Bridge with Tichu cards

Bridge with Tichu Cards

It'd be interesting to see if one could play Bridge with Tichu cards. Everyone gets dealt 14 cards. There are 4 suits from Ace to Two (Spades - Swords, Hearts - Stars, Diamonds - Jade, Clubs - Pagode) and 4 special cards (Dog, Dragon, Phoenix and Mahjong).

If you bid a contract you now have to get at least 7 tricks + the level of your contract, so there are again 7 levels of bidding and the scoring/rewards are exactly as in normal contract bridge.

The Mahjong (1) gives the right to lead to the first trick, but the Mahjong need not be led to the first trick. After the lead, dummy is tabled. If dummy holds the Mahjong, dummy is tabled before leading. When the Mahjong is led, the player in control of the Mahjong names a suit and the Mahjong counts as the lowest card in the wished suit. Alternatively, the Mahjong can be played as the lowest card of the suit led.
The Dragon (D) is the highest single card and counts as one higher than the Ace in the suit led. If led on its own, it counts as the only card of the suit "Dragons". It can be beat by any trump unless trumps were led.
The Phoenix (P) is a wild card that counts as 1/2 a point higher than the highest card of the led suit in the current trick. It cannot beat the Dragon. If the Phoenix is led it can never win the trick and the card from the 2nd player determines the suit led on the trick.
The Dog (d) can be played only as opening lead or as discard and ,unlike the other 3 special cards, cannot be used to follow suit. If it is discarded it has no relevance. If it is led to the trick, partner leads to a 3-card trick and both opponents play clockwise after that.

Example hand

	P 10 6 K 7 4 A 7 4 K 9 6 3 2
d A Q 8 4 8 6 2 6 5 A J 8 4	W	N S	E	1 J 9 5 3 A Q 3 Q 10 9 3 2 Q
	D K 7 2 J 10 9 5 K J 8 10 7 5

East plays in 3

(10 tricks from 14) and may lead himself as he has the Mahjong. He leads the Mahjong and demands Spades.

Trick	E	S	W	N	E	S	W
1.	1	2	Q	P
2.				4	9	J	5
3.		8	6	A	2
4.				4	Q	D	2
5.		J	6	7	A

Now declarer has to guess the trumps by running the Jack, trump to the Ace. Ace of Clubs, ruff a Club with the last trump in dummy. Ruff a Diamond. Dog to the two winning diamonds discarding Hearts. Just made.

Question: Does 3 make against best defence?

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws