by Ed Scerri – The play of the cards
Hand 1
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J 10 5 4
The contract is 3NT by South.
How do you play if:
a) There is no opposition bidding and West leads 
7.
b) There is no opposition bidding and West leads 
A then switches to 7.
c) West opens 1
and leads 7.
Hand 2
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The contract is 4 Spades by South.
How do you play if:
a) There is no opposition bidding and West leads Q .
b) There is no opposition bidding and West leads 6 .
c) East opens 1 Club, and West leads Q .
Hand 3
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South is declarer in 4 Spades, after West opens 1 Heart, and East raises to 2 Hearts.
West leads A, K, and 2 with East playing 5, J and Q . You ruff the third round, and draw trumps ( East having started with J 5 3 ).
How do you proceed, and why ?
Hand 4
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West opens 1 Spade, which East raises to 2 Spades, you overcall 4 Hearts, West bids 4 Spades, and partner bids 5 Hearts, where you play.
West leads 6 to East’s K, and you win with the A. Trumps break 2-1 (with West having singleton J).
How would you proceed, and why?
Hand 5
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There is no opposition bidding, and you become declarer in 4 Hearts.
West leads Q, which you duck, then J, which you win.
You then draw trumps in two rounds, and ruff your third Spade (East following with the K).
How would you proceed, and why ?
Hand 6
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After West opens with 1Heart, and East raises to 2 Hearts, you intervene with 2 Spades and unfortunately, partner takes you seriously and bids 3 Spades which ends the auction.
West leads 4 and East plays K.
What are your early thoughts on how to play this contract ?
Hand7
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You are playing in the final of the Gold Cup, and end up as declarer in 4 Hearts, after West has opened 1 Spade, and East has responded 1 NT.
This contract is somewhat ambitious, but you judge that you are behind in the match, and are in need of a big ‘swing’.
West leads 6, which runs to West’s K, and he returns 9.
It’s time to put all your ‘card reading’ skills to good use.
How would you play, and why.
Note: This hand is in fact taken from the gold cup final of many years ago, and the entire match hinged on the success or failure of this contract.