LEARNING CENTER

2. This hand is way too strong to consider anything else.

2. No need to jump. This is forcing. Precipitous to use Blackwood--you will go down in 5 if partner is broke.

4NT. You need to know that partner is showing a decent hand. With a terrible hand he would have done something else (either 3 second negative, or a weak jump to 4). Facing some values (likely at least an ace), you are in slam zone. No need for control-bids here; you have every suit controlled. This is a perfect Blackwood hand.

6. You are missing an ace. End of science. End of investigation. You place the contract in 6.

When you use Blackwood, the intention is to bid slam unless you are missing 2 keycards (or a keycard and the trump queen).

. You might think you should lead a heart and try to guess, since this might be your only time in dummy. Wrong. This is the full deal:

If you play a heart, West takes 2 tricks for down 1. You can't guess right.

There is no need to guess. Draw trump, unblock the A and reach dummy by trumping one of your good diamonds.
Then throw a heart on the K.

Thank you for attending the webinar on "Know Nuts and Bolts; not Conventions."