https://esther-bridge.com/DL_declarer.html
LAST Updated: 3/13/26 07:25

Drawing of Esther YOUR HOST: Esther Klinktoast-Houstonhousen, a hypothetical Quintuple Emerald Gold Life Master (20+ million ACBL Masterpoints), who vacillates between insisting on being called "Ms. Klinktoast-Houstonhousen," and "Esther, because I am so warm and caring," and who in her downloadable lesson dialogs torments (usually, but not always) her earnest bridge student, Bruce.

Return to the "Esther Bridge Lessons" website.
Go to the "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes" website.
        You may particularly be interested in Section #3 of the "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quizzes": "Bridge Play as Declarer 'Pop' Quizzes".
Go to the "Bridge Bruce's Way ('BBW') Introductory (but Sophisticated) Lessons" website.

Drawing of Esther "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lessons:
Bridge Play as Declarer"
Bruce Thompson

As advertised in the December, 2023 ACBL Bridge Bulletin.
Also see the article about Esther in the Winter, 2024 issue of the
the American Bridge Teachers' Association (ABTA) Journal, or the
article about Esther in the Summer, 2024 issue of the ABTA Journal.

Esther's Bridge Lessons Dialogs...

Note: You can download a PDF version of any lesson by clicking on the blue title any of the following Lessons. The Lessons are numbered in order of their creation by Esther.

C. Play as Declarer

        166. Esther discusses "Correctly Counting Your 'Losers' When Playing a Suit Contract as Declarer". ["n_Losers.pdf" ++] For Beginners...
        175. Esther discusses "As Declarer in a Suit Contract 3 Ways to Take Care of Your 'Losers'". ["losers_3.pdf" +] For Beginners...
        176. Esther discusses "1 of 4 Methods for 'Placing' 'Missing' Honors: The 'Desperation Method'". ["desperation.pdf" ++] For Beginners...
        172. Esther discusses "As Declarer in a Suit Contract Do Not 'Overlove' Either (1) Your 'Side' Suit A,K's or (2) Even All Your Trump Cards". ["overlove.pdf" +]
        154. Esther discusses "Playing a Suit Contract When One Opponent Holds a Trump 'Stack': The 'Trump Endplay' May Save You!" ["TrumpEnd.pdf" +]
        156. Esther discusses "As Declarer a Type of 'Coup Endplay' Called the 'Trump Coup Endplay' Can Work Miracles When One Opponent Holds All the Remaining Trump Cards Including a 'High' Trump Honor". ["Trp_Coup.pdf" -]
        158. Esther discusses "In a Small Slam Contract as Declarer Playing With a 'Pessimistic Mindset' Assuming a 4-0 Trump 'Split' Can Be Very Helpful, As Can a 'Trump Elimination Endplay'". ["Pess_Mind.pdf" ++]
        162. Esther discusses "When During the Auction 1 Opponent Shows a 'Big' and '2-Suited' Hand, Does that Opponent's Hand Structure Suggest You Execute an 'Elimination' or a 'Squeeze' Endplay Targeting the Partner of the Opposing Bidder?". ["2Suit_Squ.pdf" -]
        163. Esther discusses "When Both Opponents Were Silent Throughout the Auction But 1 Opponent During Play Shows a Trump Void Thus Showing That His Partner Holds a 'Trump Stack'...". ["Trp_Stack.pdf" +]
        164. Esther discusses "Executing an 'Elimination Endplay' in a Suit Contract Along With Some Planful Discards of 'Losers'". ["Elimination.pdf" ++]
        165. Esther discusses "As Bridge Declarer Do You Know How to Execute a 'Winkle Endplay'?" ["winkle.pdf" -]
        159. Esther discusses "Playing Bridge Contracts as Declarer When You and Dummy Hold 'Mirrored Hands'". ["Mirror_H.pdf" -] Included is discussion of a "Doubly Mirrored Board" in which all 4 players hold (1) exactly 10 HCPs, (2) 8 cards in 1 Suit, 3 cards in a Suit, 2 cards in a Suit, and 1 void, and (3) both EAST or WEST can "make" a 5C or a 5H contract, both NORTH or SOUTH can "make" a 5D or a 5S contract, and all 4 players can "make" a 3NT contract even though both Pairs hold only 20 HCPs!
        161. Esther discusses "Playing a Suit Contract When Both Opposing Pairs Have Demonstrated 'Reciprocal Suit Fits'". ["ReciproFit.pdf" ++]
        155. Esther discusses "When Playing a Difficult Contract as Declarer the 'Jettison Play' Can Be Very Helpful". ["jettison.pdf" ++]
        137. Esther discusses "When You Can Only 'Make' Your Contract if Something Very, Very Unlikely Has Happened, Then That is Exactly the Way that You Must, Must, **Must** Play as Having Happened". ["Must_Must.pdf" -]
        160. Esther discusses "Empirical 'Double Dummy Analyses' Exploring the Behavior of the 'Rule of 5' as a Guide for Bidding When Partner Gives You a 'Constructive Raise' When You Open 1 of a Major". ["Rule_5Emp.pdf" +]
        157. Esther discusses "Executing a 'Non-Material/Immaterial Entry Squeeze Endplay' When Playing as Declarer When Your LHO as Dealer Opened 1S". ["NonMatSqu.pdf" +]
        139. Esther discusses "Sluffing and Ruffing 'Losers': Sluffing is the Declarer's Best-est Friend". ["D_Losers.pdf" ++]
        143. Esther discusses "Larry Cohen's '3-Step System' for Planning Declarer's 'Line of Play' for a NT Contract". ["3Step_NT.pdf" -] This lesson is for Beginners.
        177. Esther discusses "Larry Cohen's '3-Step System' for Planning Declarer's 'Line of Play' for a Suit Contract". ["3Step_Tr.pdf" -] This lesson is for Beginners.
        148. Esther discusses “When Playing as Declarer, the Critical Importance of 'Deceiving' Opponents Whenever You Can". ["deceiving.pdf" ++]
        173. Esther discusses “When Are 'Squeeze Endplays' Most Likely Do-able and (2) What Is a 'Repeating Squeeze Endplay'?" ["Repeat_Sq.pdf" ++]
        141. Esther discusses "Esther Again Teaches the 'Squeeze Play' Using a 'BBO Bridge Master' Lesson". ["squ_BBO.pdf" +] You can practice making the "Sqeeze Play" by going to the free BBO Bridge Master website and playing this Board as Declarer, if you wish, repeatedly!
        171. Esther discusses "The 'Stepping-Stone Squeeze' Endplay". ["StStoneSq.pdf" -] Another "Esther Bridge Lesson" using a Board from the free BBO Bridge Master website.
        142. Esther discusses "Practicing the 'Elimination Endplay' Using BBO Bridge Master: The Declarer's Salvation When He Confronts One 'Danger Opponent' and Things Look Bleak". ["elim_BBO.pdf" ++] You can practice making the "Elimination Endplay" by going to the free BBO Bridge Master website and playing this Board as Declarer, if you wish, repeatedly!
        147. Esther discusses "Using the 'BBO Bridge Master' Website to Repeatedly Practice the 'Elimination Endplay', a Difficult But Sometimes Necessary Tool in the Declarer's Toolbox". ["BBO_elim.pdf" +]
        149. Esther discusses "As Declarer in a Suit Contract Running a 'Partial Elimination Endplay'". ["Part_Elim.pdf" -]
        152. Esther discusses "When Playing a Difficult Contract as Declarer, the 'Trump Squeeze Play' Can Be Very Useful". ["TrumpSqu.pdf" ++]
        153. Esther discusses "As Declarer a Type of 'Coup Endplay' Called the 'Smother Play' Can Work Miracles When Certain Rare Conditions Occur". ["smother.pdf" -]
        150. Esther discusses "Using the 'BBO Bridge Master' Website to Repeatedly Practice the 'Marked Finesse'". ["MarkedFin.pdf" +]
        146. Esther discusses "Running a 'Dummy Reversal' as Declarer: An Exception to the General Rule About Playing Trump Cards". ["DummyRev.pdf" -]
        143. Esther discusses "As Declarer Correctly Timing the 'Drawing' of Trump: Sometimes Later Is Better Than Immediately". ["DrawTime.pdf" +]
        134. Esther discusses "(1) Discarding 'Losers' as Declarer Playing a Suit Contract: (1) You Can Sluff, (2) You Can Ruff, or (3) You Can Both Ruff and Sluff: An Example Board Involving Both. ["SluffRuff.pdf" -] As illustrated by this example Board, Yes, Virginia, you can indeed make a 4H contract even when your Partnership holds only 22 HCPs! Afterall, ABCL LifeMaster James Bond, 007 made a 7C DOUBLED REDOUBLED contract when his Partnership together held only 8 HCPs!
        135. “Esther's 'Checklist Guide' for Playing NT Contracts as Declarer". ["NT_check.pdf" +]
        133. Esther discusses “As Declarer Playing a Suit Contract for a Fairly-Common 3-2 Trump 'Split'". ["3-2_split.pdf" ++]
        115. Esther discusses “As Declarer Protecting Against RHO Opponent's Overruff When You and Opponent LHO Are Both Long in the Same Suit". ["overruff.pdf" +]
        145. Esther discusses "When Playing as Declarer, Executing the 'Morton's Fork Coup' and a Touch of 'Endplay". ["MortCoup.pdf" ++]
        140. Esther discusses "The 'Intra-Finesse': A Specialized Finesse for Advanced/Advancing Bridge Players". ["intra-fin.pdf" -]
        129. Esther discusses “As Declarer Is a 'Ruffing' Finesse Better than a 'Normal' Finesse?" ["ruff_fin.pdf" +]
        130. Esther discusses “'Promoting' 'Winners' in a Long Suit When Playing Either NT or Suit Contracts as Declarer. ["long_S_pro.pdf" ++]
        131. Esther discusses “Sometimes as Declarer in a Suit Contract It is Vital to Discard Some of Your High Honors in a 'Side' Suite to Overcome Ruffing by Your Opponents. ["sluff_win.pdf" -] Yes, Virginia, sometimes when playing a Spade contract and you as Declarer in your Hand hold the Heart A,K,J it is vital to sluff your Heart K,J, and sometimes when playing a Spade contract and you as Declarer in your Hand hold the Club Q,J,9 tripleton it is vital to sluff all 3 of your Clubs!
        119. Esther discusses “All Is Fair in Love and War and Bridge: As Bridge Declarer It May Be Vital to Sometimes Be Intentionally Deceptive". ["deception.pdf" -]
        121. Esther discusses “As Declarer to Draw or Not Draw Trump, That is the Question!" ["Trump_D.pdf" +]
        122. Esther discusses “Another of David Bird's '52 Great Bridge Tips on Declarer Play': Winning with 'Unnecessarily High' Cards to Preserve Precious Entries into Dummy. ["un_high.pdf" ++]
        114. Esther discusses “As Declarer, 'Placing' Missing Honors by (1) During Play Counting the Non-Silent Opponent's HCPs by Subtraction from His Initially Shown HCP Count, and (2) 'Listening to Both Opponents' Silence' During the Auction". ["placing.pdf" -]
        113. Esther discusses “3 Strategies for 'Promoting' 'Winners' When Playing NT Contracts as Declarer". ["promote.pdf" ++]
        174. Esther discusses “As Declarer You are Playing a 6H Contract, You 'Lose' Trick #1, and You Are Missing the Trump Heart Q,7,6,5: How Can You Best Avoid 'Losing' to the Opponents' Trump Queen, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY Does the '8 Ever, 9 Never' Rule Work?" ["8Ever9Nev.pdf" -] This "Esther Bridge Lesson" shows that the "8 Ever, 9 Never" bridge rule works about 53% of the time or "more often than not"!
        112. Esther discusses “The 'Principle of Restricted Choice': Another Exception to the '8 Ever, 9 Never' Bridge Rule for Declarer Play". ["8_ever_2.pdf" +]
        110. Esther discusses “1 of David Bird's '52 Great Bridge Tips on Declarer Play': 'Eight Ever, Nine Never', Maybe Not Always”. ["8_ever.pdf" ++] Included in this lesson is discussion as an example of a Board played by Declarer Omar Sharif in the 1997 Macallan Invition Pairs.
        117. Esther discusses “The Art of the Finesse: As Declarer, When Should You Finesse, How Many Times, and in What Card Play Sequence?" ["art_fin.pdf" -]
        109. Esther discusses “Play as Declarer: 'Endplay' of Your Dangerous/Strong Opponent, and When to Draw or Not Draw Trump Early". ["endplay2.pdf" +]
        108. Esther discusses “As Declarer, When to Not 'Draw' Trump, and It's the Trump Cards in the Hand 'Short' in Trump Cards that Count, Stupid!" ["NotDraw.pdf" -]
        107. Esther discusses “As Declarer, 'Dumping' Your Loser(s) Using a 'Loser-on-Loser' Strategy”. ["loser.pdf" -]
        106. Esther discusses “As Declarer, if (1) Opponents Were Both Silent Throughout the Auction, and (2) You Can Only ‘Make’ Your Contract if Specific Opponents Hold Specific Cards, Play Assuming that These Specific Cards Are Indeed Held by Those Specific Opponents”. ["assume.pdf" -]
        105. Esther discusses "Playing NT Contracts as Declarer: The Supercritical Importance of Maximizing Your 'Trick Count' By 'Promoting' Low Cards into Winners in 1 of 2 Ways". ["promotion.pdf" +]
        104. Esther discusses "As a Declarer Playing a NT Contract, the Importance of Evaluating Your 'Finessing Opportunities' When Formulating Your Initial 'Line of Play'". ["NT_fin.pdf" -]
        103. Esther discusses "Play as Declarer of a Suit Contract When (1) You Are Certain or Very Likely to Lose the Lead in Trumps, and (2) You and Dummy Both Hold Winners in the Same 'Short' Side Suit". ["SideSuit.pdf" ++]
          93. "Beware the Bridge 'Rule of 7'!: Esther Teaches Donkey from the Movie with Shr*k & Fi*na the Correct Use of the Bridge 'Rule of 7'". ["rule_of_7.pdf" =]
          92. Esther discusses "As Declarer Your Partnership Holds 9 Trump Cards With A,K But Not the Queen: Playing '8 Ever, 9 Never' versus Culbertson's 'Law of Symmetry' versus Larry Cohen's 'Inquisitive, Exploratory Play as Declarer'". ["symmetry.pdf" ++]
          91. Bruce [Esther has temporarily fled to holidays] discusses "Bridge 'Distribution Safety Play': As Declarer Is It Better to Play the Most Likely Split as Certain, or to Play the Least Likely Split as Possible?" ["safety.pdf" =]
          84. Esther discusses "Playing NT as Declarer: It's All About (1) the Discards and (2) Tracking 'Control Card' Play". ["NTdiscards.pdf" +]
          82. Esther discusses "Why Run the 'Avoidance Play' When You Are the Bridge Declarer?" ["avoidance.pdf" =] For further information you may also be interested in "Esther Bridge 'Pop' Quiz #147".
          58. Esther discusses "Drawing Missing Cards Low to High, and Identifying the 'Danger Suit' and the 'Dangerous Opponent' by (Really) 'Listening to the Auction'"! ["LowToHigh.pdf" -]
          17. Esther discusses Declarer's focus on developing a "Line of Play" Plan. ["line_play.pdf" +]
          27. Esther discusses the basic (but very important) correct focus as Declarer when playing NT versus Suit contracts. It's basically about focusing on "promoting" winners versus "dumping" losers! ["interest_1.pdf"]
          2. Playing 1NT as Declarer ["1NT.pdf" -]
          3. NT as Declarer "Line of Play" ["NT_redux.pdf" +]
          37. Esther discusses, when you are Declarer in a NT contract, and BOTH sides have long suits, TRY NOT TO LOSE THE "RACE" TO TAKE YOUR LONG SUIT WINNERS!!! ["NT_race.pdf" -]
          5. Esther discusses "Playing trump cards as Declarer" ["trump_2.pdf" -]
          8. Esther discusses the special job of Dummy's trump cards, versus Declarer's trump cards. ["trump_job.pdf" -]
          23. Esther discusses Some "Bridge Principles" that Can Help You as Declarer. ["dec_prin.pdf" +]
          41. Esther discusses, "The Art of the Bridge Finesse", when to finesse, and when not to finesse. Included are various finesse flavors (e.g., simple finesse when 1 Hand Holds 2 Honors, simple finesse when 2 Hands each hold 1 Honor, simple finesse when 1 Hand holds 1 Honor, "deep" finesse, two-way finesse, "ruffing" finesse). ["finesse.pdf" -]
          60. Esther discusses, "As Declarer, (1) Coping with the Blessing/Curse of Holding 'Too Many' Trump Cards, and (2) Facilitating Opponents' Errors" (Avoiding What is Technically Called 'Dumb' End Play)". ["dumb.pdf" ++]
          63. Esther discusses, "Who is the 'Enemy', and Where Are the Trump Cards?" ["WhoEnemy.pdf" ++]
          64. Esther discusses, "Opponents Open a 3-Level 7-Card Spade Preempt, and You as Declarer Are Playing a 4H Contract: Where Is Your Missing Trump Queen, and What is Your 'Line of Play'?" Included is discussion of (1) the most likely number of Trump cards your Partnership will hold, and the most likely "split" for that number, and (2) why it is so very important as Declarer to play "Low to High" when "drawing" a Suit. ["3_Level.pdf" -]
          In 1932, George Sturgis Coffin published his hugely influential bridge book, Endplays: Elimination, Coups, Squeezes, which was repeatedly revised over later decades, and for passionate bridge history afficionados this used book remains available even today for between $40 and $60 on the Bookfinder website.
          66. Esther discusses, "What is an 'Elimination Endplay', and How Does Declarer Perform an 'Elimination Endplay'?" ["endplay.pdf" -] A Declarer executing an "Elimination Endplay" structures the Opponents' card holdings so that a specific Opponent once put on lead can only lead a specific Suit that Declarer wins in his Hand or Dummy with "promoted" cards that are now "winners", but otherwise would be "losers".
          67. Esther discusses, "How as Declarer to Execute an Endplay 'Squeeze'". A Declarer executing an "Endplay 'Squeeze'" structures the Hand holdings prior to playing the last few Tricks such that Opponents are forced to make discard decisions that inevitably/inextricably lead to "promoting" cards remaining held by Declarer and/or Dummy from "losers" into "winners". ["squeeze.pdf" +] You can actually practice executing a "Squeeze Play" as Declarer using a free lesson on the BBO Bridge Master website as described by Esther in her "Esther Bridge Dialogue Lesson #141".
          68. In "A Brief Review of 8 Bridge 'Coup' Plays: From 'Bath' to 'Vienna'", Esther discusses a diverse set of bridge "coup" plays producing a sudden, dramatic change, many of which originated in the 1800s as part of the game of whist. Most, but not all Coups, are executed by Declarer. "Coups" are hard, but even if you are not yet ready to play them, it may nevertheless be helpful to have some idea about what the future may hold for you as a bridge player! Esther says, "In my humble opinion, to the best of my (extensive) knowledge, this is the most definitive treatment of 'Coups' available anywhere on the internet!" ["coup.pdf" =]
          70. "Esther Discusses Playing a 'Moysian Fit' as Declarer in a Major Suit Game Contract". ["moysian.pdf" =] Esther discusses playing a 4-3 Trump "split" in a 4S or 4H contract, and even intentionally setting a 4-level contract in a Major even while knowing that your Partnership holds a 4-3 Trump "split". Historically, bridge players did not put today's emphasis on holding 5 cards in a Major to open 1S or 1H, and were well aware that 4S or 4H contracts can make even when holding a 4-3 Trump "split"!
          72. Esther discusses "The 'Art' of (Correctly) Drawing Trump". ["trmp_draw.pdf" ++]
          75. Esther discusses "A Note on Playing NT Contracts as Declarer: Is NT a 'Race', or a 'Slog', or Sometimes One, Sometimes the Other?" ["race_slog.pdf" =]
          74. Esther discusses "As Declarer, Dealing with a Nightmarish 'Trump Split', Partly by 'Drawing' Trump with Non-Trump Side Suits". ["bad_split.pdf" ++]
          86. Esther discusses "All Your Numerous Tasks When You Are Playing as Declarer in a Suit Contract". ["Dec_Play.pdf" -]