Deal 2	♠ A 7 6 ♥ A 8 6 5 3 ♦ K 5 ♣ A K 5		WEST   NORTH   EAST   SOUTH 1♥ pass 1NT pass 3NT pass pass pass South is to play 3NT. West leads the ♠K. Make a Plan, then click NEXT .
	♠ 8 2 ♥ K 4 ♦ Q J 10 7 3 ♣ 9 8 4 3

 

Deal 2      3NT OL: ♠K	♠ A 7 6 ♥ A 8 6 5 3 ♦ K 5 ♣ A K 5		South is to play 3NT. West leads the ♠K. Winners:   ♠ = 1   ♥ = 2   ♦ = 0   ♣ = 2   Total = 5 Even if ♥s split 3-3 you could only get 2 extra winners there, so it should be clear that you must establish the ♦s. You will have to drive out the ♦A and hope they don't win too many ♠s at that time. You can help your chances by a hold-up of the ♠A until the third round. Click NEXT .
	♠ 8 2 ♥ K 4 ♦ Q J 10 7 3 ♣ 9 8 4 3

 

Deal 2      3NT OL: ♠K	♠ ♥ A 8 6 5 3 ♦ K 5 ♣ A K 5		South is to play 3NT. West leads the ♠K. Winners:   ♠ = 1   ♥ = 2   ♦ = 0   ♣ = 2   Total = 5 Even if ♥s split 3-3 you could only get 2 extra winners there, so it should be clear that you must establish the ♦s. You will have to drive out the ♦A and hope they don't win too many ♠s at that time. You can help your chances by a hold-up of the ♠A until the third round. Having just taken the third ♠ trick you now work on ♦s by first playing the ♦K, then continuing the suit. East wins the third one with his ♦A. And now the good news - he has no ♠ left to reach his partner's good tricks. So East plays the ♥Q. Click NEXT .
	♠ ♥ K 4 ♦ Q J 10 7 3 ♣ 9 8 4

 

Deal 2      3NT OL: ♠K	♠ ♥ A 8 6 5 ♦ ♣ A K 5		South is to play 3NT. West leads the ♠K. Winners:   ♠ = 1   ♥ = 2   ♦ = 0   ♣ = 2   Total = 5 Even if ♥s split 3-3 you could only get 2 extra winners there, so it should be clear that you must establish the ♦s. You will have to drive out the ♦A and hope they don't win too many ♠s at that time. You can help your chances by a hold-up of the ♠A until the third round. Having just taken the third ♠ trick you now work on ♦s by first playing the ♦K, then continuing the suit. East wins the third one with his ♦A. And now the good news - he has no ♠ left to reach his partner's good tricks. So East plays the ♥Q. At this point in the play you have three tricks in the bank; ♠A, ♦K, ♦Q. You take your ♥K, cash the two good ♦s, then lead to dummy for the ♣A K and ♥A. Voila! Click NEXT to see the complete Deal.
	♠ ♥ K 4 ♦ 10 7 ♣ 9 8 4

 

Deal 2      3NT OL: ♠K	♠ A 7 6 ♥ A 8 6 5 3 ♦ K 5 ♣ A K 5		You were lucky that East had the ♦A since he only had 3 ♠s. But what if East actually held 4 ♠s? No problem, in that case the ♠s would have split 4-4 so the defenders could only win 3 ♠ tricks and the ♦A. The hold-up lets you make the contract whenever East holds the ♦A. And if West happened to hold the ♦A??? You go down.  Deal 3
♠ K Q J 10 5 ♥ J 10 ♦ 9 6 2 ♣ J 7 6		♠ 9 4 3 ♥ Q 9 7 2 ♦ A 8 4 ♣ Q 10 2
	♠ 8 2 ♥ K 4 ♦ Q J 10 7 3 ♣ 9 8 4 3