Most of the time when you are the declarer in a trump contract, you will have more trumps than the dummy. Then, when you count your losers at trick one, it is relatively simple. You look at your 13 cards and take dummy's high cards into account. But occasionally the dummy will have longer trumps than you. When counting losers in this situation, you must look at your partner's 13 cards and take your high cards into account. Mentally move around the table and sit on your partner's lap!
That applies to this deal, where you are in six clubs. How would you plan the play after West leads the heart ace and another heart?
North responded with a splinter bid, showing great club support, at least game-going values and at most a singleton spade. Suddenly South's hand had become much stronger. If necessary, his low spades could be ruffed in the dummy. Despite only 13 points, he immediately used Blackwood.
Look at the North hand and take South's honors into account. You should see no spade losers, one heart loser, three diamond losers and no club losers. Since you have already lost a trick to the heart ace, you must do something with those three diamond losers. Well, you can discard one on the fourth heart in the South hand, so you must ruff the other two in the South hand.
After winning the second trick, cash dummy's diamond ace, ruff a diamond with your club eight, play a trump to the dummy, ruff another diamond with your club ace, draw the missing trumps, run the hearts to pitch dummy's diamond queen, and claim.
That applies to this deal, where you are in six clubs. How would you plan the play after West leads the heart ace and another heart?
North responded with a splinter bid, showing great club support, at least game-going values and at most a singleton spade. Suddenly South's hand had become much stronger. If necessary, his low spades could be ruffed in the dummy. Despite only 13 points, he immediately used Blackwood.
Look at the North hand and take South's honors into account. You should see no spade losers, one heart loser, three diamond losers and no club losers. Since you have already lost a trick to the heart ace, you must do something with those three diamond losers. Well, you can discard one on the fourth heart in the South hand, so you must ruff the other two in the South hand.
After winning the second trick, cash dummy's diamond ace, ruff a diamond with your club eight, play a trump to the dummy, ruff another diamond with your club ace, draw the missing trumps, run the hearts to pitch dummy's diamond queen, and claim.