 40 points for their timidity? Woo-hoo!
5. The trap is sprung as Player 4 is rudely awakened when the Predator gobbles up all of his spades and cuts his Aces and Kings to shreds. After the round, Player 4 is traumatized. He still doesn't know what hit him, and he briefly contemplates resigning the game. The end?

The moral of the story is DON'T BE GREEDY. There was another nugget article I wrote earlier called, "How Good Are Your Cards... for SPADES", which will give you a more accurate idea of how strong your hand really is. To that article I would add this word of advice: if there is a big discrepancy in the bids, be especially wary and suspicious that a Predator is lurking behind one of the opponents' bids. Don't take the bait. Bid smart and be patient. Sooner or later you WILL be dealt a killer hand, after which you can legitimately run the table on your opponents - Predators included. Happy hunting. :pow: