Deal 53	♠ ? ♥ ? ♦ ? ♣ ?		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH  BID        You are South and it is your bid. Decide what you would say, then click on BID .
	♠ A J 2 ♥ A 10 7 ♦ J 10 9 ♣ K 7 6 3

 

Deal 53	♠ ? ♥ ? ♦ ? ♣ ?		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH 1♣ pass 1♦ pass  BID      When you are dealt 13 points and only one biddable suit things are simple. After you open 1♣ partner responds 1♦. What now?
	♠ A J 2 ♥ A 10 7 ♦ J 10 9 ♣ K 7 6 3

 

Deal 53	♠ 7 5 ♥ K 6 4 ♦ A Q 8 5 3 ♣ A J 2		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH 1♣ pass 1♦ pass 1NT pass 3NT pass pass pass You can't support responder's suit with only 3 cards so you show your minimum by bidding 1NT. Partner bids 3NT and you naturally pass. South plays 3NT. West leads ♠6. East plays ♠K. Make a Plan, then click NEXT .
	♠ A J 2 ♥ A 10 7 ♦ J 10 9 ♣ K 7 6 3

 

Deal 53	♠ 7 5 ♥ K 6 4 ♦ A Q 8 5 3 ♣ A J 2		South plays 3NT. West leads ♠6. East plays ♠K. Winners: ♠ 1 : ♥ 2 : ♦ 1 : ♣ 2 : Total = 6 You need 3 more winners and clearly they must come from the ♦ suit. If West happens to hold the ♦K all will be well, but what about the times when East holds it? The immediate, burning question is whether to win the first trick or not. By winning you will create a second ♠ stopper - as long as East never gets into the lead. But the problem is that your main finesse is going into East. So you hold up on the first trick, sacrificing the chance of a second stopper. When East returns a ♠ you hold up again, playing the ♠J which West wins with the ♠Q. Your ♠A is finally driven out on the third trick. Now you take the ♦ finesse, losing to East's ♦K (as expected). But it doesn't matter because East has no more ♠s. Whatever he plays you win and take all your winners, which happen to add up to 9. Click NEXT to see the full deal.
	♠ A J 2 ♥ A 10 7 ♦ J 10 9 ♣ K 7 6 3

 

Deal 53	♠ 7 5 ♥ K 6 4 ♦ A Q 8 5 3 ♣ A J 2		This is one of those hands where your thinking would be clearer if you had less strength. If you did not have the ♠J you would never consider doing anything except hold up. But with it you start wondering if you can get a trick with it. Of course, as you see, the hold-up would be correct with ♠ A 3 2, and it is also correct with ♠ A J 2.  Deal 54
♠ Q 10 8 6 3 ♥ Q 8 5 2 ♦ 6 4 ♣ 9 8		♠ K 9 4 ♥ J 9 3 ♦ K 7 2 ♣ Q 10 5 4
	♠ A J 2 ♥ A 10 7 ♦ J 10 9 ♣ K 7 6 3