How to Make More Overtricks

As beginners, we were all taught to strive to make our contract. But as you know, at match point scoring, few topics are more important than maximizing your number of overtricks. In fact, when you are in a normal contract:

If you are unable to make the overtrick(s) that were available, your result for merely making your contract could result in the same number of matchpoints as if you had misplayed badly and gone down when the contract was ice-cold!

The importance of overtricks is so crucial that as long as the odds are in your favor, it is sometimes even correct to seek the overtrick at the risk of going down in a cold contract!

In this lesson Marty will demonstrate how to:

• - Overcome bad splits
• - Improve your ability with suit combinations
• - Choose the correct suit to develop when none stand out
• - Succeed regardless of which opponent has a missing honor
• - Create an extra trick out of "thin air"
• - Recognize a no-risk opportunity for an overtrick
• - Make a deceptive play that is sure to succeed
• - Take advantage of subtle clues from the opponent's auction
• - Recognize deals where you should risk your contract for an overtrick
• - Help you recognize when it's right to use a dummy reversal

Here is an example of what Marty will teach:

After partner's takeout double, with 11 HCP and two sure spade stoppers, you are far too strong for a mere 1NT advance. Your partner is delighted to raise to game.

West leads the ♠Q and East plays the ♠2.

How will you play?

Answer To How Will You Play?

West leads the ♠Q and East plays the ♠2.

You have 6 immediate winners: 2 spades and 4 hearts. You can easily develop 3 diamond tricks, so nine tricks are guaranteed. Of course, since every pair rates to be in this cold 29 HCP contract, you can't expect a good board for taking the obvious 9 tricks.

Since the opponents have 11 HCP only, you know that the opening bidder has both minor suit aces in addition to 5+ spades headed by the ♠QJ. With dummy's 18 HCP and your jump to 2NT, West will also know that his partner is broke and that his spades are the only hope for the defense. So there is no advantage in holding up.

And there is a VERY VERY good reason to NOT hold up. If you did, when West led another spade, your correct discard from dummy would NOT be obvious.

After correctly winning the opening lead, since you KNOW the ♣A is on your left, instead of leading a diamond or the ♣Q, you should lead the ♣3. If West plays low, win dummy's ♣K and then lead diamonds. Regardless of when West wins his ♦A, this line of play ensures that you will take 10 tricks.

If West goes up with the ♣A, as long as he has 2-4 clubs, you will win 4 club tricks and take 10 tricks. And even if clubs unexpectedly divide 5-1, by leading a low club, you will still have 3 club tricks and will be no worse off than if you had first led diamonds.

The technique of giving a defender a choice of losing options is known as a Morton's Fork Coup.

Here is the full deal: