Declarer Play (1)

 

GENERAL

  1. What is your goal?   It might be to make 9 tricks in 3NT (teams) or make as many tricks as possible! (Pairs is usually like this).

 

-         do not play a card from dummy until you have thanked your partner, or smiled or whatever makes your partner feel comfortable AND you have counted your tricks and made a plan.

-         Start your ‘forensics’... what do you know about the opponents hands from the bidding, lack of bidding and opening lead?

-         If you are not sure what the opening lead shows...ASK!  In any case find out the opponents’ general style.

-         If the contract looks easy ask yourself... “what could go wrong?”

 

No Trumps

Example:   Hand 1 (preserve the entry and a simple safety play)

♠ K4

♥ 1076

♦ K109632

♣ 53

♠ QJ109                                   ♠ 8765

♥ K32                                      ♥ J98

♦ J854                                      ♦ 7

♣ J10                                       ♣ KQ872

♠ A32

♥ AQ54

♦ AQ

♣ A964

 

How the bidding went.

N         E          S          W

P          P          2NT     P

3NT     P          All pass

West will normally lead the Q♠ (promising the J and denying the K).

Count the top tricks. 2 spades, 1 heart, 3 diamonds and 1 club.  7 in all.  Chances for additional tricks lie in Diamonds (length), hearts (length and finesse).

If the diamonds are divided 3-2 (67% of the time) then you will have 2♠, 1+♥, 6♦ and 1 ♣ (10)… sounds easy… so “what could go wrong?”  Clearly diamonds 4-1 (not singleton J) or 5-0 will be a challenge.   These bad things will occur approximately 27% of the time so you should take insurance at teams (as your goal is 9 tricks to get the game bonus) and play as follows:   You will need an entry to those diamonds… so win the lead with the Ace and lead the A♦, then the Q♦ and overtake it with the K♦… If the J is doubleton with East (13%) this play will not have cost a trick… otherwise if the diamonds are 3-2 it will have cost a trick, however today this play is vital to ensure the contract.  Play the 10♦ next to drive out the J and win the K♠ and cash your diamonds and watch what is discarded as this will often tell you (whether spades were 5-2, in which case the ♥ finesse may be hazardous, or whether the ♥ finesse is ON.

 

 

Example:   Hand 3 (establish long suits if you have time!)

♠ 9876

♥ A54

♦ J42

♣ 1098

♠ AJ                                         ♠ KQ5

♥ QJ72                                    ♥1063

♦ 65                                         ♦ Q1093

♣ J7632                                   ♣ K54

♠ 10432

♥ K98

♦ AK87

♣ AQ

 

How the bidding went.

N         E          S          W

1NT     P

All pass

 

The 3♣ is a normal lead from West. So you can count 6 tricks, from where is the 7th to come?   The J♦ may score if one opponent has Qx♦ or West has the Q, however there is no real hurry to cash these – the lead looks like 4th best from 4 or 5 so you can afford to lose 3♣ and 3♠.  Win the first trick and play on ♠ hoping that they will be 3-2… if they are not, you can fall back on the Qx♦ chance.

 

Hopeless contracts.

Never give up!   I saw this hand only last Friday…

Example:  Hand 5 play for maximum tricks at pairs

North

♠ QJ97

♥ QJ953

♦ Q9

♣ A3

South

♠ AK5

♥ A4

♦ AJ4

♣ Q9862

 

How the bidding went:

N         E          S          W

1♥        P          2♣       P

2♠!       P          4NT     P

5♦        P          6NT  All pass

The 2♠ bid is not recommended here as it promises 16+ or greater distribution than 4-5.

Opening lead is the 2♥.   How do you play?

 

The full hand

♠ QJ97

♥ QJ953

♦ Q9

♣ A3

♠ 2                                           ♠ 108643

♥ 108762                                 ♥ K

♦ 653                                       ♦ K10872

♣ K1074                                 ♣ J5

♠ AK5

♥ A4

♦ AJ4

♣ Q9862

 

Example:   Hand 10 (Ducking, danger hand)

♠ AQ976

♥ K765

♦ 103

♣ K4

♠ 45                                         ♠ K832

♥ J108                                     ♥Q94

♦ KJ985                                   ♦ Q42

♣ Q87                                     ♣ 653

♠ J10

♥ A32

♦ A76

♣ AJ1092

 

How the bidding went.

N         E          S          W

1♣       P         

1♠        P          1NT     P         

2♥        P          3NT

All pass

 

West should lead the 8♦ and East should play the Q.   South should duck this and the 4♦ return (to show 3 cards – return the 2 to show 4 or 2 cards).   South wins the 3rd ♦ and has a choice of finesses.  Are they the same?   Who is the danger hand?   You can make by running the J♣ of course and that will also net you over tricks.

 

 

Example:   Hand 6 (preserve the entry)

♠ 9876

♥ QJ54

♦ J42

♣ 98

♠ AJ3                                       ♠ K52

♥ A73                                      ♥ K1062

♦ 6                                           ♦ AQ953

♣ J107632                               ♣ A

♠ Q104

♥ 98

♦ K1087

♣ KQ54

 

How the bidding went.

N         E          S          W

1♦        P          1NT    

P          2♥1      P          3NT

All pass

1 Here the reverse just shows 5-4 and 16-19, occasionally it will be right to play a 4-3 ♥ fit.

If West bids 3♥ at her second turn that would show this hand with 3 ♥, after all partner may have 6+ ♦ and 5♥.   East will convert to 3NT to show this hand type.

 

Suit contracts

Should I draw all trumps, some trumps or do other things first (like ruff something)?

 

Example:  Hand 7  Establishing a long suit.   4-3 distribution is 62% whereas the J♣ with West is 50%.

♠ AJ

♥A5432

♦ A43

♣ K104

♠ 32                                         ♠ 965

♥ KQJ10                                 ♥ 987

♦ Q952                                    ♦ KJ6

♣ 765                                      ♣ AJ98

♠ KQ10874

♥ 6

♦ 1087

♣ Q32

 

 

How the ‘experts bid it’.

N         E          S          W

                        2♠        P

4♠        All Pass

 

Win the K♥ lead and trump a ♥, play a ♠ to the Ace and trump another ♥, play a ♠ to the J and trump a ♥. Draw the outstanding trump. Enter Dummy with the A♦ and discard a ♦ on the winning ♥.   Play a ♣ to the Q and exit in Diamonds.   You should lose a ♦ and 2♣.

 

Example:  Hand 8   ‘8 ever 9 never’, well... nearly never

♠ KJ976

♥J8

♦ AQ8

♣ KJ8

♠ 4                                           ♠ Q32

♥ AK109732                           ♥ Q6

♦ 103                                       ♦ 7654

♣ 765                                      ♣ A1092

♠ A1085

♥54

♦ KJ92

♣ Q43

How the the bidding should go

N         E          S          W

                                    3♥

3♠        P          4♠           All pass

 

After the Q♥ and a ♥ to the K, West should exit with a minor suit card (a ♠ is fatal), even a ♥ giving a ‘ruff and discard’ is not too bad today.  Declarer has to find the Q♠.  Since West is marked with 5 additional ♠ so East is favourite to hold the longer spades.  This is called the ‘law of vacant spaces’.  If you cash the A and K of ♠ you may appear unlucky..

 

Example:  Hand 2

♠ K54

♥106

♦ K109632

♣ A3

♠ 10932                                   ♠ 6

♥ KQ532                                 ♥ J987

♦ -                                            ♦ J854

♣ Q1082                                 ♣ J975

♠ AQJ87

♥A4

♦ AQ7

♣ K64

 

How the ‘experts’ bid it.

N         E          S          W

            P          2NT     P

3♣1      P          3♠2       P

4♣3      P          4NT4    P

5♥5      P          5NT6    P

7♦7       P          7♠8       All pass

 

2NT showed any 20-22 balanced (may have a 5 card Major or 6 card minor.

1 3♣ is ‘puppet staymen enquiry’ asking for 5 card majors

2 3♠ shows a 5 card ♠

3 4♣ shows a 1st or 2nd round control in ♣ usually A or K and slam interest

4 4NT is Roman Keycard Blackwood

5 5♥ shows two of the 5 key cards (K♠ and the 4 aces) and denies Q♠

6 5NT gurantees the other 3 key cards and the Q asks for K’s and extras for a grand slam

7 7♦ shows the K♦ and a useful source of tricks ( a mild gamble as partner will usually be Ax in ♦ or may have, as here, the Q♦)

8 fell from grace at the last hurdle by not bidding 7NT with the useful Q♦.

 

How we might bid it.

N         E          S          W

            P          1♠        P

1NT     P          3♣       P

3♠        P          4NT4    P

5♦5       P          5NT6    P

6♥7      P          6♠8       All pass

 

1♠ shows 12-21 High card points and 5 spades

1NT shows 6-10 points (2♦ is ok here as there is good spade support).

3♣ is a slightly artificial game force 19-21 High card points.

3♠ shows 3♠ and is maximum (would bid 4♠ with a minimum).

4NT is blackwood

5♦ shows one ace

5NT promises the other 3 aces and asks for kings

6♥ says 2 kings..

6♠ is not sure whether the K♠ is missing and is unaware of the source of tricks in ♦

 

After the K♥ lead, did you draw all the trumps first?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Example: Hand 4

♠ Q65

♥ K32

♦ AJ9532

♣ 4

♠ K2                                        ♠ A43

♥ Q65                                      ♥ 10987

♦ 10876                                   ♦ KQ4

♣ KQ103                                ♣ 985

♠ J10987

♥ AJ4

♦ -

♣ AJ762

 

How the bidding went.

N         E          S          W

                                    P

P          P          1♠        P

2♦        P          2♠        P

3♠        All pass

Since South did not show ♣ in the bidding, the natural lead is K♣.  How many tricks did you make after such a lead?  Did you draw trumps first or play for a cross-ruff?

 

Dummy Reversal - The typical declarer play involves ruffing declarer's losers using the dummy's short suit.  However, when the dummy has features such as a long side suit worthy of promotion, the declarer may find a better strategy is to rethink the play of the hand from the dummy's perspective.  Another Dummy Reversal opportunity occurs when holding a large number of winning trumps; the declarer may find it advantageous to ruff the partnerships longer trump holding until the opposite hand is holding more trumps. 

 

 

Example: Hand 9

♠ 2

♥ A32

♦ AK432

♣ AK53

♠ AQJ10                                  ♠ 987

♥ QJ10                                    ♥ 98

♦ 876                                       ♦ QJ109

♣ QJ10                                    ♣ 9876

♠ K6543

♥ K7654

♦ 5

♣ 42

 

How the bidding went.

N         E          S          W

1♦        P          1♠        P

3♣       P          3♥

4♥   All pass

East leads the Q♥ and declarer notes the best opportunity to make game is to promote Dummy's Diamonds (if he tries to trump his ♠ losers the defence will win and play another round of ♥ so he can trump only one spade and pitch one on the K♦).  Winning the Q♥ with Dummy's Ace, declarer plays a second round of trumps to the K♥.   Next win the A♦ and K♦ and trump a third Diamond in declarer's hand. Then declarer returns to Dummy's A♣ and continues playing Diamonds. West is entitled to the J♥ now or later and A♠, however declarer owns four more tricks to make game - 3 red cards and the CK.

 

Some simple suit combinations that occur very often.   There is a tool that you can download – visit www.mcba.org.my for the link.

 

All the below examples assume you have no clue from the bidding or play to date.

 

♠ Kxxx

♠ ?                                           ♠ ?

♠ AJxx

 

If you need 3 tricks in this, how should you play?

 

♠ Q4

♠ ?                                           ♠ ?

♠ A32

If you need 2 tricks how should you play?

 

 

♠ Q4

♠ xxxx                                      ♠ xxx

♠ AJ32

 

If you need 3 tricks you should lead the 3 towards the Q.

 

♠ AKQ10

♠ xxxx                                      ♠ xxx

♠ 432

 

Here you need 4 tricks?  61% of the time you will emerge with 4 tricks if you cash AKQ.   You will only gain by finessing for West to have the J when West has Jxxx (16%) and East has xx and lost to Jxx with East (18%).  Why?

Basic distribution odds:

Cards

Break

%

 

Cards

Break

%

2

2-0

48

 

6

6-0

1

2

1-1

52

 

6

5-1

15

3

3-0

22

 

6

4-2

49

3

2-1

78

 

6

3-3

35

4

4-0

10

 

7

6-1

7

4

3-1

50

 

7

5-2

31

4

2-2

40

 

7

4-3

62

5

5-0

4

 

8

6-2

12

5

4-1

28

 

8

5-3

47

5

3-2

68

 

8

4-4

33