Two of the world's top players fell in love with their East-West cards during a day-to-day session on B.B.O. (6-27-2006), and not without some justification. As we learned in an earlier lesson, a three-suited situation shrinks the requirements for contracts, and expands the value of our partnership's combined hands. But even the three-suited situation obligates us to diagnose duplicated rather than complementary values so we know when to apply the brakes. With his 5 call, West didn't, thus the pair's crash into the red.

In the hand shown, declarer can't help but lose two trumps and the A. Down one (and minus several IMPs) was not the result they were shooting for.

Note how just one small transposition of cards transforms the playing value of the two hands immensely (keeping the same hand pattern, of course). Take the four points East holds in hearts and push them into the spade suit (K J). That change makes the hand cold for five; and on a good day, makes six. Even exchanging the A for the A makes the difference between being victorious and being vanquished.

Bottom Line

When your partner announces (or when you can intelligently infer) that partner has shortness in a non-trump suit, discount the High Card Points you hold in that suit.

Further Words

The most common objection I hear from those to whom I introduce this concept is, "but I can sluff on the A."

True, but that's not what's needed. Recognize the complementary value in suits where partner is long, versus a second (wasted) control in a suit that partner controls. It's not necessary for both of you to have first round control of the hearts here. It would be much better if one of you could boost the quality of the trumps with those points.