When, during the auction, you have a close decision, go through the pluses and minuses of each call. Then if you are still unsure, hope that you guess well.
For example, look at the South hand in the diagram. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade, and he rebids one no-trump, showing 12-14 points. What would you do now?
If your long suit were a minor, you would rebid three no-trump without a moment's hesitation. And that is definitely tempting now. But here it works badly, the opponents taking five club tricks. The alternative is to rebid three spades, showing six spades with game-invitational values. North, with a suitable hand for spades, raises to game.
After West leads the diamond king, how would you plan the play?
You have four losers: two diamonds and two clubs. You have only nine winners: six spades, two hearts and one diamond. You must establish a long heart on the board as your 10th trick.
If the hearts are 4-2, as you should expect, you will need three dummy entries. These you have: the spade nine, spade 10 and a top heart.
Win the first trick on the board, play a spade to your ace, lead a heart to dummy's king, cash the heart ace, and ruff a heart high in your hand. You ruff high to prevent West from overruffing, and to preserve your low trumps to gain access to the board's two remaining spades.
Play a low trump to dummy's nine, ruff another heart high, lead a spade to dummy's 10, and discard a minor-suit loser on the heart six. Brilliant!
For example, look at the South hand in the diagram. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade, and he rebids one no-trump, showing 12-14 points. What would you do now?
If your long suit were a minor, you would rebid three no-trump without a moment's hesitation. And that is definitely tempting now. But here it works badly, the opponents taking five club tricks. The alternative is to rebid three spades, showing six spades with game-invitational values. North, with a suitable hand for spades, raises to game.
After West leads the diamond king, how would you plan the play?
You have four losers: two diamonds and two clubs. You have only nine winners: six spades, two hearts and one diamond. You must establish a long heart on the board as your 10th trick.
If the hearts are 4-2, as you should expect, you will need three dummy entries. These you have: the spade nine, spade 10 and a top heart.
Win the first trick on the board, play a spade to your ace, lead a heart to dummy's king, cash the heart ace, and ruff a heart high in your hand. You ruff high to prevent West from overruffing, and to preserve your low trumps to gain access to the board's two remaining spades.
Play a low trump to dummy's nine, ruff another heart high, lead a spade to dummy's 10, and discard a minor-suit loser on the heart six. Brilliant!