A hold up play in a No Trump contract is effective

1. when the Opponents hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , and
   
   
2. when Partner of the long suited Opponent has only . . . . . cards or less in the suit.

When you hold K x x instead of A x x, try to follow the same strategy and hold up until the third round against a 5-3 split . . . . . . . . . . But not if you are likely to . . . . . . . . .

Therefore as long as your . . . . . hand Opponent ( . . . below) keeps the lead it is . . . . . to hold up the King.
Hold up a second round only if . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When . . . threatens to gain the lead (other than with the . . . . ), . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Answer

Whether you hold up a long enemy suit or not very much depends on one question. Can you keep the danger man off the lead when you develop your own suits ? We look at that in the Chapter below.
Subject to that hold up once only when you hold the following Honour combinations in the enemy's long suit.

1. A K x   opposite   x x
   Hold up . . . . . . when you will have to lose the lead . . . . . . . . . .
   
   
2. A J x   opposite   x x
   Hold up . . . . . . . . if . . . . . . hand Opponent leads the . . . . . or . . . . . : the . . . . . Coup
   
   
3. K Q x   opposite   x x (x)
   Hold up . . . . . . . .
   
   
4. K x x   opposite   Q x       or   Q x x   opposite   K x (x)
   Hold up . . . . . . . .
   
   
5. K J x   opposite   x x (x)
   Hold up . . . . . . . if either Opponent plays the . . . . . . . . , unless you are confident that you can keep your . . . . . . . hand Opponent off the lead. In this case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The aim of the avoidance play is to . . . . . . . . . the . . . . . . . . . Opponent from . . . . . . . . . .
An Opponent is the danger man because

1. he holds the winners of a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   
   
2. or he sits in front of a vulnerable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . either in Dummy or in Declarer's hand.
   
   
3. or in a trump contract, the danger man may be able to lead a suit which can be . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Example 1
You are in a contract of 3 NT and North, who made an overcall in Hearts during the bidding, leads the 4 of Hearts .
You can count . . . . sure winners. The . . . . . . . must clearly come from your . . . . . . . . . . . . suit.

Example 2
Once again you are in a 3NT contract and You can count . . . . sure winners. The remaining . . . . tricks can come from . . . . . . . . . . . .
North leads the 4 of Hearts and South plays the Jack.

Do not hold up :

1. when you can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   
   
2. when the 1st trick is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   
   
3. when an other suit is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   
   
4. when you can promote a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   
   
5. when both Opponents have . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   
   
6. when the long suited Opponent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hold ups in trump contracts are used in the following scenarios :

1. Against the lead of the King or Queen when Declarer holds . . . . . . . . . . .
   
   
2. When holding A x x   opposite   x x
   Hold up . . . . . . , play the . . . . . on the . . . . . . . round, . . . . . . in Dummy on the . . . . . . round.
   
   
3. When holding A x   opposite   x x x
   Hold up . . . . . as an . . . . . . . . . . . . . play if you hold a vulnerable . . . . . . . . . . in your hand.