A native American gave the following piece of advice to Hubert Humphrey: "Be careful in revising those immigration laws of yours. We got careless with ours."
At the bridge table, be careful in following the "rules" — such carelessness may result in your contract being overrun, or your failing to defeat a contract.
In this deal, take the East cards. Against three no-trump, your partner leads the club jack, king ... How would you defend?
North is right to blast into three no-trump. It might have no play, it might be laydown, it might depend upon the defense. But if it makes, it pays a vulnerable game bonus.
There is a "rule" — return partner's lead. That is typically true in no-trump, but always think first. (Against a suit contract, this rule is right much less often.)
What will happen if you lead back a club? Declarer will win with his club queen and run for home, here taking 10 tricks: three spades, six diamonds and one club.
You must shift to a heart.
There is another "rule" — lead fourth-highest when you have at least one honor in a suit (and lead high without an honor). This is almost always right — but note that "almost." If you switch to a low heart here, South will probably play low from his hand and will have a heart stopper.
Since you have dummy's heart 10 surrounded by your jack and nine, and you have a higher nontouching honor in the king, shift to the heart jack, the card above dummy's best. Now your side can take the first five tricks.
At the bridge table, be careful in following the "rules" — such carelessness may result in your contract being overrun, or your failing to defeat a contract.
In this deal, take the East cards. Against three no-trump, your partner leads the club jack, king ... How would you defend?
North is right to blast into three no-trump. It might have no play, it might be laydown, it might depend upon the defense. But if it makes, it pays a vulnerable game bonus.
There is a "rule" — return partner's lead. That is typically true in no-trump, but always think first. (Against a suit contract, this rule is right much less often.)
What will happen if you lead back a club? Declarer will win with his club queen and run for home, here taking 10 tricks: three spades, six diamonds and one club.
You must shift to a heart.
There is another "rule" — lead fourth-highest when you have at least one honor in a suit (and lead high without an honor). This is almost always right — but note that "almost." If you switch to a low heart here, South will probably play low from his hand and will have a heart stopper.
Since you have dummy's heart 10 surrounded by your jack and nine, and you have a higher nontouching honor in the king, shift to the heart jack, the card above dummy's best. Now your side can take the first five tricks.