Dealer: South Vuln: All

Plan your play in 3NT after ♥3 is led.

Are you a member of the always brigade and want to establish your longest suit between the two hands? If you do this on this hand you will lose the race for nine tricks with the opposition getting five before you can get nine.

With West following suit with the 9 at trick one you immediately know that West's lead of the ♥3 is from a five card suit. There is therefore a danger that EW could get 3 Heart tricks and 2 top club tricks before you can get the clubs going.

So lets go back to the drawing board. Initially you have four winners 3 Diamonds and 1 Spade. After the heart led you can therefore establish 2 Heart tricks bringing your total to to seven. Therefore needing two more it makes sense to play low spade to the queen letting them have their King and then proceed to make. 4 Spade tricks, 2 Hearts and 3 Diamonds bringing home your contract because you were not members of the always brigade.