North 643 ♠ A65 ♥ 3 AQT75 ♦ Q6 ♣ Two Over One Game Bidding analysis: West East A J82 - is not a strong bid, but ♠ ♠ Force auction. 4♠ K73 QJT982 South envisions a strong 2nd side suit ♥ ♥ – J94 86 Diamonds to pitch losers on and so pushes ♦ ♦ – AJ93 T8752 on to a slam, missing one Ace. ♣ ♣ South (Dcler) AKQT975 missing the but so is Declarer Play Options: ♠ “I’m ♣A, 4 ♥ everyone else playing this hand. No other losers.” K32 ♦ K4 If West take her Ace off the Defensive Strategy: ♣ doesn’t ♣ top, she loses it. Generally, one should lead an Ace against a suit slam contract, but maybe not versus a NT contract? North T876 ♠ KJ ♥ 4 KJ975 ♦ QJ ♣ East makes a 2 over 1 West (Dclr) East Bidding analysis: AKQJ54 932 game force because she has two Aces and ♠ ♠ AQ652 T97 good clubs plus Spade support and a ♥ ♥ Q A8 doubleton Diamond with the Ace. is a ♦ ♦ 3♠ 5 AK962 strong bid: not a game deciding bid. ♣ ♣ – South - West: 2 Heart losers? Got Declarer Play Options: ♠ “Maybe 843 to get to East twice to finesse twice in Hearts, but I have 3 ♥ T6432 minor suit entries to get there. Also, I can play off a bunch ♦ T8743 of Spades to ♣ see who discards what.” North: sitting behind declarer Defensive Strategy: “I’m with 2 Kings and 4 trumps, so lead passively in trumps I’ll and sit here and hope to collect my two King tricks. But dummy has 2 Aces: Uhh Ohh!”
3 North ♠ 643 ♥ A65 ♦ AQT75 ♣ Q6 West ♠ J82 ♥ K73 ♦ J94 ♣ AJ93 East ♠ - ♥ QJT982 ♦ 86 ♣ T8752 Bidding analysis: A Two Over One Game Force auction. 4♠ is not a strong bid, but South envisions a strong 2nd side suit – Diamonds – to pitch losers on and so pushes on to a slam, missing one Ace. South (Dcler) ♠ AKQT975 ♥ 4 ♦ K32 ♣ K4 Declarer Play Options: “I’m missing the ♣A, but so is everyone else playing this hand. No other losers.” Defensive Strategy: If West doesn’t take her ♣ Ace off the top, she loses it. Generally, one should lead an Ace against a suit slam contract, but maybe not versus a NT contract? 4 North ♠ T876 ♥ KJ ♦ KJ975 ♣ QJ West (Dclr) ♠ AKQJ54 ♥ AQ652 ♦ Q ♣ 5 East ♠ 932 ♥ T97 ♦ A8 ♣ AK962 Bidding analysis: East makes a 2 over 1 game force because she has two Aces and good clubs plus Spade support and a doubleton Diamond with the Ace. 3♠ is a strong bid: not a game – deciding bid. South ♠ - ♥ 843 ♦ T6432 ♣ T8743 Declarer Play Options: West: “Maybe 2 Heart losers? Got to get to East twice to finesse twice in Hearts, but I have 3 minor suit entries to get there. Also, I can play off a bunch of Spades to see who discards what.” Defensive Strategy: North: “I’m sitting behind declarer with 2 Kings and 4 trumps, so I’ll lead passively in trumps and sit here and hope to collect my two King tricks. But dummy has 2 Aces: Uhh Ohh!”
StrongHandBidding.docx