♠ AJT982 ♥ 3 ♦ AK2 ♣ A87 ♠AK ♥K8 ♦7642 ♣AQT92 ♠Q92 ♥KT ♦AKJT5 ♣874 ♠AQ ♥K43 ♦952 ♣AK864 5 ♠ AK ♥ 62 ♦ KT9 ♣AQJ843 6 ♠754 ♥K3 ♦AKQ2 ♣KT65 7 ♠A32 ♥8654 ♦T97 ♣AK7 8 ♠32 ♥854 ♦A7632 ♣AKQ 2 3 NT, ♥K lead 3 6 Hearts, ♦T lead 2 6 Spades, ♥Q lead 3? 7 Spades, ♦K lead ♠ JT32 ♥ A8 ♦ AQ4 ♣ T752 ♠KT ♥AQJT74 ♦865 ♣A2 ♠KQJT974 ♥AK2 ♦K8 ♣6 ♠AKQJT95 ♥AQ ♦ - ♣8732 9 ♠ J9852 ♥ KQ ♦ AQT ♣ QJ3 10 ♠T963 ♥A7 ♦AQJT87 ♣4 11 ♠54 ♥83 ♦652 ♣AQJT97 12 ♠A2 ♥T93 ♦K87643 ♣95 2 6 NT, ♥T lead 3 3 NT; ♥J lead 2? ? 3 NT; ♠Q lead 2 4 Spades; ♥Q lead ♠ AT ♥ AJ2 ♦ KJ43 ♣ AT96 ♠A4 ♥K2 ♦932 ♣KQ8753 ♠AK ♥AT97 ♦AK843 ♣65 ♠KT ♥AJ85 ♦AQ ♣AK632 Answers to Multiple Play Planning - Problems ♠ KQ75 ♥ AQ84 ♦ 643 ♣Q2 #1. 2 choices. 10 Winners. (1) The Heart finesse or (2) a Backhand Finesse of the ♣Queen. Both are 50% odds, but one loses and the other keeps your 2nd chance intact. ♠T8 ♥9632 ♦AQ85 ♣KJ7
Description You can have “blind spots” as a Declarer when you make an “obvious play” quickly and without planning the entire hand play before following to the opening lead. Do not do it! Usage yourself to mentally plan the entire hand before playing to the first trick, no matter how obvious it is to play. In fact, the more “obvious” a play is, the more you should hesitate before playing it. As declarer, you are legally allowed a “minute or two” to plan the hand – take every second of it. Reject “automatic plays” until you have done complete Play Planning. It’s your right as Declarer. When the contract is in danger or you need extra tricks (always), examine your resources in both hands and decide which play, or combination of plays you can make that will give you the best odds of making “iffy” tricks. For example, this could mean Ducking* the first trick to keep the lead in West’s hand: one of many Declarer Techniques described in the following pages. Blind Spot Avoidance Example Declarer Play Planning: To plan the play correctly, Declarer must consider the probable distribution of all 4 In this hand, there is the problem of losing a Spade, while taking 7 Diamonds, a Club, 2 Hearts and 2 Spades – for 12 tricks - but not the 13 that North contracted for.
Defenders use conventional and signals, which give you many clues about Strength and Shape: the Rule of 11 is the most obvious one. But you must know what system they use, so just ask! “Standard” is Hi-Lo for even count and Hi for positive Attitude and Lo for negative. 1. Q82 Contract: 3NT West’s Lead: 7. Declarer thinks for 2 seconds and “sees” the whole distribution of Spade cards and HCP in both the East and West hands! What? Can you do that? Take all the “seconds” you need . . . 7 ? A54 2. 654 Contract: 3NT West’s Lead: Q; East plays the 9. Declarer thinks for 2 seconds and “sees” the distribution of all cards and HCP in both East and West hands. WHAT !? Can you figure it out? Again, take all the seconds you need. (But no peeking allowed) Q 9 A72 3. 93 K32 QT2 KQ864 Contract: 3NT West’s lead: 5. East plays the Q and you win with the K. Now what? If Spades split 4 – 4, you are home with 3 Spade losers and the A, but if Spades are 5 – 3, you’re down. (You should be in 5♦ anyhow.) But, if Clubs split 3 – 3, you can take 9 tricks before losing to the A and then losing 3 or 4 Spade tricks. But if you take AKQ and don’t split, then you’ll also lose another Club trick – down two. How can you find out about Clubs as safely as possible? 5 Q K82 AQ9 A3 Discovery – Signals Problem Answers 1. Q82 Contract: 3NT. West’s lead: 7. Some shape and West’s opening lead. Why this
♠ 82 ♥ 73 ♦ Q982 ♣ A6432 S W N E Both Vulnerable 1♠ P 1NT P 4♠ P P P Against 4♠, West the ♥Q and, when Dummy appears, you can count 9 tricks. A Heart ruff in Dummy could be the 10th trick, (at least it could be if the defense is fast asleep). But no, the defenders will see the need to stop a Heart ruff. So, in case it is necessary to lead trumps through Declarer (West have ♠Kx from East’s point of view), East overtakes the opening lead with his ♥K and fires back a trump. Now What? ♠ AKQJT3 ♥ 542 ♦ A ♣ KJ7 You are clearly not going to get your 10th trick via a Heart ruff: defenders are NOT asleep. So what’s your plan now? Clubs must come to the rescue, and one obvious line of play is simply to draw trumps, cross to the ♣A and Finesse* the ♣J. There is a 50% chance that East will have the ♣Q, in which case you’ll make your contract on a successful Club Finesse*. Can you find a line that is odds-on favorite to succeed, not 50%? YES! It’s 68% odds that the missing Clubs will split 3-2. So you should lose the first round of Clubs. Play a Duck* and later play the ♣K, then the ♣A, hoping that the suit behaves, i.e., splits 3 - 2. But there’s a slight snag, isn’t there? It won’t work to win the trump shift at Trick 2, draw the remaining trumps, and then lose a Club. In that case, defenders will take 2 more Heart tricks: you DO have 3 Hearts losers in hand. Better timing is required. Key: The first Club must be lost before drawing any more trumps: that way there will still be a trump in Dummy to handle the 3rd round of Hearts. The whole hand: ♠ 82 ♥ 73 ♦ Q982 ♣ A6432 ♠ 97 ♥ QJT98 ♦ J63 ♣ QT8 ♠ 654 ♥ AK6 ♦ KT754 ♣ 95 ♠ AKQJT3 ♥ 542 ♦ A ♣ KJ7 Odds Distribution – continued.
Now what? AK QJ987 5432 73 3. AKJ2 K63 752 KQ7 Contract: 6 Hearts West’s Lead: ♦K You take the ♦Ace and then . . .? Q4 AJ854 AJ AJT3 Finesse Avoidance - Examples I - continued 4. T8 QJT 643 K9764 Contract: 4 Hearts West’s Lead: ♦K E-W take 3 Diamonds and East then a Spade . . . again! Which Spade this time? A or ♠Q? AQ AK9862 J98 A3 5. AQ KQ765 Q72 987 Contract: 4 Hearts West’s Lead: ♠4 Boring! Which Spade this time? (like that’s a mystery!) 32 AJT98 J65 AKQ
K8 AQ53 98 Finesse Avoidance II – Problems continued 4. AQ T762 AK84 763 Contract: 4 Hearts West’s Lead: ♠3 Make an easy overtrick by finessing the ♠Q on the opening lead – 86 QJ3 K42 5. Q85 K765 AQ72 54 Contract: 6 NT West’s Lead: ♠Jack. Take the 50% Club finesse? Is there any other way? Is it any better? AK4 A98 KJ65 AKJ 6. K 876532 ♦964 ♣QJT Contract: 4 Spades West’s Lead: ♦Q There are finesses available in both Hearts and Clubs. Take one . . . or both? AQJT93 ♥AQ ♦A72 ♣A4
Finesse Avoidance II - Answers. 1. 3 J864 K98 Contract: 6 Clubs West’s Lead: ♦A, winning, then the ♥7. Is there any better line than to take the 50% Spade finesse for a chance of success? Maybe: Take the ♣A, then enter Dummy twice with Clubs and trump Diamonds high - with the ♣T or higher so you can’t be overruffed. The Q might drop on the 3rd round, solving your Spade problem with the ♦J. If not, only then take the Spade finesse. 2 chances are always better than one . . . J2 AKQJ K AQJT43 2. AK87 3 AQJ54 K84 Contract: 6 Spades West’s Lead: Is there any better line of play than the 50% Diamond finesse? Yes. Collect trump, Eliminate* Hearts and then lead a Club toward the ♣King (a Finesse, that’s true.) If West wins it, then you can pitch your losing Diamond on the ♣King. If East wins it, you were going to lost 1 Club trick anyhow, and East can’t lead Diamonds or Hearts or Spades. But if you take the Diamond finesse first and it loses, you are down immediately as East will lead a Club. 2 chances are . . . QJT6542 A86 T6 2 3. - AQT972 742 AK52 Contract: 6 Hearts West’s Lead: ♠Queen. Is there any better line of play than the Diamond finesse, possibly losing 2 Diamonds? Absolutely. a Diamond from dummy on the opening lead (East wins the ♠Ace, of course), then later pitch a 2nd Diamond from dummy on your good ♠King. Easy. Can’t lose. Do not be in a hurry - especially to ruff. K8 AQ53 98 Finesse Avoidance II – Answers continued
4. AQ T762 AK84 763 Contract: 4 Hearts West’s Lead: ♠3 Make an easy overtrick by finessing the ♠Q on the opening lead? Absolutely not! East wins and leads her ♣Jack. How many are you down? And on a sure 10 trick contract! Shame! A Dangerous Opponent* situation: East cannot be let in! 86 AKQ93 QJ3 K42 5. Q85 K765 AQ72 54 Contract: 6NT West’s Lead: ♠Jack. Take the Club finesse? Is there any other way? Of course there is. Take 2 Spades and 4 Diamond tricks, watching discards closely. Then Duck* a Heart. Win any return and play ♥A and ♥K. If Hearts break 3 -3 or someone discarded their 4th Heart, there goes your J loser. If not, then Finesse* it. 2 chances are … AK4 A98 KJ65 AKJ 6. K 876532 ♦964 ♣QJT Contract: 4 Spades West’s Lead: ♦Q There’s finesses available in both Hearts and Clubs. Take which one . . . or both? Neither. Guarantee it easily by NOT collecting trump before playing the ♣Ace and the ♣4, setting up a Club winner in dummy for your Heart loser. Easy if you defer trump collection, getting to dummy with the K. Collect trump first and fail. 100% is better than any other odds. AQJT93 ♥AQ ♦A72 ♣A4 Taking a Finesse After every effort to avoid taking a Finesse(s)*, sometimes there is simply no other play, so you have to take it or them. Doing them in the correct order is the primary skill to develop.
2. T4 763 KQ75 KT92 Contract: 3 NT West’s Lead: 3, to dummy’s T, the J from East, which you win with the ♠Q. Who is the Dangerous Opponent? Why? Plan the Play. KQ6 AK5 A4 3. A98 J54 AQJ54 65 Contract: 4 Spades West’s Lead: K You could lose 2 Spades, a Heart and a Club. Plan the Play to always make 10 tricks. QT7654 KQ32 2 AT Taking a Finesse – Problems continued 4. J6 K753 KJ7 JT98 Contract: 6 Spades West bid 2♥ over South’s 2♣ opening. West’s Lead: 2. Spades split 2 – 2. Plan the Play. AKQT987 2 A3 AK4 5. 875 62 AQ652 KQT Contract: 4 Hearts West’s Lead: K, then the A and then the 3 to East’s Q. East then a Club. A Free Finesse! Now what?
962 AKJT43 KJ A5 6. 2 AJ53 AKQJ AQT6 Contract: 6 Hearts West opened 4 Spades. West’s Lead: K and then the 7, obviously a singleton. How should you play the suit, which is the only problem? 84 K9762 843 KJ5 Taking a Finesse - Answers 1. KT3 AT94 K653 J2 Contract: 3 NT West opened 2 West’s Lead: Q. You win the ♠A, of course. West has 7 non-Spades and East has 11 non-Spades. These are called “empty spaces”, so finesse East for the Q by leading the ♥Ten from dummy. spaces” means East has more room in her hand for theQ. Hey! It’s something at least. A6 KJ7 A987 8765 2. T4 763 KQ75 KT92 Contract: 3 NT West’s Lead: 3, T and J Win with the Q. (No Deception). because East played the ♠Jack. You (she’s the Dangerous Opponent*) If that doesn’t work, play the 4th hoping West must win it, and she her Ace, making your King good. KQ6 AK5
Hold Up– Problems 1. AK42 974 73 KJ62 Contract: 4 Hearts West’s Lead: ♥K Wow! Missing 100 Honors (4 cards) in the trump suit. However, such things happen and the contract is OK as to shape and HCP, but how to make it? Hint: with so many small trumps, you are going to have to make a lot of them individually – with ruffs or Cross Ruffs* - not by “drawing trump”. And West is trying to draw trump for you so you can’t ruff many times. Nasty defender! Where are the ruffing possibilities? A Diamond in dummy and some Clubs in Declarer’s hand. J976 KQJ KT84 97 Q83 A6532 AJ9 A4 T5 T8 Q652 QT853 2. K982 63 J AQT987 Contract: 4 Hearts West’s Lead: ♦5 (Luckily not the ♠J) South won East’s ♦Queen, ruffed a Diamond, drew trumps, then let the ♣J ride, losing to East. East then returned a Diamond to West’s King but 2 Spades went to defenders, setting South by one. Did South do something wrong? What? JT63 852 KT853 4 74 A72 J63 AQ5 T74 Q964 K52 Hold Up – Answers
Inference – I Answers 1. 83 52 ? 7 Q974 K4 Q86 KT65 KJT65 83 A AJ942 Contract: 4 A2 AQ ? 83 West’s Lead: 2. East wins 2 Heart tricks, than plays ♠A and ♠2, collecting defender’s trumps for you. Your thinking at this point: “Let’s see: West started with 5 Diamonds so East had 1. East responded in a 4-card Heart suit and West raised with 3 (We have 6 Hearts, so they’re 4-3). They have 8 spades but neither of them bid or opened them, so they must be 4 – 4. HCP don’t matter, as either one have the ♣Q. Solution? And the answer is . . More Counting! “I have 9 Clubs; they have 4. They have played 3 of them at this point. But, if East has the Q, she had 3 of their 4 Clubs, leaving West with a singleton. With a singleton to lead to your opening partner, would you lead it if you were West? Probably. Did she? No, she led a Heart, so you should not take the Finesse; instead play for the drop; not because of some dumb slogan, but because the logic of this particular hand tells you that it is probably the right play. Good Luck! 2. K43 964 QT65 KT4 Contract: 3♣ “I’ve counted all the suits, mostly by inference about what they didn’t bid, so I have a complete picture of East’s shape: 4=4=1=4. So . . . West has only 1 Club and therefore the finesse goes thru East. I’ll lead to the K and the Ten back thru East’s 4 Club cards for a sure winning finesse*.” Brilliant ! 3 AKJ 2 7 5 3 3 A7 A82 743 AJ965 Inference – II Problems 3. AT753 Q852 Contract: 4 Hearts
Q54 7 West leads the 9, North ducks, East wins the J, then she leads the King, and you ruff. You lead the J, East takes the Ace and King, then plays the Ace, Smothering* dummy’s Q, but ruffed by you. Your thinking at this point: “5 tricks have been played with East showing 15 HCP. She can have one black Queen left, but not both. My concern is the ♠Q; I can finesse for it either way. I don’t care about the ♣Q.” “Now how about West? Can her play help me find the ♠Q, which is key to my making this contract?” How so?” 7 ♦9267 AK JKA KJ2 JT9643 3 AJ8 4. KQJ AT74 AJT JT5 Contract: 4♠ West takes 3 Clubs then leads the K. Dummy takes the Ace and you ruff a 2nd Heart, dropping West’s Queen. You draw trumps in 3 rounds and ruff another Heart. Now you have to find the Queen to make your contract. You can’t Throw In* someone to force a Diamond lead, as that would put you down one. Where is it? Why? 347 KQ AKQ7 5 2356 239 AT9862 9 K96 864 Inference – II Answers 3. Q852
Q54 7 West leads the 9, North ducks and East wins the Jack. Then she plays the King and you ruff. You lead trumps and East takes her Ace and King, then plays the Ace, ruffed by you. Your thinking: “5 tricks played; East has showed 15 HCP. She has only one Queen left – maybe – but not both. West has the ♣King. “Can West’s play help solve the ♠Q problem, which is key to making this contract? Let’s see: her lead was a worthless Diamond. I think that if she had both missing Club honors she would have led one of them because her partner opened 1NT. Did she?” “No, so she doesn’t have both Club Honors, meaning East has the ♣Q, and that puts the ♠Q in East’s hand, hopefully”. Simple counting and inference half way through the play of the hand. Neat! 7 ♦9267 AK JKA KJ2 JT9643 3 AJ8 4. KQJ AT74 AJT JT5 Contract: 4♠ West takes 3 Clubs then leads the K. Dummy takes the A and you ruff a 2nd Heart, dropping West’s Q. You draws trumps in 3 rounds and ruff another Heart. Now you have to find the Q to make your contract. Where is it? It could be in either hand, or could it? Your thinking at this point: “West had 3 Spades, 2 Hearts, 4 Clubs and 4 Diamonds – a balanced hand. So far, she’s played AKQ and KQ. With the Q as well, what would she have opened? Not 1 Club – she would have opened 1NT.” And so, where’s the Queen?” Nothing to this game. Constantly counting HCP and Shape throughout the play of the hand wins. 347 KQ AKQ7 5 2356 239 AT9862 9 K96 864 JETTISON
4. ♠ AKQ Contract: ♣6 ♥ K4 ♦ JT53 ♣ Q842 ♠ 865 ♥ A3 ♦ AKQ ♣ West’s Lead: ♥Q. You will lose 2 Club tricks if West has all 4 but there’s no problem if they are split 2 – 2 or 3 – 1 or even 4 – 0 in the East. How do you prevent 2 losers if they are split 4 – 0 in the East? Management - Answers 3. ♠ 752 ♥ 743 ♦ AQJT ♣ Q53 Contract: 4 Hearts West’s lead: ♣J Technique: Play the ♣ Q on the opening lead to put the idea you have 2 Clubs into defenders’ minds. A Deception* that costs you nothing. Of course, East will play the ♣King if she has it. But later, there’s no additional Club winner for them! Problem: East is a Dangerous Opponent* in Spades. Solution: On the 2nd trick, go to dummy in Diamonds and lead a small trump, covering anything East plays: she must be kept out of the lead. Repeat if necessary. It is OK to lose a trump trick to West, but never to East. Do not play “Eight Ever, Nine Never” because East could win the 3rd trump trick. Eventually you will pitch a losing Spade on a Diamond. ♠ K84 ♥ AK9652 ♦ K52 ♣ A 4. ♠ AKQ ♥ K4 ♦ JT53 ♣ Q842 ♠ 865 ♥ A3 ♦ AKQ ♣ AJ765 Contract: 6 Clubs. West’s Lead: ♥Q Problem: You will lose 2 trump tricks if West has all 4 but it’s no problem if they are 2 – 2 or 3 – 1 or even 4 – 0 in the East, but not if they’re all in the West. Solution: Play East for possibly all 4 missing trumps: How? Visualize* East’s theoretical 4 Clubs: ♣KT93.