Even if it Makes 5 Diamonds

	A K 6
	10 6 2
	A J 10
	K 10 5 3
J 10 7 3		9 8 5 4
J 9 4 3		A 8 5
7		9 3 2
9 7 4 2		A Q J
	Q 2
	K Q 7
	K Q 8 6 5 4
	8 6

North	East	South	West
	Pass	1	Pass
2 NT	Pass	3	Pass
5	All	pass

. .

There are two ways to beat 5 diamonds. One is to get off to a club lead, and it does look to be a deucedly lucky lead to find if you do. And the other is to have declarer misplay. But what of it? Five diamonds is the wrong contract in any event. You've got overtricks in no trump, more than likely, well one overtrick at a minimum, and even if you had just one in both 5 diamonds and 3 no, you'd still fare better in no trump.

A handful of declarers were in 5 diamonds, most going down. And not on a club lead. Opening lead was a trump, for no good reason. Declarer took two more rounds (also for no good reason), then ran three spade winners, sluffing a club in the closed hand, ensuring no more than one club loser, and then led a heart to the king which held.

Now came a club to the king and ace, the queen of clubs now forcing a ruff, and to make a long story short, when declarer finally led away from the queen of hearts, an alert defender went up with the jack and declarer had two heart losers in addition to the club.

Watch them entries! Sometimes you've just gotta delay drawing trump if they're your only entries to where you'd like to be. The run of three spade winners was necessary to ensure only one club loser. It might turn out that the ace is onsides, and it might not, as indeed, here it would not, though West has no way of regaining the lead. In any event, declarer should confine himself to two trump leads, yes, even with the 3-1 break -- do you want a game where every hand is a laydown? Now, after running the spades, play a heart, and when the K holds, then come to dummy with the last trump and lead another heart and bring home your contract.

However, the main point here is the bidding and final contract. There isn't much excuse for missing a safe and productive 3 no. Your partner said 2 no! How much encouragement do you need, anyway? That's sufficient. That's enough. It's a hand where your side has bid 3 suits and you're looking at 10 9 8 in the fourth that you have cause to be wary of 3 no. But not here.

Take your three no. Even if it turns out badly, this has to be balanced against the many times you bring home a 3 no contract where others are in an inferior minor suit game contract that they don't even make. Like here!

Also please note East's skillful use of second hand low.