#2 North South Vulnerable
West North East South
1NT Pass Pass 2♥
Pass 3♥ AP
North
♠ J 8 2
♥ A J 7
♦ K 5 4
♣ K 8 6 3
West East
♠ A ♠ 5
♥ ♥
♦ ♦
♣ ♣
South (you)
♠ 10 6 4
♥ K 10 9 8 4
♦ A
♣ Q J 4 2
South has three spades and the ♣A off the top. To make 3♥, South must “find” the ♥Q. Let’s count HCPs. West starts with the ♠AKQ and DQJ. West has turned up the 9 HCP in spades and 3 in diamonds for a total of 12. Assuming an opening 1NT of 15-17 HCP, West cannot hold the ♣A and the ♥Q, the two missing honors and still have a 1NT opening hand. That gives West 18 HCPs. Nor can West have the ♥Q and not the ♣A because that would add to only 14. But West can hold the ♣A and not the ♥Q because that would give West 16! Play East, not West for the ♥Q.
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What’s Your Play? 3-2

