Package 3

BridgeMaster Level 3 A-7

The contract is 3S. Therefore, you can only afford to lose 4 tricks at most. 

If trumps are not split evenly, we have a problem (and so does everyone else in your duplicate game), so we should plan as though trumps will split evenly.  

Let's count losers. We count losers in our hand (longer trump suit). No losers in clubs and spades. We have a possible 3 losers in diamonds and a possible 3 losers in hearts. That's 2 possible losers we can't afford due to the 3S contract.

Why possible 3 losers in hearts? Its because we only have the Q and J. if A and K from the opponents catch our honors,  then we lose 3 tricks. In this suit it is better that opponents make the lead. If opponents make the lead, we are guaranteed only 2 losers 100% (assuming trumps are drawn and 2nd hand low is played). If we make the lead, it is probably only a 25% chance that we limit to 2 losers (the opponent's AK would have to be on the left of your lead). 100% vs 25% - which will you choose 8-). 

Diamonds are limited to 2 losers only because the last diamond can be easily ruffed (we will see that it is eliminated/discarded later). So that leaves only the H suit as problematic. Here's where the elimination end play comes in. Many references, here's one (may not be the best) : https://www.bridgebum.com/endplay.php

You identify an elimination endplay situation when 

• You have a suit in which it is better for opponents to lead in that suit.

• The declarer is able to put the defenders on lead when defenders options in other suits is eliminated.

• You are able to deliberately lose a trick to the defenders near the end of the play when defender's options in other suits are eliminated.

Generally the strategy is 

• draw all trumps (when it is a trump contract).

• plan a sequence of play in which defenders cards in all the other suits are drastically reduced or eliminated.

• then deliberately lead a card (known as an exit card) which will lose and put defenders on lead near the end, when defenders are either forced to lead your suit or to lead something that you can do a useful discard (and ruff if you are in trumps).

Actual play

After winning with the AC, you ruff another club. Then you draw trumps (eliminating trumps) and end up in dummy, and eliminate your clubs by successively playing the K and ruffing the other club.  You then lead a diamond (to eliminate diamonds). Once opponents win the diamonds, they either have no choice but to lead H or lead diamond/club (allowing you to ruff and sluff).

Note that you have 9 trumps, so following 8 ever 9 never, you should just plan on drawing trumps. Even if trumps are split 3-1, you can still execute the following play by drawing all trumps - you probably won't make the contract, but you may go down less tricks than other tables - in MP, this is significant.

Generally, you are trying to draw out (eliminate) all other suits, and then losing a trick (exiting) at the opportune moment, leaving it to opponents to be forced to make a "bad lead".

Here's the sequence (tricks 1 to 8)

1. 5C, AC, QC, 2C ==> draw clubs

2. 3C, 8C, 2S (ruff), 6C ==> 7 clubs drawn, ruffed.

3. AS, TS, 5S, 8S ==> Draw trumps round 1

4. 3S, JS, KS, 9S  ==> Draw trumps. All follow suit, so no more defender trumps.

5. KC, 9C, 2D (discard), 7C ==> Take the second club winner. 10 clubs played

6. 4C, TC, 4S(ruff), 8D ==> Play your last club and ruff it. 12 clubs played. last club in E

7. 3D, 9D, 5D, AD ==> Clubs elinimated all but 1. Trumps elinimated. Now proceed to elinimate diamonds.

8. KD, 4D, TS, 6D ==> you have no more diamonds. In trick 9, if defenders lead anything but a heart, you can ruff and sluff. 

After trick 8, defenders have no good leads. A non-heart lead will lead to a ruff and sluff. A heart lead means you directly limit your H losers to 2. It is also possible that after trick 7, opponents do not play diamonds on trick 8, but the end result is still the same. 

After note

The end-play pattern (of which this particular elimination end play is one of the easier ones) is one of the more delicious tactics in your declarer bridge play armory. If you succeed in one, you will feel a frisson of delight 8-).

In practice, your end-play does not have to be perfect against club players. By restricting the choice of suits opponents have to lead in, they may still choose a bad lead, after your exit, even though they may have a good choice of lead (but do not recognize it). You should remember that even though you may not have executed a perfect sequence or remembered all the cards played, your opponents may not have either!