November 2005 - 50

INTERMEDIATE PLAYERS

Better Bridge
with Bergen
Important Tip
Declarer must make sure that at
least one entry remains in the weak
hand until the long suit is ready to
run.

Marty Bergen
Mbergen@mindspring.com

If you don't have
entries, you ain't
got nothing
"Failing to prepare is preparing to
fail." - Vince Lombardi, legendary
football coach
If I had to single out the most
important topic on card play,
there is no question in my mind
- entries. How many times have
you heard someone lament about
being "stuck in the wrong hand"?
On many deals, there is an
opportunity to make a key play to
ensure that declarer has the entries
he needs. Key plays, unfortunately,
are not always obvious. At that
special moment, it would be nice if:
*
*

A bell would go off.
Someone would stand up and
yell "alert."
*	 A little bird would chirp "now"
in your ear.
*	 A guardian angel would appear
to protect you from yourself.
Alas, no such luck; declarer is
always on his own.
Entry considerations are especially
critical in a notrump contract when
the trick source is in the weak hand.

50

On the following deal, not only
was declarer's key suit in the
weak hand, but in addition, the
suit blocked. Fortunately, declarer
demonstrated that he needed no help
with his key play.
"How could you play your ace on
my king?" said the amazed dummy.
"Trust me," declarer said. "I have a
good plan." Indeed, he did.
Contract: 3NT  A 4 3 2
Lead: K
K
A Q J
A Q 6 5 3
KQJ9
 10 8
N
754
Q632
W E
9862
543
S
J8
 K 10 9 2
765
 A J 10 9 8
 K 10 7
74
West
Pass
Pass

North
1
2
3NT

East
South
Pass
1
Pass
2NT
All Pass

West had an obvious spade lead,
even though North had bid the suit.
Although there are exceptions to
almost everything, I have strong
feelings about sequence leads. When
I'm on lead and have a sequence in
my suit, I think: "Thank you, Lord,"
for solving my potential opening
lead dilemma.
Declarer allowed West to win the
first trick with the K and won

the continuation with dummy's ace.
He could count only seven winners:
one spade, one club, two hearts and
three diamonds. How should he
proceed?
Declarer led the K and overtook
it with his ace, causing his partner
to gasp. But, it was then easy to
set up his hearts by forcing out the
queen while the K remained as
the vital entry back to his hand.
It was crucial for South to
overtake the K with his A. If
he hadn't, there would be no way
to win more than two heart tricks.
Because he was still on the board,
he would not have the two outside
entries he needed: one to drive out
the Q and the other to re-enter
his hand to run hearts. Without four
heart tricks, declarer could not make
3NT.
"Well played," said North after
3NT rolled home. "Would you like
to play again?"
You must admit - this dummy
was no dummy.
r
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Billy retires
Billy Miller, columnist for the Bridge
Bulletin for more than a decade, has
retired from bridge writing, although
in communicating his decision to the
editor he did not rule out an eventual
return.

Bridge Bulletin
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2005
