Page 185 - Learn Bridge Ver2_Neat

points and at least 3 hearts.
Now North rebids 2NT showing a balanced hand with 17-18 points
and a balanced hand.
Okay, now South, with a maximum and 4 trumps chooses the heart
game.
With nothing more spectacular to lead East starts with the Ë8 (top of a
doubleton).
In trumps we keep C. A. L. M.

Count your top tricks by power. 2 spades, 1 heart, 3 diamonds and no
clubs. Total 6.
Add tricks from other sources. We must play the trump suit correctly -
Ace and then small towards to Queen. That gives us at least 1 slow trick
by power and 1 trick by length. If the opponents trumps are 3-2 we have 2
tricks by length.
Look at the club we have tricks by position if East holds the Ace or the
Queen by leading from North and finessing the Jack.
Loser check. 1 heart and at most 2 clubs. Fine
Manage the hand. We are going to win the lead, play the trump Ace and
play a second trump When we regain the lead we shall draw the last
trump, get to the North hand and play a club. If East plays low we finesse
and play the Jack.

Hand 6 Í A 7 5 2
Ì A Q
Ë 10 8 7 2
Simple bidding. North opens the
Ê A Q J
longest suit and South makes a non-forcing Í 4 3 Í Q J 10 9
raise to the 2 level showing 6-9 points and Ì 10 9 8 7 6 Ì 5 4 3 2
at least 3 spades and there we play. Ë K 5 Ë A Q 9
Ê K 10 8 3 Ê 9 7
There are lots of choices for the lead.
Í K 8 6
1. Ê9 (top of a doubleton. It is not 17 Ì K J
usually correct to look for a ruff 6 9 Ë J 6 4 3
when you hold 4 cards in the trump 8 Ê 6 5 4 2
suit. North South
nd
2. Ì4 (2 highest). Partner may well - Pass
1Í 2Í
get this wrong and assume that it is All pass
th
4 highest. However, it might be
171