Vul: None Dlr: South	AJ73 K7 K987 763
K62 J54 Q6543 54		8 AQ9863 J102 Q109
	Q10954 102 A AKJ82

The Auction:

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
1	Pass	3	Pass
4	All Pass

At one point, it was popular to open 1 with 5-5 in the blacks, but these days just about everyone starts with 1 as shown. North has a textbook limit raise (though on the high end of the range). Should East come in? Possibly, because if LHO bids 4 (quite common), this has the effect of getting a heart lead from partner. Still, it is quite dangerous (a penalty double would not be welcome news), and probably against the odds. South has an easy acceptance of the game invitation. Why not show the clubs? There is no reason to. Such a move would be looking for slam. South has no such interest and shouldn’t reveal anything to the opponents about his hand.

Opening Lead:

All four suits are possible. A trump from Kxx isn’t too dangerous, but I see no reason for that lead here. Leading from a jack (hearts) is generally not too attractive. Leading from a queen is a little better (in that at least if it is right, it might set up a trick). Small doubletons are okay; some experts love them, some hate them. Here, that would be my choice. The fact that I have a likely entry with the K increases my chances of getting a ruff if I hit partner with something like Axxx or KQxx in clubs.

The Play:

East puts up the Q and declarer takes stock. His only potential losers are in the majors. From our catbird seat, we can see that clubs are 3-2. But declarer surely will fear that the lead was a singleton.

If he were to lose a spade finesse, he might next suffer a club ruff. Now, if the A is wrong, West would play a heart and the defense would get 2 hearts, the K, a club ruff and conceivably even another club ruff.

Not willing to take that chance, declarer might instead cash the A at trick 2 and then spurn the spade finesse. He could play to the A and throw a heart on the K and then play a second spade, guaranteeing the contract.

That line would be fine in team scoring, but would give up valuable overtrick(s) when the K is with West. Even if declarer does plan on the “safe” line of no spade finesse, he should at least play the spade queen when he starts the suit. Why? You never know what fish you’ll catch on your line if you don’t put out some bait. Maybe West will cover. Or think about covering.

Of course, on this auction, no good can come from covering, but you never know who you might catch napping.

Conclusion:

Declarers who risk the spade finesse could emerge with all 13 tricks! Trumps are drawn, then come all the clubs throwing dummy’s hearts. Declarer ruffs one heart in dummy and throws the other one on the K! This deal likely produces 4 making 4,5,6 and 7! Of course, the best lead is a heart, which legitimately holds it to 11 tricks.

Lesson Points

1) With 5-5 in the black suits, open 1.
2) Don’t make a 4-level overcall when there is little to gain but a lot to lose.
3) Leading a small doubleton is reasonable, especially if you think you’ll get in with a trump trick.
4) When deciding against taking a finesse, at least give the defense a chance to err if you can afford to put an honor on the table that might get covered.
5) Don’t cover an honor if it can’t do any good.