Deal 64
 
 
 
♠ ?
?
?
♣ ?
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
 BID 
 
 
 
 

You are South and it is your bid.
Decide what you would say, then click on BID .
   
  ♠ A K Q J 8
K 4
K 3
♣ A K Q 4
 

 
Deal 64
 
 
 
♠ ?
?
?
♣ ?
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
2♣
pass2pass BID 
 
 
 

This is definitely a 2♣ opening bid.

Partner responds 2, 7 points or less.

What do you bid next?
   
  ♠ A K Q J 8
K 4
K 3
♣ A K Q 4
 

 
Deal 64
 
 
 
♠ ?
?
?
♣ ?
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
2♣
pass2pass2♠
pass3♠pass BID 
 
 

The formalities are over. Partner knows you have 22 or more points and you know he has 7 or fewer. Time to find a suit.

You bid 2♠ which partner raises to 3♠.

What do you bid next?
   
  ♠ A K Q J 8
K 4
K 3
♣ A K Q 4
 

 
Deal 64
 
 
 
♠ 7 6 4
Q 8 7 3
A 9 7 2
♣ 8 6
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
2♣
pass2pass2♠
pass3♠pass4NT
pass5pass6♠
passpasspass

Partner's 3♠ bid is forward-going. With a complete bust he would have said 3♣ as a "second negative". So you use Blackwood. Partner shows one Ace and you bid the slam.

South plays 6♠. West leads the ♣J.

Make a Plan, then click NEXT .
   
  ♠ A K Q J 8
K 4
K 3
♣ A K Q 4
 

 
Deal 64
 
 
 
♠ 7 6 4
Q 8 7 3
A 9 7 2
♣ 8 6
  South plays 6♠. West leads the ♣J.

Losers: ♠ 0 : 1 : 0 : ♣ 1 : Total = 2

Between the loser and the ♣ loser which one can you eliminate? Easy question, fast losers like the A are tough to eliminate. Usually you work on those slow losers.

The logical way to remove that ♣ loser is to ruff it in dummy. But do it carefully. It would be silly to play ♣A, ♣K, ♣Q and then try to ruff the ♣4. That is just begging for an over-ruff. It would be better to just take two rounds of ♣s, then ruff the ♣4. But even that isn't the best.

First take two rounds of trumps with the ♠A and ♠K. Then play two top ♣s. Only then do you ruff the ♣4.

Click NEXT for proof that this elaborate Plan was the best.
   
  ♠ A K Q J 8
K 4
K 3
♣ A K Q 4
 

 
Deal 64
 
 
 
♠ 7 6 4
Q 8 7 3
A 9 7 2
♣ 8 6
  You only needed one trump in dummy to ruff your one ♣ loser, so that made it right to pull two rounds of trumps first.

It made no difference in tricks whether you ruffed the third or fourth ♣ so that made it right to ruff the third one.

 Deal 65 
♠ 9 5 2
10 6
Q 8 6
♣ J 10 9 7 2
♠ 10 3
A J 9 5 2
J 10 5 4
♣ 5 3
  ♠ A K Q J 8
K 4
K 3
♣ A K Q 4