Start by playing the right card

Flip Wilson, a comedian and actor who died in 1988, said, “Get-well cards have become so humorous that if you don’t get sick, you’re missing half the fun.”

Playing the right cards at the bridge table — and having partner interpret them correctly — is an excellent start in getting a healthy scorecard.

How does that apply in this deal after West leads the heart five against three no-trump?

I would not have used Stayman with that North hand, because of the strong doubleton. Note also that it gave free information to the defenders. There is an interesting way around the problem. North responds three hearts to show four spades and game-going values. If South rebids three no-trump, the defenders do not know whether he does or does not have four hearts, which was relevant when this deal was originally played. (Yes, you would have to modify your other methods, but I am confident that this meaning for a three-of-a-major response has a higher frequency than your present agreement.)

At trick one, East, because his highest heart is lower than the nine, should give count, not go third hand high — he should play the two.

Declarer will take the trick with his jack, cross to dummy with a spade and run the diamond 10. But now West ought to find the winning defense of taking that trick and cashing the heart ace to drop South’s king. (East’s heart two couldn’t have been a singleton, because that would have meant South had four hearts, which he denied in the auction.)