Entry (cards)

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An entry, in trick-taking card games such as bridge, is a card that allows a player to win the trick, thus getting the right to lead the next trick. Gaining the lead when some other player (including one's partner) led to the previous trick is referred to as entering one's hand; a card that wins a trick to which another player made the lead (except the last trick) is therefore known as an entry.

[edit] Example

This bridge example demonstrates the concept of and importance of entries:

♠	A K Q J 10 9
♥	4 3 2
♦	4 3 2
♣	2
N S
♠	---
♥	A K Q J 10 9
♦	A K 7 6 5
♣	A 3

North is unable to win a trick in any suit except spades. South has no spades, and so cannot lead spades. If South declares this hand at no trump and the opening lead is a club, he will probably take just 9 tricks with the top cards in his hand. Although the dummy holds the top six spades, they are useless unless somebody leads spades, which South cannot do. If South did have a spade, he could use it as an entry to the dummy, allowing the dummy to win the six spades tricks.

If South declares with hearts as trump, he has a good chance of making all 13 tricks: one of the dummy's small trumps now becomes an entry when used to ruff the declarer's small club. Unless the defense can ruff, South's small diamonds can be discarded on North's high spades.