BRIDGE with Bob Jones

Rubber bridge players are not famous for the subtleties in their bidding, often bashing their way to the final contract. They may not bid as well as their tournament counterparts, but their card play is often first rate.

Many would start play in today’s deal by banging down the ace and king of hearts. That is the percentage play when holding nine cards in the two hands missing the queen. The finesse for the queen is preferred when holding eight combined cards. The queen wouldn’t fall on this deal, and declarer would cash his other high spade and start on clubs, succeeding when the clubs were splitting 3-3. An unfavorable split in clubs and they could try the diamond finesse. Note that if East were able to ruff an early round of clubs, he would have to lead a diamond, giving South a chance to try the finesse. A spade lead instead would yield a ruff-sluff.

Even better would be to cash only one high heart, cross to dummy with a club, and lead a heart to the jack. Why take the finesse with nine cards in the suit? Because that would virtually assure the contract. Should the finesse win, there are 12 top tricks with chances for an overtrick. Should it lose, the trumps were splitting 2-2 and the six of hearts would be an entry to dummy. Declarer would be able to handle a 4-2 split in clubs, and only a 5-1 club split would force declarer to fall back on the diamond finesse. Nice play!