Pokerwiner.comGames of playing cards

Abundance should not be attempted without a very good trump suit, and Declared abundance is best avoided by any except an experienced player.
South deals the cards in the illustration below and turns up the ♠ 2.

West North East South
Solo Misere Abundance Open misere
Pass Pass Pass  

West’s Solo is the obviously correct bid. He cannot fail to win at least five tricks and it is too much to except the hearts to develop three tricks to make Abundance a good call. North’s misere is optimistic. Had he been left to play it, the opening lead of a heart would have broken him out of hand.


East’s Abundance is a certainty with 11 tricks (and needing only nine) for the taking of them. South’s open misere is not to be advised.

As already pointed out, a five-card suit missing the 2 is a danger spot. As it happens it is the heart suit that proves his downfall.


West leads the ♣ 10, and the play is:

West North East South
♣ 10 ♣ 7 ♣ J ♥ K
♣ 9 ♣ 5 ♣ A ♥ J
♠ A ♣ 4 ♣ 3 ♥ 10
♥ A ♥ 8 ♦ A ♥ 6

The position is down to the situation to the situation shown in the illustration below. South is doomed because West wins the ♥ 7 and ♥ 5 (on which South plays the ♥ 4 and ♥ 2) and continues with ♥ 3 which South must win with the ♥ 9.

AUCTION SOLO

As Solo is limited to a mere handful of declarations, the variation known as Auction Solo is much to be preferred, because it permits of a larger number of declarations and, therefore, makes a more interesting and skillful poker game. In ascending order the declarations are:

Proposal and Acceptance.
Solo of Five in own suit.
Solo of Five in trump suit.
Solo of Six in own suit.
Solo of Six in trump suit.
Solo of Seven in own suit.
Solo of Seven in trump suit.
Solo of Eight in own suit.
Solo of Eight in trump suit.
Misere.
Abundance of Nine in own suit.
Abundance of Nine in trump suit.
Abundance of Ten in own suit.
Abundance of Ten in trump suit.
Abundance of Eleven in own suit.
Abundance of Eleven in trump suit.
Abundance of Twelve in own suit.
Abundance of Twelve in trump suit.
Open Misere.
Declared abundance with no trump suit (bidder has the lead).
Declared abundance in the original trump suit (bidder does No-Trumps have the lead).