[kgr]

IMP's, butler

---

1NT=15-17.
West leads ♠2, small promising an honor.
♠2-5-9-J

What is the best plan on this hand?

[eagles123]

Small d next?

[nige1]

 kgr, on 2014-December-27, 08:09, said:

IMP's, butler
1NT=15-17.
West leads ♠2, small promising an honor.
♠2-5-9-J
What is the best plan on this hand?

---

After winning ♠J, you could try for 4♦ tricks. You might cash ♦A. If both defenders follow small, you could lead ♠Q to ♠K and dummy's ♠A. Then lead ♦7 towards ♦Q.

[kgr]

 eagles123, on 2014-December-27, 11:36, said:

Small d next?

That goes D3-4-T-J (assuming you play ♦T from dummy)

[kgr]

 nige1, on 2014-December-27, 20:45, said:

After winning ♠J, you could try for 4♦ tricks. You might cash ♦A. If both defenders follow small, you could cross to dummy's ♠A and lead ♦7 towards ♦Q.

RHO follows on ♦A with ♦J.

[whereagles]

I probably won't make this unless diamonds break 3-2. So, two plans:

1. Bang ♦A and guess which of K,J is lone after this.

2. Go back to dummy with ♠A and play a diamond to the Q.

Didn't calc the odds, but seems like line 2 is better. I'd go for that one at the table.

[nige1]

 kgr, on 2014-December-28, 04:34, said:

RHO follows on ♦A with ♦J.

If RHO plays ♦J when you cash ♦A then you might guess to continue with a ♦3 finessing dummy's ♦7 -- paying off to a cunning or expert RHO with ♦J9 or ♦KJ9.

(If you distrust RHO's ♦J, then you can play a ♦3 to ♦T).

If nothing special had happened when you led ♦A, then then you should probably lead ♠Q at trick three, because it's likely that LHO has ♠K.

[kgr]

 nige1, on 2014-December-28, 10:23, said:

If RHO plays ♦J when you cash ♦A then you might guess to continue with a ♦3 finessing dummy's ♦7 -- paying off to a cunning or expert RHO with ♦J9 or ♦KJ9.

(If you distrust RHO's ♦J, then you can play a ♦3 to ♦T).

If nothing special had happened when you led ♦A, then then you should probably lead ♠Q at trick three, because it's likely that LHO has ♠K.

Specifically ♠Q, just in case RHO has ♠T9 doubleton?

[kgr]

Quote

IMP's, butler

---

1NT=15-17.
West leads ♠2, small promising an honor.
♠2-5-9-J

What is the best plan on this hand?

I crossed to dummy with ♣K; finessed ♦Q and that did hold (LHO ducking ♦K); and cashed ♦A (playing RHO for ♦KJ).
The result was -1.

[Free]

 eagles123, on 2014-December-27, 11:36, said:

Small d next?

♦A followed by a small ♦ is much better. You catch singleton honors with ease and can still cope with 4-1 splits.

[nige1]

 kgr, on 2014-December-29, 04:28, said:

Specifically ♠Q, just in case RHO has ♠T9 doubleton?

Yes or ♠ T7 doubleton, because, in the latter case, LHO will be left with ♠94 and you can lead to dummy's ♠6 to set up your ♠8.

[masonbarge]

 kgr, on 2014-December-29, 05:04, said:

I crossed to dummy with ♣K; finessed ♦Q and that did hold (LHO ducking ♦K); and cashed ♦A (playing RHO for ♦KJ).
The result was -1.

Playing IMPs, why not lead to 10♦?

[kgr]

 masonbarge, on 2015-January-02, 09:36, said:

 kgr, on 2014-December-29, 05:04, said:

I crossed to dummy with ♣K; finessed ♦Q and that did hold (LHO ducking ♦K); and cashed ♦A (playing RHO for ♦KJ).
The result was -1.

Playing IMPs, why not lead to 10♦?

I thought RHO had ♦KJ and feared a ♣ return...Crossing in ♣ was probably worse.