How about: at trick 3 S runs the H9 to E’s Q. E returns a 3d D & S ruffs. S now finesses the S10, leads HK & ruffs out the A. Now SK, HJ discarding a C. Now CQ, & after E wins CA, S ruffs another D or a H with the Q, draws trump and claims.

Hi Dear Mr Wolff
South played well but do you approve his bid considering the vulnerability. His spade suit has so many holes and he could have been in minus five hundred territory had dummy not come up with useful cards. Perhaps either one spade or threee spades ( which certainly would not be doubled) would have been O K . Your view please
Regards

A V Ramana Rao

I am not Our Host, but swap the North and West hands.

South is indeed going down five hundred, but …

Hi David,

Your above choice is probably or maybe just as good as was Boye’s.

Your heart play was well thought out, especially on the bidding, since the whereabouts of the ace, likely also with the queen, but not necessarily the ten was known.

Thanks for your truth, since by offering it, more confidence in success will be ever present.

Hi AVRR & Jim2,

Thanks for your question and I certainly agree with you.

Though bidding one higher than others has its advantages (difficulty for the defense, being afraid, in the absence of a trump stack, of a real freakish hand, such as 12 or so cards in 2 suits) and especially so, while in good company (where everyone knows each other, which is an advantage for, in this case, a Casper Milk Toast to instead bid ’em to the hilt) and represents a strategy to not get stereo typed.

However, I do completely agree with both of you, since it is IMO
too much of an overbid.