[awm]

Scoring: MP

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The contract is 4♠ by south, on the somewhat dubious auction:

Pass - Pass - 3♦ - 3♠
4♦ - 4♠ - All Pass

Opening lead is the ♦3, taken by east's ♦A. east returns the ♦4.

The scoring is matchpoints, opponents are okay for club players but not particularly good.

How would you play the hand?

[Winstonm]

If the spade is onside they cannot make 3 diamonds, and if it is off they will always make 3D as long as hearts aren't too unbalanced. I think -100 will be a decent score so I don't have to play wide open to make but can't afford to go down 2 vul.

I'll ruff and play 3 top hearts. If RHO ruffs the third heart, I'll play ace and another spade. If all follow, I'll pitch a club and take the spade finesse. If the J comes down 3rd, I'll lead the spade 8 and let it ride.

No optimum to make but lessens the risk of -200.

Winston

[pclayton]

The opponents have been successful by jerking me into 4♠. WDO.

I'm not sure I'd overcall 3♠ myself with only 2 outside quacks. Pard's raise is a little offbeat, but I'd end up in 4♠ even if pard made a responsive x. If we can cash 3 hearts and a spade, we are beating 4♦, so we are already behind the curve.

The club honors are split and RHO seems to have AQ-6th or 7th of diamonds. I'd really want to know if they play 3rd or 4th best. Already, RHO is approaching what many consider to be a 1 bid. If RHO could play at all, I'd expect a club shift from Axx and Ax but not necessarily Kxx and certainly not Kx.

At IMPs, I could play RHO for a heavy preempt and take the spade hook. More likely I'd cash the A♠ and then play 4 rounds of hearts hooking the 10. That pays off if I catch RHO with 1=3=7=2 or Kx=3=6=2. I don't see the point of hearts from the top, unless I was planning on taking the spade hook in reserve. The problem is if RHO hits the 3rd heart, you are in the wrong hand for the spade hook; although you are still OK if RHO has the Kx.

At MPs its tougher. I can accept my 30% board (maybe better if the opponents are asleep) and play A♠, ♠ or I can play as above.

I guess its a SOTM decision.

[toothbrush]

I like the analysis of pclayton. Indeed, East is supposed to have AQxxxx(x) and a honour in ♣. If he also had ♠K, he probably would have bid something else to reach 3NT (not that bad because south will lead a small spade). That's why I think the ♠A should be cashed. If the K hasn't fallen, the 2nd loser in ♣ has to be eliminated and that's only possible on ♥. Best chance is to play Q and then take the finesse (West is likely to have longer ♥)
In MP I think it also has to played like this, because when everything goes wrong, they probably have 3NT to play. When it works out, there contract goes probably down, so you have to make yours.

[awm]

Scoring: MP

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At the table, I took the "legitimate" line of ruffing the second diamond, playing the small heart to the ace, and letting a spade ride. LHO took the king and returned a trump; I drew trumps and was forced to concede two club tricks (the heart suit is blocked) for one down. This was worth 4 matchpoints on a 12 top.

It's possible that ducking a spade at trick two or playing ace and a spade might be a better play. This gives a chance to make if LHO returns spade or diamond. Of course, the heart hook is off, so people planning to do that could easily go down two (for 0 matchpoints on a 12 top).

It's true that 3NT can be made on the opposing cards (well on a non-heart lead), but no one was bidding it. Of course 3♦ will make (likely with an overtrick if hearts aren't lead early) and this is why the 4/12 matchpoints.

Anyways, I was wondering if this hand would have been a good time to give up on legitimate chances of making and try for a misdefense. It does seem like RHO must have AQ of diamonds, so if we place him with a club honor it's reasonable to give up on the spade hook. Then again, I'm not convinced that LHO would automatically lead a club from AK rather than the partnership suit. Seemed like an interesting non-technical play problem.

[Fluffy]

I would go more downs, I would lead ♥Q overtaking, then try a fake squeeze on West in ♥/♣, making the finese in the end.

[Winstonm]

I don't know why I didn't think of this before but it offers a reasonable chance of a make along with pretty much limiting the disaster to down 1:

Ruff the diamond, cash the spade Ace, and play hearts from the top.

There is no doubt the club honors are split - and RHO seems to hold shortness. I don't like any play that allows the defense a second chance to find their club ruff so would not think of taking an immediate spade finesse before ridding myself of at least 1C.

I think overall this line is better. It wins on the actual hand, wins when the heart J is third in LHO and he holds Kx of spades, and wins anytime the spade K is singleton - and takes -200 out of play.

Winston