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You hold AQ986 x ATx xxxx. White/white partner opens 1N in, RHO X's showing spades and another. You XX for business, passed back to RHO who bids 2D. You elect to go for the throat and X again, all pass. You lead a trump and dummy hits with
4 T98xxx 8x JT9x. Partner plays the jack and RHO plays the queen and leads the spade ten. What do you do? If you win the queen, what do you play next?
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blind guess?
#2
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Posted 2006-November-10, 12:12
When we put the Q in (and from the auction, and our trump lead) partner should know we have very healthy spades. If he has the K I would hope he overtakes and plays a diamond. When he doesn't have the King I hope he has given suit preference on this spade. He must surely have one of the round aces.
#3 Guest_Jlall_*
Posted 2006-November-10, 12:16
FrancesHinden, on Nov 10 2006, 01:12 PM, said:
When we put the Q in (and from the auction, and our trump lead) partner should know we have very healthy spades. If he has the K I would hope he overtakes and plays a diamond. When he doesn't have the King I hope he has given suit preference on this spade. He must surely have one of the round aces.
Maybe. Even if partner gives us suit preference, we may have a hard time reading it. The 3 could be 32, the 5 could be 53, 73, 52, J2, the 7 could be J7... and would partner play the J from Jx ever? If not all the plays could have Jx. He might also have 3 spades. Anyways, partners spot card is the 3.
Also, though I think you are probably right that partner should be signalling (even a hard to read signal gives us clues from a probabilistic point of view), based on what you know about partner (who is an excellent player) he's not going to give you suit preference here (he is not big into obscure suit preference signals and rarely gives you a signal anyways unless you need it.)
#4
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Posted 2006-November-10, 13:49
I am switching to the ♣J, on the slender theory that partner's ♠3 suggests that suit, to the limited degree that it suggests either round suit. I am just not prepared to throw away my second trump trick by leading that suit now.
BTW, I don't think that this is an 'obscure' suit preference situation for partner if he holds 73 or 53. I discount all Jx's and the Kx's, and from xxx the 3 may not be the lowest, but it sure ain't the highest. So I think that partner should be trying to help me: the idea that I have a vulnerable trump holding should not be a surprise (altho it is not a given, either).
BTW, I don't think that this is an 'obscure' suit preference situation for partner if he holds 73 or 53. I discount all Jx's and the Kx's, and from xxx the 3 may not be the lowest, but it sure ain't the highest. So I think that partner should be trying to help me: the idea that I have a vulnerable trump holding should not be a surprise (altho it is not a given, either).
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari
#5
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Posted 2006-November-10, 13:51
mikeh, on Nov 10 2006, 02:49 PM, said:
I am switching to the ♣J, on the slender theory that partner's ♠3 suggests that suit, to the limited degree that it suggests either round suit. I am just not prepared to throw away my second trump trick by leading that suit now.
Well, you don't have CJ, it is on dummy.
Senshu
#6 Guest_Jlall_*
Posted 2006-November-10, 14:03
mikeh, on Nov 10 2006, 02:49 PM, said:
the 3 may not be the lowest, but it sure ain't the highest.
well it could be 32
but yeah thats less likely obviously.
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Posted 2006-November-10, 14:22
Jlall, on Nov 10 2006, 03:03 PM, said:
mikeh, on Nov 10 2006, 02:49 PM, said:
the 3 may not be the lowest, but it sure ain't the highest.
well it could be 32
but yeah thats less likely obviously. 32 is a doubleton, I beleive: my comment was on xxx, which connotes a tripleton
But, since I chose to lead a card that was in dummy, I guess I shouldn't be nitpicking 
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari
#8 Guest_Jlall_*
Posted 2006-November-11, 18:07
Declarers actual hand on this was KJTxx Kxx KQxxx ---
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