Lesson 4(d) - Playing suit contracts

Do you aim for a suit or a NT contract?

You generally elect to play in a suit contract because you have an unbalanced hand and more trumps than the opponents. 

You can often afford to rid the opponents of their trumps (to draw trumps) and still have trumps left later for the purpose of making extra tricks by trumping (ruffing).

By drawing trumps you eliminate the danger of opponents trumping your winners with small trumps that would otherwise not win tricks.

You should count how many trumps are outstanding and stop playing trumps as soon as the last outstanding trump has appeared.

Sometimes you postpone drawing trumps to attend to more urgent business.

QUIZ

1. What opening bid would you make with each of the following hands
   a.    ♠ Jxxxx     ♥ AKxxx     ♦ Ax      ♣ x
   b.    ♠ Axxx      ♥ KQxx       ♦ A        ♣ Qxxx
   c.    ♠ AKxx     ♥ AJxx         ♦ Qxx   ♣ xx
   d.    ♠ Kx          ♥ AQx         ♦ Jxxx   ♣ AKQx
   e.    ♠ AKQx     ♥ Kxx         ♦ Jxx     ♣ Jxx
   f.     ♠ Kx          ♥ QJxxx     ♦ KQJ    ♣ Axx

2. What is your response to partner's opening 1♥?
   a.    ♠ xx     ♥ Qxx  ♦Axx      ♣KQJxx
   b.    ♠ Kxx  ♥ Qxx  ♦AJxxx   ♣xx
   c.    ♠ Kx    ♥ Qxx  ♦xx          ♣ Jxxxx
   
   
3. What is your response to partner's opening 1♦?
   a.   ♠ ATxx    ♥ xx   ♦ QJxxx  ♣ Jx
   b.   ♠ Axx      ♥ x     ♦ xxxxx  ♣ Qxxx
   c.   ♠ KJx       ♥ Ax  ♦ Qxxxx  ♣ Kxx

4. What is your response to a 1NT opening?
   a.   ♠ Jxx           ♥ Qxxxxx   ♦ x       ♣ xxx
   b.   ♠ x              ♥ Jxx           ♦ Kxx  ♣ KQJxxx
   c.   ♠ KTxxxx   ♥ QJx          ♦ Qxx  ♣ x

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