Blum on Bridge Some more basic non-life-master-pointers
	Over the winter I've probably spent more time attempting to smooth out your bidding techniques and have not paid the attention I should to basic play of the hand. Although you are declarer only 25 percent of the time, for some reason it feels as if we play a hand much more often. Perhaps it is because when we do play the hand we feel as if the responsibility of success falls completely on our shoulders. Of course, this is true. So we'll begin today's discussion describing how to play simple suit combinations that occur most frequently. By the end of my article we will have increased the degree of difficulty of these various combinations. Holding seven cards in a suit between you and dummy means six cards are outstanding. Surprisingly the most common distribution of those six cards is 4-2 occurring over 48 percent of the time. The even 3-3 distribution happens less than 36 percent of the time, quite a difference. If you hold AKQ5 and dummy has 432 your chance of winning four tricks in the suit is not good. Holding eight cards in a suit between you and dummy means five cards are outstanding. When an odd number of cards are outstanding, the percentages favor that the suit will break as evenly as possible, in this instance 3-2. This 3-2 break occurs almost 68 percent of the time, over two-thirds of the hands missing five cards. If you hold A8643 and dummy has KQ5, odds is that you will take five tricks in the suit. By the way get into the habit of playing the short suit first so you will always leave an entry into the long suit. Play the KQ then the five to the ace establishing your long suit winners. Let's change the above holding to A8643 and K72. Even if the suit breaks favorably only four tricks can be won. So as not to lose control of the suit it is best to give up the losing trick immediately by playing low from the ace and a low card from dummy. This is called a safety play. When you later gain the lead play low to the king. As long as the three outstanding cards break 2-1 you make a total of four tricks. Should you find the suit breaks unfavorably (4-1 about a quarter of time) you still maintain control of the suit with the ace. Now we'll take a look at the finesse. Assume you hold 43 and dummy has AQ. You should be able to see that if you play either the four or three and after lho plays low you play the queen there is a 50 percent chance the queen will win the trick thereby guaranteeing you two tricks in the suit. If lho has the king the queen wins and if rho holds the king the play of the queen will lose. With no information from the auction it's a flip of the coin as to who has the king. To forego the finesse and play the ace first will only be advantageous if rho has a singleton king, about a 2 percent chance. Two other finesses are interesting. You hold Q5. Dummy has A43. You must play low from the ace in dummy up to the queen in your hand. If your rho has the king you win two tricks. If lho has the king you only win one trick. However, it is the best play as there is a 50 percent chance to gain the max. The other finesse that is truly an all around guess is one you hold 53 and dummy has KJ. You play low from your hand. If lho play the ace your troubles are over. If he plays low you must guess how the queen and ace are divided. If you play the jack, you hope lho holds the queen. Should you decide to play the king, you hope lho holds the ace. You don't care about the queen. One should be aware of the percentages of a double finesse. You hold 543, the dummy AJ10. Odds are 3-1 in your favor that either the king or queen is on side, held by lho. Play low to the ten. If it loses come to your hand and play low to the jack. You hold Q54, the dummy AJ9. Play the queen. Whether or not it loses to the king or lho covers your queen with the king, come to your hand; take a second finesse against the ten by playing the nine. You realize that if lho holds both the K and ten you win three tricks, about a 25 percent bet. A finesse similar to the last one, but in reality quite different is where you hold Q54, the dummy AJ2. Oh, those tens and nines are so important. If lho holds the king you make two tricks. Is there a chance to make three tricks? Yes, but don't bet the ranch. Never the less you can still give yourself the chance by playing low to the jack. When it holds lay down the ace. Hopefully lho originally held King and a spot card.