Trumps break 4-0 but with a show up squeeze I make overtrick in game

My two spades bid was perhaps shaded by a point. Over three hearts, partner had values to bid four spades. Only my values were borderline.

They got off the HA lead and a H ruff. At this point I could build a picture of the hidden hands, trumps were likely stacked on my right.Righty got out with a low diamond (funny card but immaterial here), I proceeded to win DA, Diamond ruff, Club to king, diamond ruff, at this point with S:A9 tight left on the board, I cashed the trump Ace and observed the fall of the Queen from LHO. I could now see the endgame.

I led the nine of spades, overtaking with the ten, drawing the last trump (the knave) with the King. In the four card ending, dummy was left with H:T C:AJ3. I held S:6 H:KJ C:6. The bidding made it highly likely that lefty had the CQ, but if he did he would be show-up squeezed on the play of the last free winner, the Spade 6.

Indeed on the spade 6, in order to hold his H:Qx lefty came down to the stiff Q. Cashing HK and making the last two tricks with the AJ as the Queen appeared or showed up on the "first round" in the ending was decidedly pleasant.

Obliging trump play by defenders allows dentist coup

The name dentist coup is fancy but it just means removing every card of exit in defender's hand. In this 4Spade contract, after a natural sequence of plays, East is stripped (as it happens) of diamond exit, He has Qx of clubs and is striped of clubs as well. He can ruff in with his master trump on round three of clubs with the same effect (having to lead into declarer's heart AQ tenace). His discard only postponed the inevitable as I threw him in with a trump.

Defence guided me like a guardian angel, first cashing the singleton Spade Ace and then covering the spade nine (I was going to run it). Apart from this soft defence, I thought the deal was cute.

Hold off ruffing declarer's Ace!

It is not every day that you are defending a slam and it is wrong to ruff declarer's side Ace.

Declarer arrived in Six hearts, West leads the DQ, East puts on the King, Declarer won and laid down the HA (correct is H to King, and, discovering the break, duckiing a heart, when a diamond can be tapped in dummy or trumps drawn with loss of one trump trick and spades brought home). Now discovering the break, he played SA. Plan defence.

If partner's carding is to make sense, and declarer's bidding is to make sense. Partner has two diamonds and is marked with the trump void. The deal layout you need to worry about resembles this. If you ruff, where is your side's next trick going to come from? declarer is able to reach his hand with CA and ruff a diamond to make his extra trick: 4 spades, DA, Druff, five trumps and Ace of clubs is 12 tricks. To cut his transportation, West needs to hold off till the third round and then ruff in, and play a high diamond. Now declarer is left without resource as, with HK in dummy, trumps at large, and no spades in hand, dummy's spade winners are marooned.

He had an AK and an A and heard me bid slam

A certain partner calls some bids of mine rushes of blood to the head. I am pretty sure this fits the bill (note that it was I, sitting south who leaped to slam, I had to sit north to play it out), although all was well that ended well. Clubs 3-3. Partner coming up with real diamond support and not some forced preference from xx-x. Effectively I had just transferred the bidding to 6D knowing nothing about partner's hand. If East was shocked he did not show it. East was a robot.

Where an S.O.S redouble might have helped

For us, defending three clubs doubled was like Christmas come early.

A point about the bidding. What is the par contract. If West redoubles and East bounces into their eight card fit, at Matchpoints, what action should North-South take?

Card-reading

I did not know a triple squeeze of the show-up kind had manifested itself, but West’s spade discards signaled unease.

While I debated long whether to play for a spectacular endplay, (I might have played Ace and another club, playing west to have come down to Qxx of hearts), but counting in spades and common sense at matchpoints prevailed. I said 'Aha' when I understood West was dealt Qx tight of hearts. Almost gave west the lead before smelling a fish.

A beginner playing fast might come to the same number of tricks but at least I thought long and hard.

A seemingly routine hand gets interesting

I said, well, it is fortunate they did not attack clubs, and when I ducked a trump into west, and he did not find the club shift, I had tempo to work on hearts. I ducked a heart, won the club return and played a second round of trump toward hand when RHO showed out, proving the 2 trump losers. But I was in time to play off top hearts ending in dummy finding the suit breaking and pitching my losing club on the thirteenth heart as West scored his master trump (then or later). Made four.

Timing a near complete cross-ruff

Here is an example of a beautifully timed hand. The format is matchpoints. The contract was four spades but I took twelve tricks

Robot misses a "Gitelman" play of ruffing its own winner

After Cashing SA and having a look at dummmy, I embarked on a strange line of play. I led out the DK. Declarer won in dummy and got to hand with a diamond to play on trump. He finessed losing to the HQ, and partner played a club which was cheaply covered and ruffed in dummy. Now declarer embarked on a spade play throwing a club and putting me on lead with my SK. Declarer found the nullo play of a diamond to hand which partner ruffed with the 8 for down one.

One nice line is for declarer to play round three of spade ruffing the winner in hand, what I call the Gitelman play, to secure a hand entry to take the second trump finesse.

Declarer, RHO played poorly, but other Souths played worse trying to cash a second top spade after seeing that dummy. Ugh. That was curtains for that mediocre defense at several tables.

Bidding to slam in the right major

You have a 4-4 fit in spades and at least a six two fit in hearts. With the South hand, I leaped to slam in spades. My judgement was vindicated as three (four were available) discards on good hearts brought home the slam.

In Six diamonds, they ruff my Heart Ace at trick one

But I make my contract. The bidding was based on a re-evaluation of my assets, the fact that lead would run up to north, and that North claimed to be worth a jump rebid (he was minimum for this action). Insisting on hearts in the actual layout would not have been a resounding success. This deal is chosen for its rarity, that a horrendous side suit break, and the ruffing of my ace at trick one did not scuttle the contract but helped plan the play of it.

Defending a five level contract is a special skill

One that, clearly, the robots lack. Here the East robot thoughtlessly cashes a second top heart (many humans would too). He belatedly shifts to a spade, having set up dummy's HQ. My contract is now cold. I smartly rise Ace, draw two trump first ending in dummy, take my spade pitch and merrily arrive at a plus 12 IMP swing. A reasonable switch, not even to a spade, and subsequent passive play, often needed in a fivelevel contract will seal my doom instead.

When pusillanimity is in order

Red on red, i did not fancy a solo bid of three diamonds on the south hand. This is a run of the mill decision and nothing special, but one that people will get wrong in a pairs game a lot. On the actual layout, we were rewarded because neither side could, in practice, make their contract (two spades or three diamonds). A useful swing of 200 points

Judging low level competitive auctions

It would be a tyro's mistake to make an automatic three spade bid in front of partner and double cross him, but I envisioned the full layout. Partner has only helped push them a level higher in passout seat. He has undisclosed defensive values in a club contract. They have not expressly located a fit. East has triple-barreled as they say in no-limit hold em poker and his range is limited. For all these reasons, I decided to defend three clubs.

Defending part scores (II)

I make a sloppy diamond exit in the middle game, Declarer plays poorly spurning the finesse in diamonds. I need to exit in hearts and cater to declarer's actual holding, A8x. I can then take it down one. Backing up to the opening lead, GIB finds an outstanding doubledummy defense for down two with double dummy play. A lead of diamond king (!) like a Deschapelles coup takes out a late dummy entry. Now, say declarer leads the spade 8, covered all around. South wins and leads...a heart and this leads to down two. Well, good luck finding that!

Defending part scores (I)

A reader may be forgiven for thinking I never defend contracts, only declare them. Here, we defend a three heart contract. Declarer wins the opening lead and tries to create a spade reentry to had for ruffing diamonds. Partner tops the King with the Ace and plays back a heart. Declarer plays too optimistically and I win King and remove dummy's second trump. Declarer has to lose three more diamonds and a club for down two. Plus 200

A fraught four spade contract; successive chances

The following Four Spade deal was a very intense one. The club lead looked to be doubleton. I was faced with one loser too many combined in the form of 2 clubs, 1 diamond and 1 trump. If my trump drop had failed, I was playing for extra chance of D:J9x as I pitched the losing clubs in a loser on loser play

Reese's comment on two-suited bids

This four spade contract was played almost double-dummy. The 2NT bid showed the stacked minors. The obvious singleton heart shift allowed me to later pick up the suit, postponing the pulling of trump with impunity. I needed the trump jack entry for the heart deep finesse. Reese once said these two-suited overcalls only helped declarer plan the play where he would otherwise go down. A case in point.

Not counting my spade chickens before they were hatched

Before counting my spade chickens and glibly taking a diamond finesse, I wondered if it could be right to try hearts, Many things could happen even if the H was off. A slow heart was as good as a D finesse and maybe even less risky if the spades came home. This was my thinking.

Then when the spades’ roof fell in and the red suits bore Christmas presents all was well.

Lovely Five Diamond Contract

After a bidding sequence which highlighted our heart stopper weakness department, I arrived at the sensible contract of five diamonds. We won many cross IMP for bidding and making this game (IMP pairs). Not even a clairvoyand diamond lead and a heart back helps the defence since the hearts are a frozen suit, whichever side opens it losing a trick it has coming. On the actual defence I was able to avoid any heart guess by playing three fast rounds of spades and throwing a losing heart, ruffing high the fourth round of spades and claiming.

Cold-blooded defense wins 10 IMPs

The competitive bidding by N-S was fierce and the final double borderline. We produced a blisteringly accurate defense, leading the HK to hold the lead and shifting to a Diamond

On second thoughts, I think 4S could be made, though. If East ruffs the club shift at trick 3, then heart ruff, club ruff, heart ruff, club ruff, heart—what can you do? If you ruff high, declarer can unblock the DA and pull trump. If instead you discard a diamond, dummy ruffs, unblocks the DA, pulls two rounds of trump, cashes a good diamond and loses only the last trick to your SQ.

Winning with a unnecessarily high card.

When I saw that the diamonds were blocked and it appeared on the third hand play, that the lead was from the HQT, I resisted the temptation to win cheaply with the nine. I saw the chance for a textbook play of preserving Jx in dummy and Axx in hand to lead up twice. So I overtook the nine with the King.

I now unblocked diamonds and played a heart up, and when West popped up Q, I still had another preserved small heart to enter dummy for a comfortable 11 tricks. Only worth 2.9 cross imps, but technique and virtue have to be their own reward.

Guess defensive strategy to beat 4H on this layout

After the club lead, as the cards lay, I was able to unblock SA and play on trumps. With the SA unblocked and West having no more trump, they were powerless to beat me however they defended. In some lines, not seen here, I can take one spade ruff and pitch my losing diamond on the good spade.

Do you see how they can beat me? They must take out the two trump in dummy and dislodge the DK before I can unblock the SA. Thus a trump lead, two top trumps and DA and DQ beats me, Also a DA leaad, followed by a trump shift, two top trumps voiding dummy of trumps and a diamond beats me.

An aggressive action in defensive auction pays off.

In a ACBL Speedball IMP tournament, I sat with the East hand, and heard my partner overcall with ONE HEART. In the spirit of Six-Four bid more, I gambled on four spades. The play was the thing.

The King of clubs was led, and to ruff clubs, I had to set up communication to hand. I chose to advance the DQ, LHO having bid diamonds as opener. He duly covered, I played a third round, east following as I ruffed to hand. Now I took my first club ruff with the deuce of trump. When I played the fourth round of diamond, East sluffed a club (which had to be from at least four, since west likely had 4 or fewer clubs). I played a third round of clubs ruffing with the trey, all following. Now I had to contend with a heart loser and a club loser and had to limit my trump losers to one. I exit with the King of hearts, west winning. When I got in, I banged out the SA and SQ, and the appearance of the SJ which lay doubleton was a balm to sore eyes. Win 6 IMPs

Yikes, i misplayed this hand and still made it. I should have known with S:AQT and C:J to exit with the plain suit card. Whoever wins this is endplayed. Nort is welcome to ruff his partner's trick and exit with anything but I must make two out of the last three tricks with S:AQT by just attempting to win cheaply.

Master Solver's Club Problem

You pick up S:AKJ4 H:J32 D:QJ8763, non-vulnerable against vul, as dealer. One Diamond (Pass) One Notrump (Two Notrump* showing 2 suiter clubs and hearts). Your bid?

In Master Solver's fashion I ask:

1. PASS with 1b) bidding THREE DIAMONDS after the TWO HEART preference and then selling out to THREE HEARTS?

2. Direct THREE DIAMONDS, and when west now passes, partner offers THREE NOTRUMP 2b) You pass/ Then you hear Lefty bid 4H, and partner doubles, your action>2c) you bid FOUR DIAMONDS ?

3. Directly bid FOUR DIAMONDS

4. Directly bid FIVE DIAMONDS

5. Introduce 3Spades, and over 4Hearts Doubled, 5a) pull to Five Diamonds 5b) pass?

After you decide please see the action at two tables. I could have gone one down in five diamonds for a very good score. Fourteen tables, no fewer, allowed 4HX making

Pick up trumps in grand slam with double finesse? Too rich for me

Operation hopeful. patient dead.

Letting avarice get in the way of greed. A simple 6Spades in light of the known black two suiter and diamond void would have sufficed. I got excited.

Two overtricks in 3NT

Of course you dont need a show up squeeze when the other fellow has proven chicane (void in the old bridge books) on round one, and the finesse is marked, but old habits die hard, and you play for the show up squeeze ending.

Accumulating small advantages, postponing testing clubs

A bread and butter kind of 3NT where the field failed for some reason. I just kept accruing small advanatages before testing clubs, keeping an even break there for a last resort.

Middling the ball for six (2 overtricks in four spades)

Nothing especially brilliant, but I just liked how the safe extra chances in four spades to make overtricks materialized as I left one trump about, going about my business, and it was in the right hand. Made six. Note also the club king in the pocket and the irrelevance of the CT,CJ

11 tricks on a simple squeeze

We arrived in 3NT with East having overcalled one spade. Lefty led spade 2. At a later point when he got in, he exited S9. In the ending, I was able to simple-squeeze East in clubs and spade 8 positionally. But my partner whom I showed the deal, made a fine observation. "You could also have played the S8 on the third round of the suit and made an 11th trick that way. West was very unlikely to hold the ST, or he would have led it if he had the ST9x." It is interersting what inferences there are if we all slow down just a bit. Indeed the club 9 as a menace worked only because East was kind enough to hold all the high clubs.

Nice bid by North to reach the good slam

The play was hardly optimal or safe. But I wish to make a point about the bidding. North did well to introduce spades after I chose to rebid 3C after righty's 2H. Perhaps I should really bid 2S. North just took over captaincy, and I have never been so grateful. Why was my play bad? . After the defense forced me to ruff a heart, you had 12 tricks—1 ruff, 4 trumps, 5 clubs and 2 diamonds. No need to risk another H craeting a trump loser out of thin air if the distribution is bad

Stopping in 4NT, making six, with help from defense

4NT was a quantitative invite, declined by robot partner. When East won the first trick, I had twelve on a squeeze. Can you see how East can keep me to 11 tricks? On the first trick, he needs to withhold the Ace. That would be a very strong play. Here it was only about overtricks. The inferences about the D honor from the lead combination, the desperation of defence if the contract were 6NT will all be a matter of speculation.

A somewhat ridiculous grand slam - a misunderstanding

I had not guessed that SIX DIAMONDS after first bidding spades showed anything like the 4-8-0-1 distribution. Rather desperately I tried SEVEN SPADES. After a diamond lead which helped resolve that nicely-lying suit, when the Moysian fit trump suit broke 3 3 my grand rolled in.

However, East on lead can chose two suits to lead which defeat the grand, by attacking the tenuous commmunication back to hand when a diamond ruff is needed. That is right, a heart or a club lead breaks the contract.

A huge swing at stake

On this goulash-like hand, west thought he had caught me redhanded. In a sense he was right. Double-dummy he could put east in diamonds for that spade shish kebab for down 8 doubled. Instead when he led a small spade, I gratefully won and claimed without playing another trick

Also note that West-East are cold for six spades

Spot defence's missed chance - and my misplay

We arrived in 4H after I made an interesting 1NT overcall with AJ tight in opp's suit. But I want to focus on misplays and misdefence

In actuality, I played three rounds of clubs. So, in with the HA, RHO has to find the defence of Cashing DA, and playing a fourth round of clubs to trump promote Left's now stiff HQ.

I was futzing around to spare myself a diamond guess, but if I'm forced to guess, I should just play the opening bidder for the DA. I should not have continued clubs, but rather played Ace and another spade, ruffing in the North hand, and should then lead trump.

The best-laid plans of men and mice

As above. All follow to this trick. When you cash two spades, lefty pitches on the second trump, a nondescript six of diamonds. How do you cross to dummy to claim?

When given this as a problem, you may see the point. At the table I think, you, like me would have quickly crossed with a heart, or I should say, tried to cross with a heart. Hearts are 7-1 even as trumps are 1-5 and righty ruffs.

When I posed this as a problem, my partner was alert. He replied "Since the C7 would be a bizarre lead from a holding of CT732, I do not think that RHO is trumping the second round of clubs, so I go back to dummy with a club, not a heart." He was right on the card reading. Clubs broke. He also commiserated with my play "Unlucky, only a 7-1 heart break and a 1-5 trump break beats my choice of play"

Five of a minor

I enjoy bidding to five of a minor. You feel like a champion of the oppressed when you take up the cause of the neglected minor suit.

Here, i was able to score 8 trumps and three top spades for eleven tricks in a near-complete cross-ruff

3NT or Five Diamonds?

Each strain has its unique problems, tenuous communication being surmountable because of the DA position in 3NT. I simply bid the other game which I thought had a better shot. The operation was delicate and the patient survived, we won 12 IMPs

Neat slam bidding, and a marked singleton lead

After a series of sharp cue bids, with the South hand, I had heard enough. I jumped to slam.

Slam proved a decent proposition. The club lead helped resolve that suit, and even the 4 -1 trump break did not hurt, as I racked up my slam

Aspects of elopement and avoidance

An avoidance play is when you put in one, not the other of your opponents who cannot hurt you. Here after the trump break was diagnosed, I needed West to be the one that would be on play, not east. I could have made life easier by not pulling one more trump when I would not have neededto find the HKQ *and* the CA in the hand with no more trumps.

A clash stepping-stone ending

The robots' listless shifts away from diamonds helped declarer. I found myself in a very interesting three card ending. There were ostensibly two spade top losers but because of a clash in the top honors, who ever won would have to give one of the disconnected hands (hence stepping stones) long established tricks.

Textbook safety play necessary

I arrived in a pedestrian 4H. (Six Diamonds would be an impressive contract to reach looking just at the North South hands). I took the textbook precaution this time and was rewarded to find the safety necessary.

Playing in 3NT when a eight card major fit is known

I did not overcall on round one thinking I was marginal

On round two 2NT represents 2 spades not three, my hand is not suitable for trump play, since no ruffs can be had in my hand

The growth of the diamond 6 into a third round stop was a fairy tale. A IMP top.

Don't make the last guess

Flight B and C players (and some Flight A players too) frequently feel a need to bid three spades in the passout seat. I did not. I have reopened with short clubs, heard a two spade preference from partner with scattered values and possible club length, and they have made the last guess. I went quietly, and collected a penalty.

A 4-4 fit in a rambunctious slam missing King Jack

The bidding was agricultural but the contract seemed 75%. I made it, tis true, my line was not optimal. I should play on trumps first. As I played it, if I'd lost to a stiff DJ, a spade continuation to tap dummy would leave me with too few trumps to pick up the suit. I can always ruff a spade later.

Defenders are embarrassed on lead in razor-thin 3NT

Once again I am in a filthy 3NT, because it is IMPs and I cannot be bothered to brake at 2NT.

I was not tested in the play, but try to defend double dummy after the C9 lead to K and A. I lead diamond nine to the ten finessing. When this holds, I play spade six to the eight and queen. Now provided, when West plays a spade I deep finesse, I make my contract. On other exits by opponents, they get more compromised and give me an easier road to nine tricks.

A textbook unblock deal

The bidding was distinctly non textbook, I knew that in the sequence P-1S- 1NT-2D 3D which should show a really weak long D hand, the computer usually has invitational values, I shot out 3NT. Unluckily the computer persisted with an idiotic RKCB ask in Diamonds I passed in a hurry So the contract was 4NT

But, the play's the thing. I saw that when the side entry to dummy’s long D was taken out, the blockage in the 6 -3 fit missing the Q, meant the diamonds could only be played one way. I took a deep breath and prayed for the layout taking the "textbook unnecessary necessary finesse"

The impossible should take less time.

The Alan Sontags and the Judi Radins of this world play incredibly fast putting pressure in pairs fields on their opponents. My opponent was swindled here by me. Arriving in an impossible contract, I knew I had to accumulate small advantages and see what develops. When I led a small spade from dummy and east flew Ace, I was beginning to see hope.

A trump squeeze in five clubs

The trump squeeze matrix was read and prepared for.

A mundane, but not dull partscore

West found the only challenging lead, a bit double dummy in fact to lead from trump QJ tight. I countered with a nice play in the club suit that I just felt in my bones. Many tables were going down

An epic contract in competition

Partner chose to show a michaels two suiter. My four clubs over the three spade raise of intervenor, showed 4+4+ClubsDiamonds and 13+ points. When they subsided in 4S I bid one for the road, still not knowing my partner's minor but knowing he would convert. They chose to double and when the smoke cleared, I had twelve tricks, all on distribution, on paltry values.

Another thin 3NT

Partner, a passed hand has bid 2Diamonds (natural) over your One Heart (one way Drury two clubs). If an unpassed hand, a forcing three diamonds can put the ball in partner's court. Here he needs to use his judgement not to put us overboard. I am also loath to stop on a dime in a low diamond partscore when we might not need much for five diamonds. All was well that ended well when 3NT rolled home, Kx onside and a 3 3 spade break.

Poor East, endplayed twice in trump

A little bird whispered to me not to raise on 7xx to 3H as I am wont to. But when the double came, I redoubled. Perhaps too fast. West ought to have pulled automatically, but he did not and the rest was history

A slam bidding sequence that was flamboyant

The fact that clubs were undisclosed by me led West to helpfully lead the suit. I can take all 13 tricks but I got lazy knowing bid 6 making 6 was a great IMP result

Another under-strength 3NT brought home

Perhaps someone should have stopped off to double 2H? But how? As a passed hand with 15 Points I was caught in a tough bidding spot. I shot out 3NT.

If East had put me to the test I would have to drop club KQ stiff. As it is, I played and timed the hand alright, winning a bushel of IMPs

My luckiest typo to date

So, when I had stuck my neck out on a ratty Axxxx minor suit because of my overall strength, and lack of 4 cards in the other major for a double, my robot partner was firmly with the action till four diamonds (always a dangerous bid, because, where are we headed?).

Sure enough, LHO bid 4H vulnerable.

I was in a fix.

I was playin online prone, head propped on a pillow, laptop on my chest. I said, ahhhhhh,… touch choices… We may have positive equity I may double them into game. I am going to pass having got myself into this fix, I said and… made the mistake of closing my eyes as I hit “PASS” electronically in passout seat.

I open my eyes, and in disbelief, partner has had a bid? WHAT????

Turns out I had hit the double button...

When spades broke horrendously proving my 5D X -1 was a good save, I realize that my best online bridge action to date is …. …. A typo while prone.

Pulling partner's penalty double yet again

Even with my customary discipline I feared the rocks of their distribution. I took out insurance at IMPs by bidding on to five clubs. When it turned out East could never get in with a heart to put a Diamond through, it turned out they could not beat me!

An envisioned four card endplay in 3NT

Both bidding to and making three notrump were worth a lot of imps. Not a difficult endplay but an accurate read, nevertheless.

Points Schmoints, They have not made three clubs yet

Both vulnerable, the south hand looks full of points. When the opponents bid their way to three clubs, an eerie echo of the last post also with a singleton club queen, a common temptation is to bid more. I chose to defend and declarer foundered on the rocks of distribution and went down.

A disciplined pass; Five level belongs to the opps

At equal vulnerability when west is there with five clubs, it does not occur to me to bid again despite our fit. This hand should scream "defend".

Opening 1NT with a five card major

Not nearly as controversial as in a different age, opening 1NT with a five card major is fairly routine. Best played with versions of stayman where you check for five as well as four card majors, as needed. We were not playing such a convention here.

The play had its interesting moment. Would you have developed clubs first, looking for a 3-2 and then looking for a 75% chance in spades? My play worked on the actual layout with spades 3-3 but was it best?

Bad habits I learned from Zia

One of my partners does not mind when I open 1NT with long minors, another does not abide the practice. The second would argue that a three club rebid will also presumably result in three notrump. But I like to overstate or skew the values just once on round one, like Zia.

Bid a lot at IMPs, contract made, but played too fast

Partner did give us a cue bid, supposedly at least limit. At IMPs I bashed game. Yes there were no guarantees of no slow heart losers, but dummy was quite suitable. I played too fast and made on a line that needs a trump break. A better and practically sure-fire line is Ruff trick 1, DA trick 2, diamond ruff trick 3, HK trick 4, and now try to cash the HQ. Presumably LHO will ruff, overruff, and then just cross-ruff in the red suits. That line of play doesn’t depend on a good trump break as much.

A hand showcasing Standard American failure

Unwilling to open One Diamond, I started with Two Clubs and arrived at the solid spade game. Slam depends on clubs 2-2 and not much else. Guess where half the tables played? In one diamond, all passing!

The Five level doesn't always belong to the opps

A somewhat obvious bid at favorable vulnerability, but even at unfavorable vulnerability, it proved right, here. The club fitting honors helped