LEARNING CENTER

Win in hand. Those 10s and 9s are important cards. Here, there's no rush to take a club finesse. You have 4 losers: 1 spade (hopefully), 2 diamonds, and a club. You could take the club finesse (50-50), but this lead has given you an additional chance: getting an extra heart winner. Play low from dummy and East plays the J or Q. You can cash the A and now you can finesse in hearts (play the 9, overtaking with the 10). If this finesse wins, now you can take the A and throw away a diamond, before taking the club finesse. You are hoping to get an overtrick if the K is onside. Even if this finesse loses, you can get back to dummy with a trump and now you have two good hearts to use to throw away diamonds. 

The full deal: 

Vul:None Dlr: South	K6  A1083  10943  543
Q104  Q762  Q5  K976		J5  J54  KJ82  J1082
	A98732  K9  A76  AQ

Win in declarer's hand. You want to take the diamond finesse as quickly as possible. Yes, you could use the A to come back to your hand, but why give away information? You can't afford to draw trumps before playing diamonds because if the diamond finesse loses, the opponents can take three spade tricks with dummy out of hearts. 

The full deal: 

Vul:None Dlr: S	43  KJ  AJ109  109432
AJ82  532  ?543  K7		KQ109  4  ?82  QJ865
	765  AQ109876  Q6  A

note: I didn't show where the K is because it will be in the wrong place if you play it a wrong way. 

It doesn't matter where you win. You will want to draw trump as soon as you can. If trumps are 3-2 you will always lose one trick. If they split 4-1, however, you need to be careful. The correct way to play this suit is to play the ace first and then towards the QJ. This will work against a singleton king in either hand or Kxxx with West. If you lead the Q, you are going to lose two spade tricks and two diamond tricks in several layouts, including the one below. Since you could play the suit this way from either hand, it doesn't matter where you win trick one. 

Full deal

Vul: Dlr:	QJ65  K8  1094  AQJ10
K  QJ1043  Q853  632		10983  9762  KJ6  54
	A742  A5  A72  K987

Win in your hand.  You start with a spade trick, three heart tricks, and three diamond tricks. You can get one more trick in spades and you might get an extra trick in diamonds, but those plays can wait. It's best to start attacking clubs. If West has the J, you can develop two tricks in clubs. Win trick one in your hand and play a club towards the 10. That will force out the K. The opponents can eventually take two hearts and two clubs, but you'll make your contract. 

The full deal. 

Vul:None Dlr: North	J62  KQ5  AQ5  Q1098
K83  J10942  J9  AJ3		10974  76  10874  K75
	AQ5  A82  K632  642