Deal 42
 
 
 
♠  
 
 
♣  
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
2NTpass BID 
 
 
 

The bidding has gone as shown.
Decide what you would say, then click on BID above.
  ♠ K 5
J 7 5 3
Q 6 2
♣ 8 5 4 2
 

 
Deal 42
 
 
 
♠  
 
 
♣  
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
2NTpass3♣
pass3pass BID 
 
 

Partner's 2NT opening shows 20-21 points so you know you want to be in game.
To find out which game you bid a Stayman 3♣.
Partner replies 3. What do you say now?
  ♠ K 5
J 7 5 3
Q 6 2
♣ 8 5 4 2
 

 
Deal 42
 
 
 
♠ J 9 6
A 8
A K 10 5 3
♣ A K 6
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
2NTpass3♣
pass3pass3NT
passpasspass
 

Partner's 2NT opening shows 20-21 points so you know you want to be in game.
To find out which game you bid a Stayman 3♣.
Partner replies 3. What do you say now?

You don't have a 4-4 fit, so you bid 3NT.

Click NEXT to continue.
  ♠ K 5
J 7 5 3
Q 6 2
♣ 8 5 4 2
 

 
Deal 42
 
 
 
♠ J 9 6
A 8
A K 10 5 3
♣ A K 6
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
2NTpass3♣
pass3pass3NT
passpasspass
 

The contract would be 3NT played by North.

To make South the declarer click ROTATE .
  ♠ K 5
J 7 5 3
Q 6 2
♣ 8 5 4 2
 

 
Deal 42
 
3NT
OL: ♠3;
♠ K 5
J 7 5 3
Q 6 2
♣ 8 5 4 2
 
 WEST  NORTH  EAST  SOUTH
2NT
pass3♣pass3
pass3NTpasspass
pass

South plays 3NT. West leads the ♠3.
Your first problem is which ♠ to play from dummy.
That is an easy problem. If you play the ♠K you might lose the first five or six tricks. If you play low you guarantee a ♠ stopper.
East plays the ♠A and returns the ♠7 to dummy's ♠K. West plays the ♠2 on this trick.

Make a Plan, then click NEXT .
  ♠ J 9 6
A 8
A K 10 5 3
♣ A K 6
 

 
Deal 42
 
3NT
OL: ♠3;
♠ K 5
J 7 5 3
Q 6 2
♣ 8 5 4 2
  Winner List: ♠ = 1 : = 1 : = 3 : ♣ = 2 :: Total = 7

You need 2 more winners, and you need to get them before you lose the lead because it appears that West can cash 3 more ♠ tricks.

That means you need all 5 tricks. The good news is that the 5 missing s will split 3-2 about two-thirds of the time. The bad news is that they will be 4-1 about one-third of the time.
Can you protect yourself against a 4-1 break?

 NEXT 
  ♠ J 9 6
A 8
A K 10 5 3
♣ A K 6
 

 
Deal 42
 
3NT
OL: ♠3;
♠ K 5
J 7 5 3
Q 6 2
♣ 8 5 4 2
  Winner List: ♠ = 1 : = 1 : = 3 : ♣ = 2 :: Total = 7

You need 2 more winners, and you need to get them before you lose the lead because it appears that West can cash 3 more ♠ tricks.

That means you need all 5 tricks. The good news is that the 5 missing s will split 3-2 about two-thirds of the time. The bad news is that they will be 4-1 about one-third of the time.
Can you protect yourself against a 4-1 break?


Maybe and maybe not.
If West has  J x x x there won't be anything you can do about it. But if East has this holding then you can succeed if you play your cards right.

 NEXT 
  ♠ J 9 6
A 8
A K 10 5 3
♣ A K 6
 

 
Deal 42
 
3NT
OL: ♠3;
♠ K 5
J 7 5 3
Q 6 2
♣ 8 5 4 2
  Winner List: ♠ = 1 : = 1 : = 3 : ♣ = 2 :: Total = 7

You need 2 more winners, and you need to get them before you lose the lead because it appears that West can cash 3 more ♠ tricks.

That means you need all 5 tricks. The good news is that the 5 missing s will split 3-2 about two-thirds of the time. The bad news is that they will be 4-1 about one-third of the time.
Can you protect yourself against a 4-1 break?

Maybe and maybe not.
If West has  J x x x there won't be anything you can do about it. But if East has this holding then you can succeed if you play your cards right.


Did you like that "play your cards right" quip?
First play a to your K; both defenders follow.
Next play a to dummy's Q. West discards a ♣.
You are conveniently in dummy so you play dummy's last and East's  J 9 are caught in a pincer movement by your  A 10 5.

Click NEXT to see the full deal.
  ♠ J 9 6
A 8
A K 10 5 3
♣ A K 6
 

 
Deal 42
 
3NT
OL: ♠3;
♠ K 5
J 7 5 3
Q 6 2
♣ 8 5 4 2
  It was important to play the s exactly as described because dummy had only one entry left, the Q.

Suppose your first play had been dummy's Q. You could make your contract if you play a small and finesse the 10. But at that point you wouldn't know whether the s were splitting evenly or not. You'd be risking defeat on a hand where everybody who played for the 3-2 split was making the contract.

By taking the SECOND trick with dummy's Q the 4-1 split is exposed at the right time.

Deal 43
♠ Q 10 8 3 2
Q 9 6
8
♣ 10 9 7 3
♠ A 7 4
K 10 4 2
J 9 7 4
♣ Q J
  ♠ J 9 6
A 8
A K 10 5 3
♣ A K 6