Deal 65	♠   ♥   ♦   ♣		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH 1NT pass  BID      The bidding has gone as shown. Decide what you would say, then click on BID above.
	♠ K 9 8 7 5 4 ♥ 7 5 4 ♦ 9 8 6 ♣ Q

 

Deal 65	♠   ♥   ♦   ♣		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH 1NT pass 2♥ pass 2♠ pass  BID    Surely this hand will play better in ♠s than in notrump. So you transfer with 2♥ and partner bids 2♠. What do you say now?
	♠ K 9 8 7 5 4 ♥ 7 5 4 ♦ 9 8 6 ♣ Q

 

Deal 65	♠ Q 3 ♥ A 8 6 ♦ Q 7 5 2 ♣ A K 9 4		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH 1NT pass 2♥ pass 2♠ pass pass pass Surely this hand will play better in ♠s than in notrump. So you transfer with 2♥ and partner bids 2♠. What do you say now? You pass. In the old days, before transfers, you would have bid 2♠ with this hand as a sign-off. The only difference is that now partner gets to play it. Click NEXT to continue.
	♠ K 9 8 7 5 4 ♥ 7 5 4 ♦ 9 8 6 ♣ Q

 

Deal 65	♠ Q 3 ♥ A 8 6 ♦ Q 7 5 2 ♣ A K 9 4		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH 1NT pass 2♥ pass 2♠ pass pass pass The contract would be 2♠ played by North. To make South the declarer click ROTATE .
	♠ K 9 8 7 5 4 ♥ 7 5 4 ♦ 9 8 6 ♣ Q

 

Deal 65   2♠ OL: ♥Q	♠ K 9 8 7 5 4 ♥ 7 5 4 ♦ 9 8 6 ♣ Q		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH 1NT pass 2♥ pass 2♠ pass pass pass South plays 2♠. West leads the ♥Q and East plays the ♥9. Make a Plan, then click NEXT .
	♠ Q 3 ♥ A 8 6 ♦ Q 7 5 2 ♣ A K 9 4

 

Deal 65   2♠ OL: ♥Q	♠ K 9 8 7 5 4 ♥ 7 5 4 ♦ 9 8 6 ♣ Q		Loser List: ♠ = 2 : ♥ = 2 : ♦ = 3 : ♣ = 0 :: Total = 7 Suppose you win the ♥A, play over to the ♣Q, then try to get back to your hand with a trump to discard 2 losers on ♣ A K. If it worked that way it would be fine, but it is very likely that a defender would win their trump Ace, then take their 2 ♥s and 3 ♦s. You could be down one before you even got started. A better approach is to trade one of your ♣ winners for a quick discard. Take the ♥A, then play ♣ A K, discarding a ♥ from dummy. That will eliminate one ♥ loser.  NEXT
	♠ Q 3 ♥ A 8 6 ♦ Q 7 5 2 ♣ A K 9 4

 

Deal 65   2♠ OL: ♥Q	♠ K 9 8 7 5 4 ♥ 7 5 4 ♦ 9 8 6 ♣ Q		Loser List: ♠ = 2 : ♥ = 2 : ♦ = 3 : ♣ = 0 :: Total = 7 Suppose you win the ♥A, play over to the ♣Q, then try to get back to your hand with a trump to discard 2 losers on ♣ A K. If it worked that way it would be fine, but it is very likely that a defender would win their trump Ace, then take their 2 ♥s and 3 ♦s. You could be down one before you even got started. A better approach is to trade one of your ♣ winners for a quick discard. Take the ♥A, then play ♣ A K, discarding a ♥ from dummy. That will eliminate one ♥ loser. You probably cannot avoid your 3 ♦ losers, but you may be able to get out with losing a single trump. IF ♠s split 3-2, and IF you can win tricks with both the ♠K and ♠Q then you will make it. The only way it can happen is if East holds a doubleton ♠ A x. You must play the first ♠ from dummy, so ruff a ♣ to get there, then lead a small ♠, putting on your ♠Q when East follows low. This wins the trick, (hip-hip), so you now play your ♠3, ducking in dummy. When East has to take his ♠A, (hooray), you are home-free. Click NEXT to see the full deal.
	♠ Q 3 ♥ A 8 6 ♦ Q 7 5 2 ♣ A K 9 4

 

Deal 65   2♠ OL: ♥Q	♠ K 9 8 7 5 4 ♥ 7 5 4 ♦ 9 8 6 ♣ Q		With East holding the ♠A, this Plan clearly works. But, if you need East to hold the ♠ A x anyway, perhaps that first plan would have worked better. You know, take dummy's ♣Q, then play a low ♠ to get to your hand. It depends on East. If he ducked the low ♠ then you could get TWO discards and make an overtrick. The method given here gives up the possibility of an overtrick for an improved chance of making the contract. You choose. Deal 66
♠ J 10 2 ♥ Q J 10 3 ♦ A 10 4 ♣ 10 6 5		♠ A 6 ♥ K 9 2 ♦ K J 3 ♣ J 8 7 3 2
	♠ Q 3 ♥ A 8 6 ♦ Q 7 5 2 ♣ A K 9 4