Chapter 5
Maximizing Your Entries
© 2006 - Marty Bergen
Page 59
Maximizing Your Entries
Get
There If You Can
Contract: 3NT
Lead:
 J
|
|
North
 K
10 6
7
5
7 2
Q 10 9 6 3 2 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
South
A
Q 3
A
K 4 2
A K 5 3
J 4 |
|
|
West North
East South
--
-- --
2NT
Pass
2NT
All Pass
You
have 7 tricks: 3 spades, 2 hearts and 2 diamonds. Your
only hope is to set up dummy’s clubs. At trick 1, East follows
with the
Q
and you win with the ace. You lead the
J,
hoping to drive out a club honor; but both opponents play low.
You lead a second club, and East wins that with the
K.
He shifts to the
Q,
and you win the A.
Once again, you’re in your hand, but you’re definitely not
happy.
Dummy’s one entry is not sufficient to knock out the
A
and then get back to the board to run clubs. An
entry, an entry, my kingdom for an entry. Do you have any
suggestions?
© 2006 - Marty Bergen
Page 60
Maximizing Your Entries
In
addition to the
K,
the only possible entry to the board is the
10.
Therefore, you should lead the
3,
finesse the ten, and hold your breath. It wins! YES!!! It
is now child’s play to knock out the
A
and claim your well-earned 11 tricks.
Here is the entire deal:
Contract: 3NT
Lead:
J |
|
North
K
10 6
7
5
7 2
Q 10 9 6 3 2 |
|
|
| |
West
J
7 4 2
J
10 9 8 6 3
9
8 7 |
|
East
9
8 5
Q
Q J 10 8 6 4
A K 5 |
|
| |
|
South
A
Q 3
A
K 4 2
A K 5 3
J 4 |
|
|
P.S.
West could have defeated the contract by inserting the
J
when you led the
3.
That would deny you the second spade entry you needed.
P.P.S.
If you do encounter a West who plays the
J,
quick, check his pulse. There’s an excellent chance that he’s
from another planet!
© 2006- Marty Bergen
Chapter 6: To
Finesse, or Not to Finesse? .......................... 67
|
