The experts seem to know just how to play the contract exactly right. Some of that is playing suits in the proper way to avoid losers that might not be apparent from the beginning.
Take this hand from Tuesday:
Dummy:
♠Q543
Declarer:
♠AKT7
You are Declarer in a contract of 4♠. The whole contract depends on playing the trump suit for NO LOSERS! How do you play the suit?
Think about it. This is tough.
If one opponent has all FIVE trump you will have a loser for sure.
If the trump split evenly (3-2) it doesn't really matter how you play the suit. You will not have any losers.
You have no idea how the trump is breaking. There were no clues from the auction. No opponent looked especially pleased you got to game in ♠. How do you play the suit?
Show Answer
The only holding that matters is if the trumps are 4-1 with the missing J9♠ to be with the four card holding.
If this holding is on your left you will have to lose a trump.
If this holding is on your right you do NOT have to lose a trump.
So because of this you need to play for RHO to (maybe) having four to the ♠J9.
But how do you know whether they do or do not?
You COULD start by playing the Q♠ and then a low ♠ to the T♠. This will ensure you take all the tricks if RHO has four to the ♠J9.
But what if LHO has J92? You look very silly then. You could have just played the ♠A, ♠K and Q♠ and made the contract!
Hmmmm.
The proper way to play the suit is this:
Start by playing the ♠A (or ♠K) from your hand first. Then play a low ♠ towards the ♠Q. AT THIS POINT if everyone follows suit to the trump then you can play your remaining high honour and you have no trump losers.
However if, when playing a low ♠ towards your ♠Q in Dummy, your LHO shows out of ♠ (they play another suit) then you KNOW your RHO has four to the ♠J. You can win the Q♠ in Dummy and play a low ♠ towards the ♠KT for NO LOSERS!
Watch for holdings that contain Tens. Without the Ten (say the Ten was the 2♠) it wouldn't matter how you played that suit. You'd need the suit to break 3-2.
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