You open 1 and accept partner's limit raise as shown. Against 4, the J is led. It wins and then the 10 is led. You play low from dummy and trump in your hand. What is your plan?
Choose One:
Draw trump (play the ace and king).
Do something else first.
Answer: 2 -
Do something else first. You might lose a club, a spade and 3 hearts. (Yes, on a really bad day, 4-0 spades offside, you'd lose 2 spades, but who could be that unlucky?). The danger of starting trump is shown in the full diagram below. Once you play the A and K, you are down. When West gets in, he plays a third trump and you are a trick short. Best is to duck a heart early. Win any return and then play the AK and go about your business.
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