Both HCP and distribution points should be considered
Board 3 Dlr: S EW Vul
NORTH
♠ A98
♥ KJ5
♦ A762
♣ A94
WEST EAST
♠ KQJT ♠ 6542
♥ 94 ♥ A8
♦ J84 ♦ KQT93
♣ JT73 ♣ 85
SOUTH
♠ 73
♥ QT7632
♦ 5
♣ KQ62
Bidding: S W N E
P P 1NT P
4♥
South and West are not strong enough to open the bidding at the one level. (Later, in Lesson Nine, you will discover that South's hand is suitable for an opening at the two level of a weak 2♥.)
When North opens 1NT (showing a balanced 15-17 HCP) South knows that there must be at least an 8-card heart fit. In that case her 7 HCP are upgraded via distributional points for the singleton and doubleton to 11 TP, enough for game.
West leads ♠K. As declarer you can count 10 tricks - 5 hearts, 3 clubs, 1 spade and 1 diamond.
First you must draw trumps, even though you do not hold the ace. Make sure you play a high trump to flush out the ace. Then when you regain the lead you must play a second round of trumps to draw out all the opposing trumps.
Now ♣A (honour from the short hand) followed by ♣KQ can be cashed without fear they may be ruffed by East‑West.
As West still has the winning §J, you can trump the losing §6 with dummy's remaining trump and make 11 tricks for a score of 5x30 + 300 = 450.
If you played too many trumps earlier, instead of merely drawing trumps, you will lose a club because there is no trump left in dummy to ruff your loser and thus make only 10 tricks for 420.
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Board 4 Dlr:W All Vul
NORTH
♠ T9763
♥ 93
♦ 86
♣ 7543
WEST EAST
♠ 5 ♠ AJ84
♥ K75 ♥ AQ82
♦ KJ9754 ♦ AQ2
♣ K62 ♣ A8
SOUTH
♠ KQ2
♥ JT64
♦ T3
♣ QJT9
Bidding: W N E S
P P 2NT P
6♦
West is a little too weak for a 1♦ opening. (Lesson 9 will show you that the West hand qualifies as a weak 2♦ opening!)
East opens 2NT to show a balanced 20-21 HCP. As in the previous hand, responder knows there is a fit when she holds a 6-card suit. Her hand is worth 13 TP, enough for small slam - 6♦.
- Note: It is worth mentioning that 4NT by West would NOT be Blackwood after a 2NT opening. It would ask opener to pass with a bare 20 and bid 6NT with a good 21.
North leads ♠T. As declarer you can count 12 top tricks - 6 trumps, 1 spade, 3 hearts and 2 clubs. Can you do even better?
An extra trick can be made by trumping a club in the short trump hand, dummy. Win the opening lead with dummy's ace and draw trumps - only two rounds are needed.
Now you play ♣A, a club to the king and ruff your last club with dummy's remaining trump. As in the previous deal, you can see how wise it may be not to play more trumps than are necessary to draw the enemy trumps. You must now make all 13 tricks.
Vulnerable small slam with an overtrick for a score of 7x20 + 500 + 750 = 1390.
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