http://www.rpbridge.net/8t69.htm Board 1 North Deals S 10 9 3 None Vul H 9 7 5 4 D K 10 5 C 9 8 6 S Q S J 7 6 5 4 H A K Q J 10 3 H - D 8 7 6 4 D A Q J 9 3 C 10 2 C A K 5 S A K 8 2 H 8 6 2 D 2 C Q J 7 4 3 Off to a red-hot start! East-West can make a slam in either red suit, but it's hardly biddable. A common auction should be: West North East South Pass 1S Pass 2H Pass 3D Pass 4H All Pass Some Souths may scrounge a 2C overcall, which should not change the East-West bidding. West might sense a slam after East's 3D bid, but the four-card fit is less appealing without an honor. The key to slam is East having almost all his points outside of spades -- hard to visualize, unless the Bridge Laws allowed an opening of "one no spades." In hearts, 12 tricks are easily made by taking two diamond finesses. After a club lead, it is tempting to try for all 13: Ruff the third club, draw trumps, finesse diamonds once and hope they split. Oops; the price of greed is then only 11 tricks. Been there; done that. In diamonds, the same 12 tricks are available with careful play (ruff two black cards, win three hearts, finesse trumps twice) but it is doubtful many will play there. Even if West stretches to slam, it would be quite a position to choose diamonds over hearts at matchpoints.