queen   Cashing out

Hand 1: Cashing out against pre-empts

Many of you know the standard lead against a pre-empt; cash an ace and see dummy. Now make up your mind about your continuation.

When its important to know partner's length, can your partnership give encouragement and length? Try this:

Dealer South; South opens the bidding with 5C. This ends the auction and you (West) are on lead: 

	S Q65
	H Q65
	D AKQJ5
	C 82
S A743					
H A743
D 1082		
C 76
You cash the SA, 5, 8 from partner and 10 from declarer. Now what? OK you cash the HA, 5, 9 from partner and 10 from declarer. Are you any wiser? If you get the lead to trick three wrong declarer will make his contract........

Since declarer is long in clubs and short in the majors (10 played on each suit), partner must have a number of encouraging cards to play. Why not choose one that signifies length? Hence a high even card shows encouragement and an even number of cards, and a high odd card shows encouragement and an odd number of cards.

Back to the hand above. You should now be able to work out that partner holds 4 spades and 5 hearts. So you play a spade and hey presto partner wins the trick.

Hand 2: A more complex but similar situation

The bidding goes: 
W	N	E	S
			2C1			
3C	3D	-	4NT
5S	-	-	6D
6S	-	-	X
-	-	-

1 Acol game going hand





S xx


H K97


D K9xx


C Kxxx



S AQ10xxS K9xxx


H -H xxx
			

D 10D Qxx
				

C AQJ109xxC xx
				
	

S x


H AQJ10842


D AJ652


C -
North led a trump and declarer won in hand. A second spade to the king, South discarding HJ. Declarer now takes the club finesse losing to the king, South discarding the DJ. North should now be able to work out that South is 1-7-5-0 (bidding, dummy's cards and South's play to the first three tricks.

Hence North plays a diamond and North/South get some consolation at getting East/West down, even if they were not allowed to make their slam!

Tony's Bridge Site UK : Cashing Out

created by Tony Poole.

Comments to Tony Poole email us

URL: http://www.hiltonproperty.co.uk/bridge


Last modified: 1st February 2005

--- colophoncolophoncolophoncolophon---