Can you trust your opponent?

Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman statesman and orator who died circa 43 B.C., said, “Confidence is that feeling by which the mind embarks in great and honorable courses with a sure hope and trust in itself.”

You need to have confidence in your bridge partner. If you do not, get a new one! But at other times, your play may depend on whether you trust an opponent.

In today's deal, West leads a fourth-highest spade four against three no-trump. What happens after that?

With that North hand, I would have been tempted to raise one no-trump straight to three no-trump. With 28-30 combined high-card points, usually there will be nine winners. But four hearts, assuming a 4-4 fit exists, might fail to a bad trump break or a defensive crossruff. Also, if a 4-4 fit does not exist, using Stayman just gives the defenders extra information about declarer's hand.

South has nine top tricks: three hearts, four diamonds and two clubs. If only he could have had the opening lead, he could have claimed. Now, the defenders seem destined to take the first five or six tricks in spades.

However, when declarer plays dummy's seven, some Easts, worried that South has the ace and West the jack, will put in the 10. Then a grateful South will win the trick and, here, collect two overtricks. What clue would those Easts have missed?

If South had started with A-x or A-x-x in spades, he would have put up dummy's queen in the hope of taking two tricks in the suit. When he does not, West is marked with the spade ace.