Hannie, on Dec 22 2007, 01:19 PM, said:
OK, so you play for the hand Noble gave and bang down the heart king, taken by the ace on your left and (Hurray!) the ten drops on your right.
Lefty returns another spade, you win in dummy, hook the heart and cash the last heart, righty repeatedly pitching a lot of clubs on the spades and hearts.
How do you continue?
You win the third spade in hand, not dummy, so that you can hook the heart.... clearly what Han meant.. then cash the last heart, pitching a .......
I wouldn't cash the last heart... there is surely no rush and I don't want to pitch a minor from my hand.
So instead, after winning the 3rd heart in dummy, I lead the diamond 7 and duck completely.
I am playing LHO for 109xxx AQ8x (known already by this stage) and the
♦K and a club honour. I don't really care who has the diamond Jack, other than in the sense that if RHO has it, I'd like to know his responding style: would he be inclined to pass 1
♠ with x 10x Jxxx Axxxxx? I wouldn't.
I am basically playing LHO for Kx or KJ in diamonds, hoping for 4 spades, 2 hearts and 3 diamonds.
If he has that holding, then the only danger is if LHO wins the 1st diamond.
If my reading is correct, then he started with 5422, and he has a choice of plays.
He has to play a club, else I am home.
If he has Ax, he has to play low.
If he has Qx, he should also play low, and he should be able to work out that this is the correct play, but it may take him longer to do so, since there will be some temptation to lead the
♣Q in this position... similarly with Q10.
I'd really like to know RHO's tendencies here, in terms of response... would he pass x 10x Jxxx Axxxxx? Would he pass x 10x xxxx Axxxxx?
So I'd really like LHO to have won the first diamond with the J.. now I'd be far more comfortable ducking on the club switch. As it is, if LHO wins with an x, I will play him for the A unless he takes a long time to work out the switch.
Obviously, if RHO wins the first diamond, I am home free if LHO is 5422.
BTW, the reason for the diamond 7 is in case RHO has J98x.... if he covers, he may be allowed to hold the trick, and if he ducks, I find out where the J is (unless LHO is far more awake than most opps and plays the K from KJ, which is the correct play, but tough to find at the table)
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari