The Count was one of my favorite characters on “Sesame Street.” Little did I know that another count — the bridge count of opponents’ points and distribution — would give me equal pleasure later in life.

In the spring issue of the American Bridge Association Bulletin, Vince Wilmot presents a pairing and an auction:

                                              NORTH
                                             ♠️ A K Q 10 9
                                              ♥ 8 7
                                             ♦️ A 3 2
                                             ♣️ K Q 7
    
    
                                              SOUTH
                                             ♠️ J 6 5 4 2
                                              ♥ 9
                                             ♦️ K 8 7
                                             ♣️ A 10 9 6

The bidding proceeds as follows:

West            North           East           South

3♥               DBL             Pass          4♠️
Pass             6♠️             All Pass

Opening lead: ♥K

West wins the opening lead and continues with the ♥A. South ruffs. With a possible diamond loser, how do you continue the play? Lacking the suit count, many declarers would eventually play the top three clubs, looking for 3-3 fit that will establish a fourth club trick and diamond discard.
Wilmot says the key is the club suit. And here’s where distribution enters the picture. Another two trump clear the spades, with East discarding. So far you know that West has seven likely hearts and two spades, East one spade and three hearts.  What now?

Cash the ♦️A-K, with West playing the ♦️J and♦️9.

Now you can count West with no more than two clubs and likely 7-2-2-2 distribution. “Since you know that West had [at most] only two clubs, East must have a four-card club holding,” Wilmot writes. “If West had pitched on the second diamond, then you would have known that clubs were splitting three/three and would have played for the drop.”

So your strategy should be cashing the  ♣️K-Q, then finessing with the ♣️10 since you know West is out of the suit. Now cash the ♣️ A, discarding your diamond loser. Slam bid and made.

Here are the hands:

                                                 NORTH
                                                 ♠️ A K Q 10 9
                                                  ♥ 8 7
                                                 ♦️ A 3 2
                                                 ♣️ K Q 7

WEST                                                                             EAST
♠️ 7 3                                                                            ♠️ 8
♥ A K J 10 4 3 2                                                            ♥ Q 6 5
♦️ J 9                                                                            ♦️ Q 10 6 5 4
♣️  3 2                                                                           ♣️  J 8 5 4

    
                                                 SOUTH
                                                ♠️ J 6 5 4 2
                                                 ♥ 9
                                                ♦️ K 8 7
                                                ♣️ A 10 9 6