Tell Them What They Know

	♠ 5 ♥ K 9 7 4 2 ♦ 9 4 3 ♣ A 10 9 8
	N W E S	♠ K J 6 ♥ Q J 5 3 ♦ A Q 10 5 ♣ K 7

West	North	YOU	South
			1 ♠
Pass	1 NT1	Pass	2 ♠
All pass

forcing one round

The first three tricks went:

• Partner's fourth-best ♣ 4 to your king
• Your ♣ 7, declarer's ♣ J, partner's ♣ Q, dummy's ♣ A
• ♠ 5 from dummy, you played low, declarer's ♠ Q held, partner played the ♠ 2

Then declarer played the ♠ A, partner the ♠ 7, and declarer discards a heart from dummy. You have the king and jack of spades. Whichever spade you play, the other one is good. Does it make a difference which spade you play?

ANSWER: Play the ♠ K. Don't give away the spade suit position to declarer by playing the ♠ J.

It would be easy to just play the ♠ J by rote, thinking that it doesn't matter. If you've read previous articles here about helping partner figure out your hand, it might be tempting to play the ♠ J as a suit-preference signal for diamonds. But partner doesn't know for sure that you hold the king; from her perspective, declarer might have started with the ♠ AKQ and is just adding some confusion for the defense (always a good idea for declarer!).

If you play the ♠ J, declarer (who already knows you have the king) will realize that you started with exactly three spades. If declarer has exactly six spades she will clear both remaining spades by leading one more round. But if she thinks partner might have started with four spades to the jack-ten or jack-nine, clearing spades might not be an appealing line of play.

THE PRINCIPLE: All else equal, play the card you are known to hold. This is an important principle for declarer as well as for defenders. When playing to a trick where the opponents already know that you have a specific card in that suit, don't choose some other equivalent card in the suit. Don't reveal extra information about your hand without the clear expectation of some extra benefit.

The complete hand:

	♠ 5 ♥ K 9 7 4 2 ♦ 9 4 3 ♣ A 10 9 8
♠ 9 7 2 ♥ 10 8 6 ♦ J 8 2 ♣ Q 6 5 4	N W E S	♠ K J 6 ♥ Q J 5 3 ♦ A Q 10 5 ♣ K 7
	♠ A Q 10 8 4 3 ♥ A ♦ K 7 6 ♣ J 3 2

-- Ray 

Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

The Hitching Post

Playing matchpoints, you are the Dealer, the opponents are vulnerable and you hold:
♠ 8 5 ♥ K 10 6 3 ♦ Q ♣ 8 6 5 4 3 2

You	North	East	South
Pass	1 ♦	2 NT	Pass
?

Partner's overcall was the Unusual 2NT convention, showing the lower two unbid suits (hearts and clubs). Typically partner will be at least 5-5 in the specified suits; at this vulnerability partner could have a very weak hand, intending the bid primarily for its preemptive value.

What is your plan for this hand? What call do you make now? Considering the possible ways the auction might develop from this point, what call will you make after the opponents continue in diamonds, or start bidding spades? Take a moment to decide before you read on...
♠ 8 5 ♥ K 10 6 3 ♦ Q ♣ 8 6 5 4 3 2

Ready now? Excellent, but I have one more piece of information for you.

Partner "hitched". 

Slightly but unmistakably, just after she placed the 2 NT bid on the table: a momentary gasp, the slightest jerk of her hand as if to pick up the bid, then she regained her composure.

It appears that there might be a problem with partner's bid. Would you like to change your plan?

ANSWER: Don't you dare choose a different call! You know something about partner's hand -- her 2NT call has some sort of problem -- but you are not allowed to use that information. The only authorized ("legal") information that you have, and the only information you can use, is that partner bid 2 NT. You must make your call on that basis alone. Much like Ulysses, you must lash yourself to the mast. Even though these Sirens are trying to lure you to safety, you must ignore them.

You must choose your call as if partner had bid in a normal manner. Furthermore, any subsequent calls you make later in the auction must ignore partner's extraneous actions. Even if partner makes a seemingly-strange call later, you can interpret that call based only on the authorized information that you have. (Notice, thus, there is no ethical way to escape after an erroneous call that was accompanied by a "tell".)

After play ends, the opponents have the right to summon the Director if they think your choices were influenced by partner's extraneous actions. The Director will assign an adjusted score if he finds that your choices resulted in an unfair advantage.

Here's what the rule book has to say. From the Laws of Duplicate Bridge, 2017, Law 16 "Authorized and Unauthorized Information", with some emphasis added:

B. Extraneous Information from Partner
1. Any extraneous information from partner that might suggest a call or play is unauthorized.This includes remarks, questions, replies to questions, unexpected alerts or failures to alert, unmistakable hesitation, unwonted speed, special emphasis, tone, gesture, movement or mannerism.
(a) A player may not choose a call or play that is demonstrably suggested over another by unauthorized information if the other call or play is a logical alternative.
(b) A logical alternative is an action that a significant proportion of the class of players in question, using the methods of the partnership, would seriously consider, and some might select.
2. When a player considers that an opponent has made such information available and that damage could well result he may announce, unless prohibited by the Regulating Authority (which may require that the Director be called), that he reserves the right to summon the Director later (the opponents should summon the Director immediately if they dispute the fact that unauthorized information might have been conveyed).
3. When a player has substantial reason to believe that an opponent who had a logical alternative has chosen an action suggested by such information, he should summon the Director when play ends. The Director shall assign an adjusted score (see Law 12C1) if he considers that an infraction of law has resulted in an advantage for the offender.

BONUS MINUTE: So what should you bid with ♠8 5 ♥ K 10 6 3 ♦ Q ♣ 8 6 5 4 3 2  after partner's Unusual 2NT bid, at favorable vulnerability?
4♥ is the experts' choice here. You have at least a nine-card fit in hearts, and at least an eleven-card fit in clubs. The opponents therefore have a double fit in spades and diamonds. You have no defensive values, and the vulnerability is in your favor. Make it difficult for the opponents to figure out their double fit, and be ready to bid 5♣ over their 4♠.

-- Ray 
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

HSP: A Two-fer

"When I'm your partner, the secret to this game is to Help Stupid Partner." -- Steve B.

Dealer: S Vul: None	♠ A K Q 3 ♥ K Q 2 ♦ 10 9 8 6 3 ♣ 9
	N W E S	♠ J 10 7 5 4 2 ♥ A J 10 5 ♦ — ♣ K J 3

West	North	You	South
			2 ♦
Pass	5 ♦	All pass

Partner led the ♠ 9. Your partnership agreement is to lead the highest card from three small ("top of nothing"). So, partner might have started with any of three possible spade holdings: the singleton ♠ 9, a doubleton spade ♠ 9 x, or all three of the missing spades ♠ 9 8 6. Declarer called for the ♠ A from dummy. Your play?

ANSWER: Play the ♠ J, showing the ♠ 10 and suit-preference for hearts. By convention, signaling with an honor normally shows the next lower honor in sequence. Thus, playing the ♠ J shows that you hold the ♠ 10 as well. But here nobody cares that you have the ♠ 10. More importantly, an unusual high card (the ♠ J) shows suit-preference for the higher-ranking side suit.

• If partner had a singleton spade, let's hope she has the ♦ A and another diamond; she can win the first round of diamonds, and lead to your ♥ A to get her spade ruff for down one.
• If partner had a doubleton spade and the ♦ A, she'll need to lead a heart when she wins the first round of diamonds. Otherwise, declarer can discard heart losers on dummy's spades to make five if declarer's shape is 1=2=6=4 (or even six, if declarer has the ♣ A too).
• If partner had three spades to start with, declarer will discard a loser on the ♠ A and partner will realize you are showing her where your side-suit winners are.

THE PRINCIPLE: The play of an unnecessarily high card is always a suit-preference signal. You could have played the ♠ 7 as an encouraging signal in spades; the smaller spades still concealed in your hand ensure that partner would recognize the ♠ 7 as a "high encouraging" spade.

BONUS MINUTE: If you held the ♣ A instead of the ♥ A, you would have played the ♠ 2 as suit-preference for clubs. With so many spades in your hand, it is unlikely that a spade continuation is a possibility. More likely, partner had a singleton or declarer is void; in either case, partner will be trying to read your card as a suit-preference signal.

The complete hand:

	♠ A K Q 3 ♥ K Q 2 ♦ 10 9 8 6 3 ♣ 9
♠ 9 ♥ 9 8 6 3 ♦ A 7 ♣ Q 10 8 7 4 2	N W E S	♠ J 10 7 5 4 2 ♥ A J 10 5 ♦ — ♣ K J 3
	♠ 8 6 ♥ 7 4 ♦ K Q J 5 4 2 ♣ A 6 5

-- Ray 
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

Take Out Some Insurance

Suggested soundtrack: the Jimmy Reed blues classic from 1959, "Take Out Some Insurance"

In this installment, you and partner are playing "1430" key card responses to a 4NT query. There are five key cards: the four aces and the king of trump. Responses show 1 or 4 key cards (5♣), 3 or 0 key cards (5♦), or 2 key cards without (5♥) or with (5♠) the queen of trump.

Partner deals and opens. The opponents Pass throughout the auction.
You hold
  ♠ 10 7 5 3 2   ♥ 4   ♦ A K Q J 7   ♣ J 4.

Partner	You
1 ♠	2 NT1
3 ♣2	4 NT
5 ♣3	?

game forcing raise singleton or void in clubs one or four key cards

You have far too much playing strength for a 3 ♠ limit raise. A splinter raise of 4 ♥ is a possible bid, but partner will never expect five-card support and a solid source of tricks in diamonds in addition to the heart shortness.

You decided on a game-forcing Jacoby 2NT raise, fully expecting partner to show shortness in diamonds, but instead she showed a singleton or void in clubs. At most one club loser, at most one heart loser, a ten-card trump suit... even if partner has just a minimum opener, a slam seems very possible.

Your 4 NT bid asked for key cards; partner's 5♣ response showed either one or four key cards. Well! With four key cards over there, making 7 ♠ would be simple; draw trump, cash the outside aces, ruff dummy's club loser, and ruff the fifth diamond if necessary.

So, your call?

ANSWER: Cool your jets. Bid 5 ♠ to play. Because, what if partner has only one key card? Partner has no diamond honors, and at most one club; is it even possible that partner could have an opening bid with only one key card? Yes, it is possible, and if so even 5 ♠ might be too high. But if partner really does have four key cards, she will bid on over your signoff.

THE PRINCIPLE: When partner shows two possible holdings in a key card auction (one or four, or zero or three) and you can't make a slam across from the minimum, sign off at the five-level. That way, you take out some cheap insurance against partner having the minimum holding. If partner has the maximum holding, she'll keep the auction going.

For example, if partner has
  ♠ A Q J 8 6 4 ♥ K Q 9 6 ♦ 10 6 ♣ 9
she will pass 5 ♠ in a heartbeat.

But if she instead has
  ♠ A K J 8 6 4 ♥ A 9 6 5 ♦ 10 6 ♣ A
partner will bid 6 ♠ to let you know she has four key cards, and you can take over from there.

If partner has the extra key cards and a side-suit king, she should cue-bid the king if it is possible to show it without going past six in our trump suit. For example, holding
   ♠ A K J 8 6 4 ♥ A K 6 5 ♦ 10 6 ♣ A
partner will bid 6 ♥ to show four key cards and the king of hearts.

-- Ray
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

Room Measurements

South Deals None Vul	♠ 10 8 4 3 ♥ J 3 ♦ 8 6 ♣ A J 4 3 2
♠ A Q 7 ♥ Q 8 4 2 ♦ Q 10 7 3 ♣ 8 5	N W E S

YOU	North	East	South
			2 ♣
Pass	2 ♦	Pass	2 NT
Pass	3 ♣	Pass	3 ♦
Pass	3 NT	All pass

In a matchpoint game, declarer showed 22-24 high card points and denied a four-card major. You led your fourth-best heart. Dummy's ♥ J held, as partner followed with the ♥ 6 and declarer played the ♥ 10.

Declarer led the ♦ 6 from dummy, partner played the ♦ 2 and you won the trick with the queen over declarer's jack.

What now? Partner denied any heart honors. Maybe switch to a black suit? If partner has the ♣ K, she can get in and lead spades through declarer to your ace-queen. If partner has the ♠ K, leading spades will hold declarer to nine tricks. What do you lead now?

ANSWER: Lead a heart. Partner doesn't have a king. Declarer's 2 NT rebid showed at least 22 high card points. You have 10 HCP, and dummy has 6. That accounts for 38 points, so partner has at most two points: a queen, or two jacks. If declarer has a full 24, partner doesn't have any face cards at all!

THE PRINCIPLE: When declarer has indicated a specific point-count range, use that information to figure out how many high card points partner can have. Add your point count to dummy's and declarer's; the rest must be in partner's hand. This is commonly referred to as "how much room (for high cards) is there". With at most 2 points, there is no room for a king in partner's hand. You can use the same principle as declarer: if one defender has shown a specific range during the auction, you can similarly estimate the strength in the other defender's hand.

Why continue hearts? Declarer clearly has all the kings. So, leading a spade gives up a trick. If partner has the ♣ Q (there is room in her hand), leading a club will finesse partner's queen rather than making declarer guess how to play the club suit. (If partner has the ♣ Q 10 9, she doesn't need your help.) Underleading your ♦ 10 would give up a diamond trick if declarer originally held ♦ A K J 9. You know that declarer has only two hearts remaining -- the ace and king -- because she denied a four-card heart suit during the auction, and partner denied a heart honor at trick one. So declarer started with the ♥ A K 10; leading a heart is a safe exit, any other suit lead has nothing to gain and might give up a trick. The full hand:

	♠ 10 8 4 3 ♥ J 3 ♦ 8 6 ♣ A J 4 3 2
♠ A Q 7 ♥ Q 8 4 2 ♦ Q 10 7 3 ♣ 8 5	N W E S	♠ J 6 2 ♥ 9 7 6 5 ♦ 9 5 2 ♣ 10 9 7
	♠ K 9 5 ♥ A K 10 ♦ A K J 4 ♣ K Q 6

BONUS MINUTE: Your best chance to defeat the contract is that either declarer bid 2NT with a singleton ♠ K, or else upgraded a 21-count with only the jack-small of spades (leaving room for partner to hold the king). To take advantage of those possibilities, you'd have to play ♠ A and then ♠ Q; but if you're wrong, declarer makes an extra overtrick. Those are very specific and unlikely cases; at matchpoints it is better to play the percentages and lead a heart. However, playing rubber bridge or IMP scoring you usually ignore overtricks and take the best chance to defeat the contract, however unlikely; here, you might go for broke with the ♠ A Q of spades and let declarer make six this time.

-- Ray
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

Counting Fingers

South Deals None Vul	♠ A K 9 8 ♥ K 5 4 ♦ A 10 8 7 ♣ 5 2
♠ 7 5 2 ♥ 8 7 3 ♦ 9 5 3 ♣ K J 9 7	N W E S

East	South	You	North
			1 ♦
Pass	1 ♥	Pass	1 ♠
Pass	2 NT1	Pass	3 NT
All pass

11-12 HCP

Sitting West, you led the ♣ 7 against an apparently normal 3 NT contract. Good news! Partner played the ♣ A and declarer the ♣ 4.

On partner's ♣ 8 return, declarer played the ♣ 10 and you of course won the trick with the jack. Now what? With no other entries to your hand, is it time to cash your club winners?

ANSWER: How many fingers is partner holding up? She'd better not be holding up any; that would be cheating. But her ♣ 8 did say that she started with only two or three clubs, and it also denied the ♣ Q. So declarer must have the queen and at least one more club. You have the king-nine over declarer's queen-small; don't continue clubs and give declarer a trick!

THE PRINCIPLE: When partner returns your led suit against a notrump contract, she will lead her highest remaining card in the suit unless she started with four or more. In that case she would lead her original fourth-best. Use that information to figure out what declarer's holding is likely to be.

Considering the clubs we haven't seen yet, what was partner's original holding?

• if partner had ♣ A 8 6 3, she would have returned the three (original fourth-best)
• if she had ♣ A 8 6 or ♣ A 8 3, she would return the eight (highest remaining)
• if she had ♣ A Q 8, she would have returned the queen (highest remaining)
• if she had ♣ A Q 8 6 or ♣ A Q 8 3, she would have returned the six or three (fourth-best)
• if she had ♣ A 8, she returns the eight of course.

So it is pretty clear that partner doesn't have the ♣ Q. You can't tell whether she started with two or three clubs. If partner does regain the lead, partner might have another club to lead for down one. If partner doesn't regain the lead or doesn't have a third club, it is still likely that declarer will have to give you a club trick or two later in the play.

BONUS MINUTE: If not a third round of clubs, then what should you lead? Note that partner originally had 10-11 HCP, based on South's 2 NT call and the rest of the points you can see. So partner still has some strength somewhere. You'd rather not give declarer a free finesse, so leading to dummy's strength seems safest. Declarer denied holding four spades, so a spade it should be.

	♠ A K 9 8 ♥ K 5 4 ♦ A 10 8 7 ♣ 5 2
♠ 7 5 2 ♥ 8 7 3 ♦ 9 5 3 ♣ K J 9 7	N W E S	♠ Q J 10 4 ♥ Q J 10 ♦ J 6 4 ♣ A 8 3
	♠ 6 3 ♥ A 9 6 2 ♦ K Q 2 ♣ Q 10 6 4

Declarer cannot make nine tricks unless you play a third round of clubs.

-- Ray
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

HSP: Useful Losers

"When I'm your partner, the secret to this game is to Help Stupid Partner." -- Steve B.

	♠ A K Q J ♥ 8 3 ♦ A K 7 3 ♣ J 5 4
	N W E S	♠ 10 9 5 2 ♥ A 6 4 2 ♦ Q 10 2 ♣ 8 7

West	North	You	South
	1 ♦	Pass	1 NT
Pass	2 NT	Pass	3 NT
All pass

Continuing from the previous post... Partner led the ♥ 5 against 3 NT. You played the ♥ A and returned your original fourth-best ♥ 2 to partner's jack. Partner then cashed the ♥ K (dropping declarer's queen) and the ♥ 9.

After four heart tricks for your side, partner exits with the ♠ 8. What do you play?

ANSWER: Play the ♠ 10, and then the ♠ 9, and the ♠ 5, and the ♠ 2, to tell partner you have a useful diamond holding. Following suit with unnecessary high cards, even though they are losers, signals to partner that you have something in the other higher-ranking suit. Playing your spades from the bottom up would indicate a useful holding in the lower-ranking suit. Playing your spades from the middle would suggest that you have nothing else useful in your hand.

	♠ A K Q J ♥ 8 3 ♦ A K 7 3 ♣ J 5 4
♠ 8 6 ♥ K J 9 5 ♦ J 8 6 4 ♣ Q 9 2	N W E S	♠ 10 9 5 2 ♥ A 6 4 2 ♦ Q 10 2 ♣ 8 7
	♠ 7 4 3 ♥ Q 10 7 ♦ 9 5 ♣ A K 10 6 3

Notice that when declarer plays the third and fourth rounds of spades, partner will have a discarding problem. If you have a club honor, she can safely discard two clubs, baring the queen in order to protect diamonds. If you have diamonds guarded, she can discard diamonds in order to protect the club queen. But from her hand she can't tell which is right; you need to tell partner your story.

THE PRINCIPLE: On defense, every card you play should tell a story for partner. And partner should be looking for the story. It might be an exciting story. It might be a boring story. Sometimes it will be a pointless story, or a story of no consequence. But always strive to tell a story for partner; even your losers have a story to tell.

Credit Where Credit Is Due: I took this hand from Bobby Wolff's newspaper column and online blog Bridge With The Aces. Bobby in turn took the hand from Mike Lawrence's book Tips on Cardplay.

BONUS MINUTE: When partner played the ♥ K and then the ♥ 9, you could have played the ♥ 6 and then the ♥ 4 to suggest something useful in a higher-ranking suit. Partner already knows the count in hearts. Since you are probably not interested in dummy's solid spades, your high-low would thus suggest the other higher-ranking suit, diamonds.

-- Ray
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)