Reading a hand is considered an expert's skill, but some hands are remarkably easy to visualize. Do this, and you can play as though the cards were face up on the table.

KJ10762 Q852 9 A8 93 A10943 83 KQJ10 Q854 Q76 QJ107 42 A J AK6542 97653 The bidding: North East South West 5 3 2 2 East led the 4

Card reading starts with the bidding. Even before a card was played, North's 5-bid identifies him as the player likeliest to hold the best spade suit. North won the A and returned a diamond, throwing his 8 on South's A-K. When he trumped the next diamond lead with the 6, everyone at the table should have been able to read North for a spade-heart two-suiter.

North's next lead, the 2, confirmed his spade length. South took her A and switched to the J, won by West's A. West made the good return of the K, which North trumped with the 7. North led the K, and South's diamond discard was even more revealing. North is about to lead the 5. Before he does so, let us look at the remaining cards. So far E/W have won only the Ace of hearts.

North leads the 5. E/W need 4 tricks.

J10 Q85 -- -- -- 1094 -- QJ Q8 K7 Q -- -- -- 765 65

The road to success is well-lighted for East. He knows North has heart length and that South cannot cut hearts. Why, he can even use the Count Card Principle to place North's original holding of exactly 6-4-1-2, but such accuracy is not really necessary. All that matters is that East must realize his heart King is absolutely safe. He can afford to duck North's lead. Then E/W will get two hearts, after which a club or diamond lead will give East two spade winners.

But East was simply playing Spades by instinct. He went up with the K (maybe North was short in the third side suit as well) and returned a heart. North won the Q for his side's eighth trick and was assured of one more trump trick to inflict the set.