3NT -- Developing Extra Winners

In a NT contract we need to count our winners. These are winners you get right away -- without losing a trick.

How many winners do we have in this suit:

Dummy
♠A98

Declarer
♠K52

We have two winners in this suit. The Ace and King.

How many winners do we have in this suit:

Dummy
♠AQ

Declarer
♠KJ

We have two winners in that suit. Even though it appears like we have more winners -- we do have the top 4 honours in the suit! -- we don't. When we play the A♠ from Dummy we must play the J♠ from our hand. When we play the Q♠ from Dummy we must play the K♠ from our hand. We only have two tricks in this suit even though we have the top 4 cards.

How many winners do we have in this suit:

Dummy
♠QJ82

Declarer
♠K7

We don't have any winners in this suit. Right away I cannot win any ♠ tricks.

How many winners do we have in this suit:

Dummy
♠AQT5

Declarer
♠KJ

We have four winners in this suit.

To get extra tricks sometimes we have to lose a trick in order to gain a trick -- or even 2 or 3 tricks. Take this suit:

Dummy
♠KQJT

Declarer
♠76

Remember, in this suit we don't have any winners at all. Right away we cannot take any tricks. BUT if we give the opponents their A♠ we will set up 3 winners for ourselves.

Let's put this new found knowledge into action!

Contract 3NT. Opening lead T♠.

Dummy
♠K3
♥532
♦AK52
♣Q987

Declarer
♠AQJ
♥KQJT
♦QJ8
♣T52

In NT we count our winners. We look at each of the suits and determine how many tricks we can take in that suit immediately.

♠3 winners
♥0 winners
♦4 winners
♣0 winners

Wait! Why don't you have any ♥ winners, Heidi?

In NT we count the winners we will take RIGHT AWAY. Right away I can't take any ♥ tricks. If I play a ♥ the opponents can win their A♥. I can't guarantee I will take any ♥ right off the top. But don't worry about that ♥ suit. We will not forget about it!

So back to my winners. I have 7 winners. I need at least 9 winners. How can I get more tricks?

Yes, back to that ♥ suit we were chatting about. IF I give the opponents their A♥ I will set up 3 extra tricks for myself. I give them the A♥ but then my K♥, Q♥ and J♥ are all good. So now I will have my 7 winners PLUS the 3 extra ♥ winners that I developed by losing that ♥ trick.

Am I worried about letting the opponents in with their A♥?

No. I'm not at all worried. I have control of all the suits but the ♣ suit. If the opponents play the ♣ suit they will at most take 3 tricks. And that would be very unlucky if they managed to do that considering I have the Q fourth in Dummy.

So I will win the opening lead and IMMEDIATELY play a ♥. I lose my losers right away. I don't want to play off all my winners and then play a ♥. If I do that I don't have control of all the suits and the opponents might be able to take more tricks than I want them to. So I lose my losers first while I still have control of all the suits.

So I will win the ♠ lead and play ♥ right away. If the opponents don't win their A♥ I will play another heart. If they don't win their A♥ I will play another ♥. If they still don't win their A♥ I've gotten my 3 ♥ tricks so now I'm going to abandon that suit and run my other winners! But most of the time the opponents will win their A♥ right away. Now I will win the return (or lose a few ♣ first and then win the return) and run my winners. Remember to play high cards from the short side in the ♦ suit!