Play these two hands in game - 3NT
Board 5 Dlr N NS Vul
NORTH
© Q64
¨ AK76
§ 862
ª KQJT9 ª 63
© JT3 © 852
¨ 84 ¨ JT9
§ 973 § KQJ54
SOUTH
© AK97
¨ Q532
South opens 1NT 'in third seat' (= after two passes). North invites game with 9 HCP via 2NT and South accepts with a maximum 17, bidding 3NT. West leads ªK, top of an excellent sequence.
As declarer you can count only eight top tricks. There are two possibilities for an extra trick, in each of your long suits.
You have a combined holding of eight diamonds and seven hearts. If the opponents' five diamonds 'break' (= are divided) 3-2 and their six hearts break 3-3, then the red suits will each provide an extra trick. But you will of course have to watch exactly what the opponents play.
As it happens, both suits break well for an overtrick and you make ten tricks in your vulnerable game, scoring 4x30 + 10 + 500 = 630.
NORTH
WEST EAST
ª Q4 ª AK5
© T842 © KQJ7
¨ AKJ ¨ Q4
§ AK32 § Q864
SOUTH
East opens 1NT. Using fingers and toes, West calculates that the partnership holds 32-34 HCP, right on the game/slam cusp. Slam looks good as long as opener is not a dead minimum 15 HCP. The way to find out is to invite small slam with a bid of 4NT. East, with a maximum 17 HCP, happily bids the slam, 6NT.
South leads ªJ, top of at least a 3-card sequence, and as declarer you can count nine top tricks (three each in spades, diamonds and clubs) with three more easily able to be 'established' (= developed) in hearts after the ace is driven out.
Start on the hearts at once, and with a little care in 'cashing' (= playing out) your winners in the other suits (honour from the short hand in both spades and diamonds), you will soon have twelve tricks in your vulnerable slam for a score of 6x30 + 10 + 500 + 750 = 1440.
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