Make the Most of Your Entries

In this lesson:

On many hands, the unsuccessful declarer's downfall was a result of his not being as efficient as he could have been with his entries.

Here are a few tips that are worth keeping in mind:

1. When you have a choice of where to win a trick, ask yourself, "Where will I need to be later?"
2. Don't be a grabber. A good declarer loses tricks early in the play.
3. Learn to appreciate intermediate cards. Their importance cannot be overstated.

For each deal in the lesson, Marty will explain exactly how and what you should think about to maximize your entries. This includes:

• - How to give yourself an extra chance to make the hand
• - How to make the most of your long suits
• - How to make the most of your intermediates
• - When it is wrong to use up the honor from the short side first
• - When should you take a safety play
• - When you should "lose your losers early"
• - When is it more helpful to count winners in a suit contract
• - When should you play differently at matchpoints

Here is an example of what Marty will discuss in the lesson:

South is the declarer in 4♠. West leads the ♠10. You in the ♠J.
How would you play?

Solution

Your only chance to avoid losing four tricks is to win additional tricks with dummy's club suit. If clubs are 3-3, it will be easy to cash the ♣A and ♣K, ruff the third round, and then draw trumps ending in dummy.

However, as you can see, the East-West clubs are 4-2. If you play the hand normally, because dummy has only one entry outside of clubs, you won't be able to develop any extra club winners and will be down one.

Fortunately, a better line of play is available. At trick 2, lead the ♣2 and play dummy?'s ♣3! East will win and lead a heart. You'll win the ♥A, and cash your ♠A.

Now, lead your last club to dummy's ♣A. You'll then lead a club and ruff it with your ♠K. Then, lead a spade to dummy's ♠Q and cash your two club winners. As long as clubs split no worse than 4-2, you'll always win 6 spades, 1 heart, and 3 clubs.