Their bidding helps your side

Wilson Mizner, a playwright who died in 1933, said, “A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something.”

When playing bridge, you should listen not only to partner’s bids but also to those by the opponents. They are handing you information for free.

South is in four hearts. West leads the diamond ace: three, nine, seven. West cashes the diamond king: eight, queen, two. Then West exits with a club. What should happen next?

West was tempted to rebid three diamonds because he had a seven-card suit, but his high-card count was low and the vulnerability was unfavorable. North’s three-heart rebid was a strong call. Since South could have had nothing, North needed a powerful hand to drive to a nine-trick contract. Then South, who had good trumps, raised to game.

Note East’s play of the diamond nine at trick one. Instead, the queen would have been either a singleton or guaranteed the jack. East would have been telling West that he could have led a low diamond at trick two and East would have taken the trick either by ruffing or with his jack.

South can afford one trump loser, but not two. Normally, he would take the finesse. But always start by checking highcard points. The defenders have only 15, and East has turned up with the diamond queen. West must have the heart king. Declarer should play a heart to his ace and return a low heart, hoping that the king will appear.

Lucky, yes, but South still had to make the right play.