A long suit – typically five cards in length –usually provides declarer with the chance to exhaust the opponents of all their cards in the suit and so enables him to score tricks with the small cards left over. Naturally trumps must have been drawn (or it be notrumps).

(a)

                                             Dummy
                                            ♦ KQ752

West                                                                                 East
 

                                             Declarer
                                              ♦ A43

You have excellent chances of scoring tricks with ♦ 75. After ♦ AKQ, an opposing 3-2 split (expected – a missing odd number of cards rates to split as evenly as possible) will see the opposing diamonds exhausted. Two extra tricks.

(b)

                                            Dummy
                                          ♣ AQJ52

West                                                                                  East

                                           Declarer
                                              ♣ 43

Still promising, although six missing cards are more likely to be 4-2 (or 2-4) than 3-3. Lead ♣ 3 to ♣ J, finessing against ♣ K. Say West holds ♣ K meaning that ♣ J is promoted – a 50-50 shot. Now cross back to hand (in another suit) and play ♣ 4 to ♣ Q. That card also wins, so cash ♣ A. Say East discards to reveal a 4-2 split. Now give up (or trump if you have them) a fourth round to set up the long card.

You mustn’t be frightened to lose tricks to set up the long cards. But the sooner you start the better, or you will run out of time. Declarer on our featured 3 NT deal had to lose the lead no fewer than three times.