Declarer Play (1): Play in Notrumps

(1) Basic play to establish winners 

• Counting top winners and cashing winners
• Establishing extra tricks
• Small cards as potential winners
• Turning small cards into winners
• Quiz

(2) Entries, stoppers, finessing

• Entries and Blockages
• Giving up the lead. Stoppers
• The simple finesse. The double finesse
• Finessing by leading from a sequence
• The two-way finesse. Refusing a finesse
• To finesse or play for the drop?
• Combining the chances

(3) Understanding the opening lead 

• Standard leads at no trumps. Leads from a sequence
• Leads from broken and interior sequences
• Leads from poor suits
• Using the Rule of Eleven
• Quiz on understanding the opening lead
• Clues from the bidding

(4) The Hold-up

• The hold-up play - introduction
• How long should we hold up?
• The hold-up with two stoppers
• Refusing to hold up to block the defenders’ communications

(5) The danger hand and avoidance

• The danger hand - introduction
• Countermeasures: using the hold-up play
• The finesse and avoidance
• More on avoidance
• Quiz