North A7 ♠ K6 ♥ 13 AKJ872 ♦ A98 ♣ initial response shows West East Bidding analysis: South’s J654 QT32 13 to 15+ HCP with no 4+ major. With 19 HCP ♠ ♠ 97432 JT8 and a long Diamond suit, North sees a slam try: ♥ ♥ 9 654 thus his 4NT 1430. South shows 1 control (the ♦ ♦ 653 QJT North has the other 4 controls in Diamonds. ♣ ♣ ♥A). After 5NT, shows her King. South’s 5♣ ♣ South (Dcler) K98 suit tricks, 6 Diamonds, Declarer Play Options: ♠ “5 Major AQ5 and 2 Clubs wins them all off the ♥ top.” QT3 ♦ K742 With no Aces or Kings and just Defensive Strategy: ♣ 2 Queens, E/W going to take any tricks in this hand. aren’t North 986 ♠ 8 ♥ 14 Q76 ♦ QJ8654 ♣ West decides to Jump West (Declarer) East (Dlr) Bidding analysis: KQ42 AT73 Shift in Spades rather than Jump Raising ♠ ♠ KT63 AQJ9 Hearts, to show she has a really big ♥ ♥ East’s KJ 842 hand just short of a 2NT opener. East then ♦ ♦ AK7 T2 sees a possible slam and makes a 4NT 1430 ♣ ♣ RKCB bid, ending up an Ace short for 6♠. South J5 the is in the South or Declarer Play Options: ♠ “Either ♦A 7542 maybe going down. But, the hand should be played ♥ I’m AT953 here, so the rest of the room will probably be here ♦ too.” 93 ♣ North leads her as the Defensive Strategy: singleton ♥8, only way she sees to possibly beat this slam. She knows partner has an Ace because E/W stopped at 6, and it might be the North a 2nd trick Heart ruff. ♥Ace, giving But nope: not this time.
13 North ♠ A7 ♥ K6 ♦ AKJ872 ♣ A98 West ♠ J654 ♥ 97432 ♦ 9 ♣ 653 East ♠ QT32 ♥ JT8 ♦ 654 ♣ QJT Bidding analysis: South’s initial response shows 13 to 15+ HCP with no 4+ major. With 19 HCP and a long Diamond suit, North sees a slam try: thus his 4NT 1430. South shows 1 control (the ♥A). North has the other 4 controls in Diamonds. After 5NT, South’s 5♣ shows her ♣ King. South (Dcler) ♠ K98 ♥ AQ5 ♦ QT3 ♣ K742 Declarer Play Options: “5 Major suit tricks, 6 Diamonds, and 2 Clubs wins them all off the top.” Defensive Strategy: With no Aces or Kings and just 2 Queens, E/W aren’t going to take any tricks in this hand. 14 North ♠ 986 ♥ 8 ♦ Q76 ♣ QJ8654 West (Declarer) ♠ KQ42 ♥ KT63 ♦ KJ ♣ AK7 East (Dlr) ♠ AT73 ♥ AQJ9 ♦ 842 ♣ T2 Bidding analysis: West decides to Jump Shift in Spades rather than Jump Raising East’s Hearts, to show she has a really big hand just short of a 2NT opener. East then sees a possible slam and makes a 4NT 1430 RKCB bid, ending up an Ace short for 6♠. South ♠ J5 ♥ 7542 ♦ AT953 ♣ 93 Declarer Play Options: “Either the ♦A is in the South or I’m maybe going down. But, the hand should be played here, so the rest of the room will probably be here too.” Defensive Strategy: North leads her singleton ♥8, as the only way she sees to possibly beat this slam. She knows partner has an Ace because E/W stopped at 6, and it might be the ♥Ace, giving North a 2nd trick Heart ruff. But nope: not this time.
StrongHandBidding.docx