Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Declarer Play Problem #8 - 4 Hearts

This post talks about counting losers in a trump contract. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Losers

The reason why bridge players count losers in a trump contract is to determine whether or not Declarer has enough losers that they will not be able to make their contract. If Declarer has too many losers to make their contract they have to figure out a way to get rid of some of their losers! If Declarer has losers but will still make their contract they try to figure out if they can avoid some of their losers without jeopardizing their contract. Bridge players are a bit greedy in that sense.

To avoid some losers you might have to try a finesse. If you are not sure what a finesse is try these posts:
The Finesse
More Finessing
Eight Ever, Nine Never

This post also talks about playing high cards from the short side. If you are not sure what this means check out this post:
Declarer Play - High Cards from the Short Side

If you want to see me walk through a few hands with you check out these posts:
Counting Losers in Action -- 4 Spades
Counting Losers in Action – 3 Spades

This post is designed to test your declarer play in a trump contract. Count your losers and determine how you will play the contract. For example you could say "I have 4 losers and I will try the ♣ finesse to try to get rid of my ♣ loser!" Or you could say "I have 3 losers and no way to get rid of any of them!"

So let's practice. The final contract is 4. The lead is the K♣. Count the losers in the ♠ suit. Count the losers in the suit. Count the losers in the suit. Count the losers in the ♣ suit. Do you have too many losers? If yes, can you get rid of any so you can make your contract? If no, can you try to get rid of any so you make overtricks?

Contract:4 Opening lead: K♣.

Dummy:
♠Q3
AQJ762
J
♣9852

Declarer:
♠AK6
KT983
KT76
♣3

Count the losers in Declarer's Hand:



What is your plan to get rid of the losers?



How will you play the contract?

Monday, November 28, 2016

Declarer Play Problem #7 - 4 Spades

This post talks about counting losers in a trump contract. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Losers

The reason why bridge players count losers in a trump contract is to determine whether or not Declarer has enough losers that they will not be able to make their contract. If Declarer has too many losers to make their contract they have to figure out a way to get rid of some of their losers! If Declarer has losers but will still make their contract they try to figure out if they can avoid some of their losers without jeopardizing their contract. Bridge players are a bit greedy in that sense.

To avoid some losers you might have to try a finesse. If you are not sure what a finesse is try these posts:
The Finesse
More Finessing
Eight Ever, Nine Never

This post also talks about playing high cards from the short side. If you are not sure what this means check out this post:
Declarer Play - High Cards from the Short Side

If you want to see me walk through a few hands with you check out these posts:
Counting Losers in Action -- 4 Spades
Counting Losers in Action – 3 Spades

This post is designed to test your declarer play in a trump contract. Count your losers and determine how you will play the contract. For example you could say "I have 4 losers and I will try the ♣ finesse to try to get rid of my ♣ loser!" Or you could say "I have 3 losers and no way to get rid of any of them!"

So let's practice. The final contract is 4♠. The lead is the K. Count the losers in the ♠ suit. Count the losers in the suit. Count the losers in the suit. Count the losers in the ♣ suit. Do you have too many losers? If yes, can you get rid of any so you can make your contract? If no, can you try to get rid of any so you make overtricks?

Contract:4♠ Opening lead: K.

Dummy:
♠A843
T9862
K2
♣Q2

Declarer:
♠KQJ76
Q7
A76
♣AK8

Count the losers in Declarer's Hand:



What is your plan to get rid of the losers?



How will you play the contract?

Friday, November 25, 2016

Declarer Play Problem #6 - 4 Spades

This post talks about counting losers in a trump contract. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Losers

The reason why bridge players count losers in a trump contract is to determine whether or not Declarer has enough losers that they will not be able to make their contract. If Declarer has too many losers to make their contract they have to figure out a way to get rid of some of their losers! If Declarer has losers but will still make their contract they try to figure out if they can avoid some of their losers without jeopardizing their contract. Bridge players are a bit greedy in that sense.

To avoid some losers you might have to try a finesse. If you are not sure what a finesse is try these posts:
The Finesse
More Finessing
Eight Ever, Nine Never

If you want to see me walk through a few hands with you check out these posts:
Counting Losers in Action -- 4 Spades
Counting Losers in Action – 3 Spades

This post is designed to test your declarer play in a trump contract. Count your losers and determine how you will play the contract. For example you could say "I have 4 losers and I will try the ♣ finesse to try to get rid of my ♣ loser!" Or you could say "I have 3 losers and no way to get rid of any of them!"

So let's practice. The final contract is 4♠. The lead is the Q. Count the losers in the ♠ suit. Count the losers in the suit. Count the losers in the suit. Count the losers in the ♣ suit. Do you have too many losers? If yes, can you get rid of any so you can make your contract? If no, can you try to get rid of any so you make overtricks?

Contract:4♠ Opening lead: Q.

Dummy:
♠KQ82
83
762
♣AK82

Declarer:
♠JT965
AQ6
AK3
♣93

Count the losers in Declarer's Hand:



What is your plan to get rid of the losers?



How will you play the contract?

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Counting Losers in Action -- 3 Spades

This post talks about counting losers in a trump contract. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Losers

To avoid some losers you might have to try a finesse. If you are not sure what a finesse is try these posts:
The Finesse
More Finessing
Eight Ever, Nine Never

The reason why bridge players count losers in a trump contract is to determine whether or not Declarer has enough losers that they will not be able to make their contract. If Declarer has too many losers to make their contract they have to figure out a way to get rid of some of their losers! If Declarer has losers but will still make their contract they try to figure out if they can avoid some of their losers without jeopardizing their contract. Bridge players are a bit greedy in that sense.

So let's start. The final contract is 3♠. The opening lead is the J.

Dummy:
♠QJ72
Q32
43
♣AQ92

Declarer (me):
♠AKT63
764
KQJ
♣54

Count losers -- Remember I must either look at either Dummy or Declarer's hand to count losers:

Since I can use either hand to count losers, bridge players tend to count losers from the hand that has the longest trump. I will just count the losers in my hand.

Losers in Declarer's Hand:
♠ 0 losers -- I should not have to lose any trump tricks
3 losers -- I will probably lose the three tricks in this suit thanks to that lead!
1 loser -- I will lose the A.
♣ 1 loser -- I might have to lose to the K♣.

Not so good. I am in 3♠ and I have 5 losers. How can I try to avoid any losers?

Hmmmmm. I am probably always going to have to lose to the A, K and J and also the A. But I can try to avoid losing to the K♣. Can you see how?

I can always try the ♣ finesse. When I am playing the ♣ suit I will start from my hand (very important to start there!) with either ♣. If my LHO plays the K♣ I will win my A♣ and my Q♣ is good! I do not have any losers. If my LHO plays a small ♣ instead I will play the Q♣ from Dummy. If my LHO has the K♣ I will win my Q♣ and make my contract.

If my RHO has the Q♣ I will go down in my contract but at least I gave it a shot. That is the best way to avoid a ♣ loser.

So that's how I will try to avoid a ♣ loser.

FIRST thing I need to do is to TAKE OUT the opponents TRUMP.

So the first thing I will do when I win the first trick is to take out all the opponents trump. I will try to remember to end in my hand so I can try the ♣ finesse. So take out trump and try the ♣ finesse. It can't hurt and you might avoid a loser.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Counting Losers in Action -- 4 Spades

This post talks about counting losers in a trump contract. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Losers

To avoid some losers you might have to try a finesse. If you are not sure what a finesse is try these posts:
The Finesse
More Finessing
Eight Ever, Nine Never

The reason why bridge players count losers in a trump contract is to determine whether or not Declarer has enough losers that they will not be able to make their contract. If Declarer has too many losers to make their contract they have to figure out a way to get rid of some of their losers! If Declarer has losers but will still make their contract they try to figure out if they can avoid some of their losers without jeopardizing their contract. Bridge players are a bit greedy in that sense. They always want more.

So let's start. The final contract is 4♠. The opening lead is the J.

Dummy:
♠KQ72
Q9
KQJ3
♣J92

Declarer (me):
♠AJT3
K2
T62
♣AQT4

Count losers -- Remember I must either look at either Dummy or Declarer's hand to count losers:

Since I can use either hand to count losers, bridge players tend to count losers from the hand that has the longest trump. This time both Declarer's hand and Dummy have 4 trump. I can use either. Let's do both for the practice.

Losers in Dummy:
♠ 0 losers -- I should not have to lose any trump tricks (assuming one opponent doesn't have all five of them!)
1 loser -- I will probably lose the A.
1 loser -- I will lose the A.
♣ 1 loser -- I might have to lose to the K♣.

Let's try counting losers in Declarer's hand:

Losers in Declarer's Hand:
♠ 0 losers -- I should not have to lose any trump tricks (assuming one opponent doesn't have all five of them!)
1 loser -- I will probably lose the A.
1 loser -- I will lose the A.
♣ 1 loser -- I might have to lose to the K♣.

Pretty good. I am in 4♠ and I only have 3 losers. I will make my contract. Should I try to avoid any losers?

Hmmmmm. I am probably always going to have to lose to the A and also the A. But I can try to avoid losing to the K♣. Can you see how?

I can always try the ♣ finesse. When I am playing the ♣ suit I will start from Dummy (very important to start there!) and try playing the 9♣ to begin with. If my RHO plays the K♣ I will win my A♣ and all my ♣ are good! If my RHO plays a small ♣ instead I will play a small ♣ from my hand. Yes this could lose to the K♣. But that's okay. The rest of my ♣ will be winners. HOWEVER, if my RHO has the K♣ (they could) then my 9♣ will WIN the trick! Try it at home to see. Just deal out the ♣ and give RHO the K♣ and a couple of other ♣. Look what happens. If the 9♣ wins then I am still in Dummy to repeat the finesse again. This time I will play the J♣ and if RHO plays low, I will play low. The J♣ will now win the trick. Again I am still in Dummy. I can now play the 2♣ and if RHO plays low I can win my Q♣. My A♣ will be a winner.

So that's how I will try to avoid a ♣ loser.

FIRST thing I need to do is to TAKE OUT the opponents TRUMP.

So the first thing I will do when I win the first trick is to take out all the opponents trump. I will try to remember to end in Dummy so I can try the ♣ finesse. Once I play the ♣ I can play on and give the opponents the A. Then all my will be good. I can even lose to the A first and then play the ♣. Not a big deal. The big deal is to take out trump! Otherwise when you play all your winners the oppponents will run out of the suit and be able to trump your winners! This is not good.

So take out trump and try the ♣ finesse. It can't hurt and you might avoid a loser.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Counting Losers

In bridge when Declarer is playing in any trump contract (♠, , , ♣) the first thing they should do is to count their LOSERS. These are tricks that Declarer might have to lose. Declarer then knows how many losers they have and can decide if and how they are getting rid of any losers.

Here are a few examples:
Dummy
♣K94

Declarer
♣AQ3

How many losers does Declarer have in the ♣ suit?

Declarer has ZERO losers in the ♣. They should not have to lose any tricks in that suit.

Dummy
♣K9

Declarer
♣QJ3

Declarer has ONE loser in the ♣. They will have to lose one trick in that suit -- the Ace.

Sounds pretty easy, right? It gets a little more complicated.

You only look at the losers in ONE hand. Not the other. But Losers can be counted in EITHER hand so you need to count either the number of losers in Dummy OR the number of losers in Declarer's hand. So with this holding:
Dummy
♣983

Declarer
♣76

There are no high cards in this suit. That means that if you are looking at the losers in DUMMY you have THREE losers. You will lose three ♣ tricks because there are three small ♣ in Dummy. However if you are looking at the losers in DECLARER'S hand you have only TWO losers. There are two small ♣ in Declarer's hand. The theory behind this is that if the Opponents play one more round of ♣ you can trump the ♣.

However it gets a little trickier. You only look at the losers in one hand BUT if you have high cards in the other hand you get to look at those. So:
Dummy
♣A83

Declarer
♣K6

If we look at the losers in Dummy we can count ONE loser. The A♣ won't lose a trick and we won't have to lose the 3♣ because we have the K♣ in our hand to take care of that loser. But we will still have to lose the 8♣.

If we look at the losers in Declarer's hand we don't have ANY losers. The K♣ will win a trick and the A♣ in Dummy can take care of our 6♣. We can trump any more ♣.

Let's practice. How many losers do you have in Dummy? How many losers do you have in Declarer's Hand?

Hand 1:
Dummy:
♣985

Declarer:
♣62



Hand 2:
Dummy:
♣AKT2

Declarer:
♣64



Hand 3:
Dummy:
♣52

Declarer:
♣AJ



Hand 4:
Dummy:
♣AQ8

Declarer:
♣953



Hand 5:
Dummy:
♣K532

Declarer:
♣AT7



Hand 6:
Dummy:
♣K543

Declarer:
♣A8



Hand 7:
Dummy:
♣A9

Declarer:
♣KQ



Hand 8:
Dummy:
♣AQJ4

Declarer:
♣T93



Hand 9:
Dummy:
♣QJT

Declarer:
♣K4



Hand 10:
Dummy:
♣T82

Declarer:
♣A54



Hand 11:
Dummy:
♣Q93

Declarer:
♣KJ8



Hand 12:
Dummy:
♣AQ86

Declarer:
♣K95



Hand 13:
Dummy:
♣9543

Declarer:
♣K2



Hand 14:
Dummy:
♣7

Declarer:
♣T93



Hand 15:
Dummy:
♣A987

Declarer:
♣Q4



Hand 16:
Dummy:
♣AK4

Declarer:
♣65



Hand 17:
Dummy:
♣A7

Declarer:
♣T54



Hand 18:
Dummy:
♣AQ62

Declarer:
♣85



Hand 19:
Dummy:
♣972

Declarer:
♣QJ3



Hand 20:
Dummy:
♣AQ52

Declarer:
♣K8



Hand 21:
Dummy:
♣93

Declarer:
♣AK2



Hand 22:
Dummy:
♣Q53

Declarer:
♣962



Hand 23:
Dummy:
♣K76

Declarer:
♣32



Saturday, November 19, 2016

Declarer Play Problem #5 - 3NT

This post talks about counting winners in NT. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Winners

The reason why we count winners in NT is to determine whether or not we have enough tricks to make our contract. If we do not have enough tricks to make our contract we have to figure out a way to get more tricks! If we do have enough tricks to make our contract we try to figure out if we can make more.

Check out these posts to see how Declarer can take extra tricks with a finesse:
The Finesse
More Finessing
Eight Ever, Nine Never

If you want to see me walk through a few hands with you check out these posts:
Counting Winners in Action - 6NT
Counting Winners in Action - 3NT

This post is designed to test your declarer play in NT. Count your winners and determine how you will play the contract. For example you could say "I have 9 tricks and I am taking my tricks and running!" Or you could say "I have 8 tricks and I will try the ♣ finesse for my 9th trick!"

So let's practice. The final contract is 3NT. Declarer opened the bidding 1NT and Dummy bid 3NT. The lead is the J. Count the winners in the ♠ suit. Count the winners in the suit. Count the winners in the suit. Count the winners in the ♣ suit. Do you have enough tricks to make your contract? If yes, can you try to take any more? Will you try to take any more? If no, what will you do in order to make your contract?

Contract:3NT Opening lead:J
Dummy:
♠42
K2
AQ874
♣AJ95

Declarer:
♠AKJ9
AQ8
K93
♣843



Friday, November 18, 2016

Declarer Play Problem #4 - 3NT

This post talks about counting winners in NT. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Winners

The reason why we count winners in NT is to determine whether or not we have enough tricks to make our contract. If we do not have enough tricks to make our contract we have to figure out a way to get more tricks! If we do have enough tricks to make our contract we try to figure out if we can make more.

If you want to see me walk through a few hands with you check out these posts:
Counting Winners in Action - 6NT
Counting Winners in Action - 3NT

This post is designed to test your declarer play in NT. Count your winners and determine how you will play the contract. For example you could say "I have 9 tricks and I am taking my tricks and running!" Or you could say "I have 8 tricks and I will try the ♣ finesse for my 9th trick!"

So let's practice. The final contract is 3NT. Declarer opened the bidding 1NT and Dummy bid 3NT. The lead is the 2. Count the winners in the ♠ suit. Count the winners in the suit. Count the winners in the suit. Count the winners in the ♣ suit. Do you have enough tricks to make your contract? If yes, can you try to take any more? Will you try to take any more? If no, what will you do in order to make your contract?

Contract:3NT Opening lead:2
Dummy:
♠A43
543
KQ6
♣A632

Declarer:
♠KQ5
K762
AJ87
♣K4



Thursday, November 17, 2016

Declarer Play Problem #3 - 3NT

This post talks about counting winners in NT. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Winners

The reason why we count winners in NT is to determine whether or not we have enough tricks to make our contract. If we do not have enough tricks to make our contract we have to figure out a way to get more tricks! If we do have enough tricks to make our contract we try to figure out if we can make more.

If you want to see me walk through a few hands with you check out these posts:
Counting Winners in Action - 6NT
Counting Winners in Action - 3NT

This post is designed to test your declarer play in NT. Count your winners and determine how you will play the contract. For example you could say "I have 9 tricks and I am taking my tricks and running!" Or you could say "I have 8 tricks and I will try the ♣ finesse for my 9th trick!"

So let's practice. The final contract is 3NT. Declarer opened the bidding 1NT and Dummy bid 3NT. The lead is the K. Count the winners in the ♠ suit. Count the winners in the suit. Count the winners in the suit. Count the winners in the ♣ suit. Do you have enough tricks to make your contract? If yes, can you try to take any more? Will you try to take any more? If no, what will you do in order to make your contract?

Contract:3NT Opening lead:K
Dummy:
♠83
J2
A84
♣AQJT86

Declarer:
♠AQ4
A765
KJ7
♣K97



Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Declarer Play Problem #2 - 3NT

This post talks about counting winners in NT. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Winners

The reason why we count winners in NT is to determine whether or not we have enough tricks to make our contract. If we do not have enough tricks to make our contract we have to figure out a way to get more tricks! If we do have enough tricks to make our contract we try to figure out if we can make more.

If you want to see me walk through a few hands with you check out these posts:
Counting Winners in Action - 6NT
Counting Winners in Action - 3NT

This post is designed to test your declarer play in NT. Count your winners and determine how you will play the contract. For example you could say "I have 9 tricks and I am taking my tricks and running!" Or you could say "I have 8 tricks and I will try the ♣ finesse for my 9th trick!"

So let's practice. The final contract is 3NT. Declarer opened the bidding 1NT and Dummy bid 3NT. The lead is the Q♣. Count the winners in the ♠ suit. Count the winners in the suit. Count the winners in the suit. Count the winners in the ♣ suit. Do you have enough tricks to make your contract? If yes, can you try to take any more? Will you try to take any more? If no, what will you do in order to make your contract?

Contract:3NT Opening lead:Q♣
Dummy:
♠K6
K75
KQ862
♣K53

Declarer:
♠AQ4
Q42
AJ75
♣A72



Monday, November 14, 2016

Declarer Play Problem #1 - 3NT

This post talks about counting winners in NT. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Winners

The reason why we count winners in NT is to determine whether or not we have enough tricks to make our contract. If we do not have enough tricks to make our contract we have to figure out a way to get more tricks! If we do have enough tricks to make our contract we try to figure out if we can make more.

If you want to see me walk through a few hands with you check out these posts:
Counting Winners in Action - 6NT
Counting Winners in Action - 3NT

This post is designed to test your declarer play in NT. Count your winners and determine how you will play the contract. For example you could say "I have 9 tricks and I am taking my tricks and running!" Or you could say "I have 8 tricks and I will try the ♣ finesse for my 9th trick!"

So let's practice. The final contract is 3NT. Declarer opened the bidding 1NT and Dummy bid 3NT. The lead is the 2♠. Count the winners in the ♠ suit. Count the winners in the suit. Count the winners in the suit. Count the winners in the ♣ suit. Do you have enough tricks to make your contract? If yes, can you try to take any more? Will you try to take any more? If no, what will you do in order to make your contract?

Contract:3NT Opening lead:2♠
Dummy:
♠T6
K5
KQT98
♣AK85

Declarer:
♠K54
A43
AJ7
♣QJ42



Sunday, November 13, 2016

Counting Winners in Action - 3NT

This post talks about counting winners in NT. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Winners

The reason why we count winners in NT is to determine whether or not we have enough tricks to make our contract. If we do not have enough tricks to make our contract we have to figure out a way to get more tricks! If we do have enough tricks to make our contract we try to figure out if we can make more.

So let's start. The final contract is 3NT. The opening lead is the K♠.

Dummy:
♠52
QJT9
J43
♣AQ6

Declarer (me):
♠A73
82
AKQT96
♣K7

Count winners -- Remember we can look at both sides to count our winners:

♠ 1 winner -- Right away I can win the A♠.
0 winners -- I can only count tricks that I will take right away. I don't have the A so I do not have any winners right away.
6 winners -- Right away I can win 6 tricks in this suit. I have the A, K, Q, J, T and even the 9.
♣ 3 winners -- I will win the A♣, the K♣ and the Q♣.

So right now I have 10 winners. The final contract is 3NT. That means I only have to take 9 tricks. This is good!!! But I am a little greedy. Since I can make my contract I'm wondering if there is a way to make even MORE tricks?

What about the suit? If I let the opponents win their A and their K that will set up my Q and my J. That is TWO extra tricks for me.

Is there a problem with doing this? Let's think.

Hmmmm. The opponents started off with the K♠. They probably have length AND strength in that suit. If I let them in with either one of their tricks they will probably continue with the ♠ and I have no more winners in that suit. They might be able to take at least three tricks in the ♠ and then their A and K for five tricks. If the opponents take five tricks I will go down in my 3NT contract.

Good thing I thought about that! This time I will just take the 10 tricks I started with and let the opponents take the rest. I won't try to get more tricks because then I could go down in my contract and I don't want that.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Counting Winners in Action - 6NT

This post talks about counting winners in NT. If you want some practice on doing that please read this post first:
Counting Winners

The reason why we count winners in NT is to determine whether or not we have enough tricks to make our contract. If we do not have enough tricks to make our contract we have to figure out a way to get more tricks! If we do have enough tricks to make our contract we try to figure out if we can make more.

So let's start. The final contract is 6NT. The opening lead is the 8♠.

Dummy:
♠AT2
A9
KQ843
♣A62

Declarer (me):
♠KQ3
KQ2
JT96
♣KQJ

Count winners -- Remember we can look at both sides to count our winners:

♠ 3 winners -- Right away I can win the A♠, the K♠ and the Q♠
3 winners -- Right away I can win the A, the K and the Q
0 winners -- I can only count tricks that I will take right away. I don't have the A so I do not have any winners right away.
♣ 3 winners -- Right away I can win the A♣, the K♣ and the Q♣. Even though I also have the J♣ that isn't another winner because I will have to play the J♣ when I win the A♣ in Dummy.

So right now I have 9 winners. But the final contract is 6NT. That means I have to take 12 tricks. I need to somehow develop three extra tricks for myself. Do you see a way I can do that?

That's right -- the suit. Right now I have ZERO winners in the . But once I give the opponents their A the rest of my will be winners. That's an extra four tricks. I don't mind giving the opponents one trick if I get four in return. Plus I am only in 6NT. I am allowed to lose one trick.

So what shall I do next?

I might as well take all my winners. That is fun! So I play off my A♠, my K♠ and my Q♠. Then I play my A and my K and my Q. Then I play my A♣, my K♣ and my Q♣. I am down to this holding:

Dummy:


KQ84


Declarer (me):


JT96


So now I need to play a and all the rest are winners!

WHAT!?! My RHO won their A but then they didn't return a ! They played a ♣ instead! Since I don't have any ♣ left I had to lose a trick. I'm down 1 in my slam. Sadness. What did I do wrong?

I didn't LOSE my LOSERS FIRST.

Let's go back to the beginning. I need to play the first. I need to develop my extra winners in the suit while I still have control of all the other suits. Since I need to lose a trick (to gain four more) I must do that first thing. That way when the opponents get in with their A I can win any card they return and take all my winners then.

So I will win the opening lead and right away play a . If the opponents don't take their A I will continue to play until they do. Then and only then will I cash all my winners. Making 6. Well done!

Friday, November 11, 2016

Counting Winners

In bridge when Declarer is playing in any NT contract (1NT, 2NT, 3NT, etc) the first thing they should do is to count their WINNERS. These are tricks that they can take RIGHT AWAY. Declarer then knows how many winners they have and whether or not they need to develop more tricks or just take their winners and give up.

Here are a few examples:
Dummy
♣K9

Declarer
♣AQ3

How many winners does Declarer have in the ♣ suit?

Declarer has THREE tricks in the ♣. They can win the A♣, the K♣ and the Q♣.

Winners can be counted in EITHER hand. So with this holding:
Dummy
♣AQ3

Declarer
♣K9

Declarer still has THREE tricks in the ♣. They can win the A♣, the K♣ and the Q♣.

Another example:
Dummy
♣K9

Declarer
♣AQ

How many winners does Declarer have in the ♣ suit?

Declarer has TWO tricks in the ♣. Even though Declarer has the A♣, the K♣ and the Q♣ (the top three cards in the suit) they only have two tricks in the suit because they have to follow suit! When they play the A♣ from their hand they must play the 9♣ from Dummy. Then when they play the Q♣ from their hand they must play the K♣ in Dummy. Now they have no more ♣. If you don't quite understand try it at home to see. Deal out and play the cards yourself.

Another example:
Dummy
♣KJT9

Declarer
♣Q986

How many winners does Declarer have in the ♣ suit?

Declarer has ZERO winners in the ♣ suit. Winners are tricks you can take RIGHT AWAY. Declarer will have to lose to the A♣ first in order to get winners. Therefore these do not count as winners.

Let's practice. How many winners do you have? Winners can be counted in either hand.

Hand 1

Dummy
♠AJT2

Declarer
♠KQ84



Hand 2

Dummy
♠KT

Declarer
♠A8763



Hand 3

Dummy
♠KQ43

Declarer
♠J2



Hand 4

Dummy
♠K742

Declarer
♠98



Hand 5

Dummy
♠Q7

Declarer
♠A985



Hand 6

Dummy
♠AQ5

Declarer
♠KJ9843



Hand 7

Dummy
♠K6

Declarer
♠AQJT8



Hand 8

Dummy
♠QT8

Declarer
♠J2



Hand 9

Dummy
♠A74

Declarer
♠KQT62



Hand 10

Dummy
♠QJT8

Declarer
♠AK9765



Hand 11

Dummy
♠Q72

Declarer
♠JT8



Hand 12

Dummy
♠AQ5

Declarer
♠KJ43



Hand 13

Dummy
♠54

Declarer
♠Q98



Hand 14

Dummy
♠AQJ

Declarer
♠8654



Hand 15

Dummy
♠AK75

Declarer
♠Q8



Hand 16

Dummy
♠Q3

Declarer
♠A2



Hand 17

Dummy
♠KQ2

Declarer
♠J75



Hand 18

Dummy
♠A86

Declarer
♠KJT9



Hand 19

Dummy
♠AQJ5

Declarer
♠KT96



Hand 20

Dummy
♠AQ92

Declarer
♠K8



Hand 21

Dummy
♠J43

Declarer
♠AKT7



Hand 22

Dummy
♠KQ54

Declarer
♠A2



Hand 23

Dummy
♠97

Declarer
♠AJ53



Hand 24

Dummy
♠AK7

Declarer
♠JT954



Hand 25

Dummy
♠K8

Declarer
♠AQJ74



Hand 26

Dummy
♠AKJ5

Declarer
♠Q984



Hand 27

Dummy
♠K4

Declarer
♠9852



Hand 28

Dummy
♠KQ

Declarer
♠JT9



Hand 29

Dummy
♠K87

Declarer
♠JT65



Hand 30

Dummy
♠AKT8

Declarer
♠QJ9763



Hand 31

Dummy
♠AK86

Declarer
♠T754



Hand 32

Dummy
♠AKJ

Declarer
♠96



Hand 33

Dummy
♠75

Declarer
♠AJ832



Hand 34

Dummy
♠KQ6

Declarer
♠AT5



Hand 35

Dummy
♠QJT8

Declarer
♠K53



Hand 36

Dummy
♠AQJT

Declarer
♠73



Hand 37

Dummy
♠KQ95

Declarer
♠J62



Hand 38

Dummy
♠KJ5

Declarer
♠AQ43



Hand 39

Dummy
♠K52

Declarer
♠AQJ



Hand 40

Dummy
♠AKQ8

Declarer
♠J65



Hand 41

Dummy
♠AK92

Declarer
♠QJ85



Hand 42

Dummy
♠J97

Declarer
♠KQT6



Hand 43

Dummy
♠AK75

Declarer
♠QJT4



Hand 44

Dummy
♠KQJ8

Declarer
♠AT



Hand 45

Dummy
♠A95

Declarer
♠QT3



Hand 46

Dummy
♠AJ8

Declarer
♠K7



Hand 47

Dummy
♠QT7

Declarer
♠AJ854



Hand 48

Dummy
♠AQ93

Declarer
♠K5



Hand 49

Dummy
♠AK87

Declarer
♠92



Hand 50

Dummy
♠A6

Declarer
♠KQ



Thursday, November 10, 2016

What you need to make a Two Suited Double

This post combines the knowledge learned in some previous posts. Please read these first to learn about how to respond to a take out double.
Introducing the Take Out Double
Two Suited Doubles

So now that I have discussed what suits I have for the double I should probably say a few words about the hands I could have.

My LHO Partner My RHO ME!
1♣ Pass 1 ???

In that auction I have ♠ and . But what is my shape? What are my values?

I need at least four cards in both the suits that I am showing. In a normal Take Out Double you are allowed to have a three card suit. That is because you are giving Partner the choice of THREE suits. This time you are giving Partner the choice of only TWO suits. You need BOTH of them.

Ideally you would have five cards in one suit and four cards in another suit. With this shape you only need 10 HCP. The rest you make up for in shape.

If you have four cards in both suits your shape isn't nearly as good. With this shape you probably need at least a good 12 HCP.

Ideally you would have four cards in any major and five cards in any minor you are showing. The reason for this is that you can always make an Overcall with a five card suit and you always want to tell Partner about any major you would have. But this isn't always the best thing to do.

The best thing to do is to use your judgement.

If your values are all in the suits the opponents are bidding maybe you just want to Pass. For instance:

♠8642
AK
J9632
♣A3

I would not recommend Doubling to show ♠ and with this hand. Yes, you have the shape. Yes, you have the values. But ALL your values are in the OPPONENTS suits. That won't help you.

Take another hand:

♠AKQ94
93
9632
♣A9

I would not recommend Doubling to show ♠ and with this hand. ALL your values are in the ♠ suit. Make a 1♠ overcall. This helps Partner out with the lead also.

Should you always make an Overcall with a five card major?

Take another hand:

♠J9642
93
AKJT
♣A9

I would not recommend making a 1♠ overcall on this hand. Double to show ♠ and with this hand. The ♠ suit is pretty ratty for an overcall.

It's tough. You have to have some hand judgement. You can't just say with x amount of points and y in each of the suits do this. You could get into trouble. But sometimes you do have to risk bidding when you might not want to. Just a judgement call. I would recommend at least a good 9 or 10 HCP to be in your two suits to be safe. But safety is not guaranteed at all.

Up for some examples? On all the following hands your LHO opens 1♣, Partner Passes and your RHO bids 1. What will you do?

Hand 1

♠KQT8
KT
AJT75
♣72



Hand 2

♠AKJ76
T9
Q972
♣92



Hand 3

♠KJ93
86
AK974
♣86



Hand 4

♠A852
QT5
A875
♣84



Hand 5

♠AQ54
K32
KQ642
♣2



Hand 6

♠AKQ82
732
Q875
♣J



Hand 7

♠AT75
K63
AKQ8
♣83



Hand 8

♠8642
AK
KQJT75
♣8



Hand 9

♠AQ73
83
QJT62
♣K2



Hand 10

♠A854
84
KJ65
♣QT4



Hand 11

♠K742
8
KQJ86
♣J85



Hand 12

♠AQJ64
A4
J932
♣83



Hand 13

♠KQ86
8
AK532
♣Q73



Hand 14

♠AJ62
Q3
AKT94
♣84



Hand 15

♠9632
AT5
Q986
♣AT



Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Two Suited Doubles

So far I have only talked about what happens when one suit only has been bid. Take Out Doubles also occur when the opponents bid two suits. For instance:

My LHO Partner My RHO ME!
1♣ Pass 1 ???

My Hand
♠AQT8
32
AKJT3
♣95

What do I do? I have a nice hand and want to bid. I could overcall 2 but then what if Partner has this hand?

Hand
♠K96432
T86
Q64
♣8

We are making game in 4♠ but Partner will no doubt Pass my 2 overcall.

Even if Partner has this hand:
♠K964
T86
Q6
♣8642

I'd rather Partner play in 1♠ or 2♠ rather than me playing in 2.

Again I can use the Double to say "Partner I have the remaining suits. Please pick one!"

What suits do I have on this auction?

My LHO Partner My RHO ME!
1 Pass 1 ???

The other two suits. ♠ and ♣. The opponents are bidding the red suits -- I have the black suits.

What suits do I have on this auction?

My LHO Partner My RHO ME!
1 Pass 1♠ ???

The other two suits. ♣ and . The opponents are bidding the majors -- I have the minors.

What suits do I have on this auction?

My LHO Partner My RHO ME!
1♣ Pass 1 ???

The other two suits. and ♠. The opponents are bidding the minors -- I have the majors.

What suits do I have on this auction?

My LHO Partner My RHO ME!
1 Pass 2♣ ???

The other two suits. and ♠. The opponents are bidding the round suits -- I have the pointy suits.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Responding to a Take Out Double -- Suit Bids, NT Bids and Cuebids

This post combines the knowledge learned in all these posts. Please read these first to learn about how to respond to a take out double.
Introducing the Take Out Double
Responding to a Take Out Double with a Weak Hand
Responding to a Take Out Double with an Intermediate Hand
Responding to a Take Out Double with an Opening Hand
Responding to a Take Out Double with a Balanced Hand and the Opponents Suit Stopped
Responding to a Take Out Double with a Six Card Major
Responding to a Take Out Double by Cuebidding the Opponents Suit!
Responding to a Take Out Double by Cuebidding the Opponents Suit! Part II

HCP Bid
0-8 LONGEST suit at the LOWEST level
8-10 with stoppers in the Opponent's suit and no major to play in 1NT
9-11 (bad 12) LONGEST suit JUMPING a level
11-12 with stoppers in the Opponent's suit and no major to play in 2NT
Good 12 or more Bid GAME in LONGEST suit
Long (six card) major suit with some values Bid GAME in LONGEST suit
13 or more with stoppers in the Opponent's suit and no major to play in 3NT
Good 12 or more but unsure what game to play in Cuebid the Opponent's suit


So with that in mind what do you respond with each of these hands when your LHO opens the bidding 1♣, Partner says "Double" and your RHO Passes?

Hand 1

♠AK92
QJ7
98
♣AJT6



Hand 2

♠A9753
KJ9
AJ4
♣62



Hand 3

♠AJ83
A74
87
♣AJT5



Hand 4

♠QT85
52
874
♣AT83



Hand 5

♠JT5
AKT72
J3
♣873



Hand 6

♠Q53
AT32
K3
♣AQ43



Hand 7

♠Q9875
974
865
♣AK



Hand 8

♠952
J7
QJ87
♣AK82



Hand 9

♠QJ42
Q4
Q97
♣AK94



Hand 10

♠KQ8532
4
9862
♣K6



Hand 11

♠A763
AQJ3
54
♣A83



Hand 12

♠4
AQJT873
Q64
♣75



Hand 13

♠AQ7
QJT984
8
♣J32



Hand 14

♠AJT5
AJ83
87
♣A74



Hand 15

♠Q976
A72
J932
♣JT



Hand 16

♠32
QT74
K543
♣T64



Hand 17

♠AT32
J85
K3
♣AQ43



Hand 18

♠J8752
A2
K64
♣AJ5



Hand 19

♠654
J97
AK72
♣972



Hand 20

♠Q862
AK93
97
♣A63



Hand 21

♠KQ9
98
AJ8
♣AT876



Hand 22

♠J
AQT743
9543
♣K4



Hand 23

♠KT98
KQJ6
83
♣A86



Hand 24

♠KT9
KJ
Q652
♣AJ82



Hand 25

♠Q9852
KQ
Q95
♣Q72



Hand 26

♠86
9652
Q53
♣KJ42



Hand 27

♠KT62
AKQ9
98
♣J72



Hand 28

♠98
AJT7
T97
♣T654



Hand 29

♠Q4
QJ42
Q97
♣AK94



Hand 30

♠AQJ
A5
T732
♣KJT3



Hand 31

♠AK94
QT7
43
♣AJT8



Hand 32

♠6
QT65
Q932
♣J865



Hand 33

♠KQ632
973
864
♣65



Hand 34

♠A74
AJ83
87
♣AJT5



Hand 35

♠AQ
QJ9843
8
♣9743



Hand 36

♠J87
Q7
JT32
♣KQ82



Hand 37

♠AQ43
AT32
K3
♣853



Hand 38

♠KJT653
T5
A76
♣KT



Hand 39

♠KT85
K95
Q4
♣KQT2



Hand 40

♠865
Q6
J863
♣AKQT



Hand 41

♠73
QT8
KT2
♣AKJ52



Hand 42

♠QJ7
AK92
98
♣AJT6



Hand 43

♠Q9
QT8
KT52
♣AJT9



Hand 44

♠KQ85
Q3
QT4
♣AQ97



Hand 45

♠KQ762
JT5
74
♣A87



Hand 46

♠643
J9
KJ32
♣KQ86



Hand 47

♠Q3
KQ85
QT4
♣AQ97



Hand 48

♠K54
753
Q53
♣K643



Hand 49

♠A9
AKJ95
3
♣T9876



Hand 50

♠52
J94
AKJT8
♣JT8



Hand 51

♠KJ2
J84
Q97
♣AT65



Hand 52

♠KQT2
KT85
Q4
♣K95



Hand 53

♠752
K75
JT2
♣AKT8



Hand 54

♠AKQJ
QJ42
Q97
♣T4



Hand 55

♠JT432
K7
Q7
♣AT65



Hand 56

♠AQT753
8
T753
♣K9



Hand 57

♠KQ9
KT85
Q4
♣KQT2



Hand 58

♠KQ6
52
JT54
♣Q982



Hand 59

♠QT7
AK94
J3
♣KJT8



Hand 60

♠954
KQJ43
QT9
♣QJ



Hand 61

♠J8
743
QJ432
♣J65



Hand 62

♠AK94
J842
9
♣AK85



Hand 63

♠AKT62
A7
AT
♣6532



Hand 64

♠T82
Q7
AKJT
♣KJT4



Hand 65

♠KJT8
AKQ4
43
♣T73



Hand 66

♠A7654
42
Q987
♣98



Hand 67

♠AKJT
T942
AT4
♣J6



Hand 68

♠85
K76
KQ76
♣KQ86



Hand 69

♠AJ54
JT75
A3
♣A72



Hand 70

♠QT
K73
KQ874
♣AJ5



Hand 71

♠KQ9875
A74
865
♣8