SLAMS

Dummy: ♠K73 ♥A9763 ♦97 ♣K53

You: ♠AJ ♥4 ♦AKQ43 ♣AQJ109

You choose to open 1♣. Your plan is to make a "fake reverse" to diamonds, which would normally show 5-4 or longer, but life is imperfect. As an earlier write-up emphasized, do NOT open 2♣ with bid two suited hands, it takes up too much room!

Partner bids 1♥ (as expected). You rebid 2♦ and partner bids 2NT. This is highly encouraging as the ♠K is likely to be in partner's hand. You now bid 3♦, promising five diamonds, and making a slam try in the minors. Partner cooperates with 4♣ (which is forcing on this auction—you are not bypassing 3NT to play 4 of a minor). You bid 4NT and partner shows two Key Cards and you settle in 6♣—or you cue bid 4♦; partner bids 4♥, etc. [If you play that 2NT is Lebensohl over your reverse, you will rebid 3NT, refusing to make the relay and showing a BIG hand. On that sequence, partner will simply bid 6♣ figuring that her the ♣K; the ♠K; and the ♥A are all golden cards.]

A normal spade leads give you a free finesse.

You can insure 12 tricks by pulling trumps, unblocking spades and discarding one diamond on dummy's the ♠K. If diamonds are 3-3 (36% chance), you'll make 7. If you are greedy, you can go for broke. Take spade and pull two rounds of trumps, leaving the ♣K on dummy. (RHO shows out on second trump.) Cash top two diamonds (likely to live) and ruff third round of diamonds with dummy's the ♣K (LHO shows out on third round of diamonds. Cash the ♥A and ruff heart to hand. Pull last trump and claim 7.

Hand Number 2: Your partner opens 1♠ and you hold ♠109742 ♥A ♦10953 ♣AJ8. Any bid you make is a lie. 3♠ is a gross underbid (what was bid by the West player at our table). 4♠ is a gross underbid—you are much too good for a "Weak Freak Raise." You can either lie with 2♣ or lie with 2♦. (I would NOT splinter with a singleton Ace as partner will expect points in other suits which I do NOT have.) I would probably lie with 2♣ as I at least have some values there. Technically, my hand is an 8 loser hand, but counting spades for 3 losers when we have a 10 card fits is ridiculous. So, I figure I have a 7 loser hand which is a game forcing hand.

Partner will probably raise your clubs, temporizing. Now you bid 3♠. Partner bids 4♦ (control). You bid 4♥ and partner asks for Key Cards. After you admit to two Key Cards (with 5 trump you can "claim" the ♠Q as well, but I figure I've overbid enough already). Partner puts it in 6♠. Partner's hand is ♠AKQ86 ♥Q72 ♦AK ♣1043. At the table, I led a club against 4♠, solving the club suit problem for them. In 6♠, without the club lead, you have to either play the ♣10 around, hoping the LHO fails to cover—and then playing RHO for doubleton honor OR finessing the ♣8 next time if LHO does cover. Either works as you find ♣K2 on your right and ♣Q9765 on your left.