Knowing how to ask yourselves the right questions and then answer them is the key to improve your chances on any bridge hand, be it as declarer or as defender.
I’ll give you a hand below, and a series of questions – like a riddle! Try to answer these questions by yourself. Then look at the answers, which will be presented together with the full deal.
At the end we’ll summarize a few important “Things to remember” for each problem. Enjoy!
Dealer West, Non Vulnerable
Against 4♦ West led the ♣AK. When all followed suit, he continued with a 3rd club. East ruffed with the ♦7 and played a spade next. You won the trick and played the ♦Q, on which West followed with the ♦8.
How are clubs divided?
How are hearts divided ?
How are spades divided?
How are Diamonds divided?
Where is the ♦K?
How are clubs divided?
West has 4 and East has 2. West ruffed the 3rd club.
How are hearts divided?
West has 4 and East has 5. West opened 1♣ and then supported with 2♥, which means he has exactly 4 cards. Therefore East has 5.
How are spades divided?
Spades must be 4-4! With 5 cards in spades West would open 1♠ or East would respond 1♠ (if he had 5-5 in the majors). Since none of them bid that suit, it breaks 4-4.
How are Diamonds divided?
1 with West and 2 with East. This comes from analyzing the rest of the suits.
Where is the ♦K?
With East, as West has a singleton ♦8. Therefore play the ♦A and see that the ♦K falls (East ruffed a club, which means that he is left with a stiff ♦K).
Things to remember
a. Count! Tricks, losers, points. But also the distribution of your opponents, drawing inferences from their biding, their opening lead, etc. Often you can also place the missing honors simply by looking carefully at what the bidding or the opening lead shows.
b. If you are missing 8 cards in a major suit and both opponents have bid, but they didn’t bid this suit – it means it splits 4-4 (certainly for Spades, and also possible in Hearts, unless opponents found a spade fit)
c. If you are missing 9 cards in a suit (heart) and both opponents have bid, but didn’t bid this suit – it means it splits 4-5, and responder is 5-5 in the majors ! He has 5 cards in the suit he has bid, and 5 cards in that unbid suit.
d. If West had only 3 hearts in his hand, he would have doubled 2♦ (this is called a Support Double). If he had fewer hearts and 12-14 points, he would have Passed (Attention! A 2NT rebid by West here shows 18-19 points, as East changed suit at the first level).
e. East’s 3♥ bid is just competitive and it is normally done with an extra Heart card (but not with more points). To invite game during a competitive bidding sequence, like here, use a game try bid or double as a general game try.
Comments
3 responses to “Seeing through cards #9”
Markjj59
Great article!! We need more of these!!
Finar
This is a great article. I’m trying this technique out. Need perseverance to succeed. Wow
Comments
3 responses to “Seeing through cards #9”
Great article!! We need more of these!!
This is a great article. I’m trying this technique out. Need perseverance to succeed. Wow
Great article. Need to apply ! Need more!