Ellen and I encountered Board 24 Tuesday evening against two expert opponents:

The Bidding:

When I asked about Double, I was informed that it was natural.  5 Hearts in response to Blackwood showed two key cards in Spades, without the Queen of Spades.

I suspect that many Norths led a club against a Spade contract.  Ducking this lead (South must have either the King or Queen, or North would have lead the King) results in setting up a finesse against North’s Queen.  North at my table led the 4 of Hearts, giving me nothing to work with.  I won the Ace, ruffed a Heart, drew trumps with the Ace and Queen of Spades, and ruffed the last Heart, noting the fall of the Jack from North’s hand.  After three rounds of Diamonds, ending in my hand, I “knew” or surmised that South had six Hearts for his double.  He had shown up with three Diamonds and two Spades, so had remaining either one or two Clubs, either one or no Diamonds, and three Hearts.  Based on this estimate, I led a Club to the Ace.  If low cards fell from all hands, I then planned on leading a small Club from the dummy.  South would have to win the King, and give me a twelfth trick with a ruff-sluff in the Heart suit.

South played the King under the Ace of Clubs, so I crossed to my hand in trumps and led a club towards the Jack.  If South had the Queen remaining, he would still be end-played and have to lead a Heart for me.  If North had the Queen, I would score the Jack and make my contract that way.  These are my kind of odds, where it doesn’t matter who has the Queen.  I can’t go wrong that way!