[Rickysa]

This may well be way to detailed a question for a forum environment, but since I've lost my teacher, I didn't know where else to turn .

In practicing declairer play (finesses), the movie will often say, eg., "as you can see east has no more spades so you should finesse through him (when west holds two spades)"

How the heck are you supposed to know that when both east and west have followed suit everytime spades were played, and no indication of bidding has been given?

(Level 1, Hand, M-103)


Rick

[inquiry]

I have access to a lot of bridgemaster sets, but I am not sure I have access to the hand in question. The Audry Grant series goes over 103 (117 total), but hand 103 has no finesse in spades. The other series I have access too are only 30 hands each.

But if they think you "KNOW" one opponent is now void (out of) spades, and yet they have not shown out when following suit, the logic is such that you must have been able to get a "count" on the hand. For instance. If both opponents have followed twice to spades, your LHO has shown out of diamnods on second round (giving your RHO five of them), and your RHO had 2 Clubs to your LHO 3 clubs, and LHO had 1 heart to RHO three... you are in business...

RHO had
3H, 2C, 6D ... so how many spades does RHO have? The answer is the two he has shown up with... so all the other spades are with LHO. Does that make sense?

[Rickysa]

Ben,

Thanks so much for the quick reply...it is a diamond finesse in hand 103. But the "lesson" being taught is who to finesse (which is the problem I'm having pounding thru my thick head )...Playing out that hand (holding on the Ace of spades) all the way until the diamond queen finesse doesn't demonstrate any further holdings other than LHO held two hearts. Both opps played 3 spades, I held three, and dummy 2....so 2 spades are still out, why must they be in LHO as indicated by BM2000, which is the object of the lesson, not to let the hand holding the spades have the lead as they could then defeat the contract.

LHO followed spades three times, clubs three times, diamonds once, and showed void in hearts after two rounds (sluffing a club).

RHO followed spades three times, clubs twice, hearts three times and diamonds once.

As far as I can tell, with four cards held, two spades, one club, two hearts, and three diamonds are not accounted for...and all I can say for sure is that the RHO holds the remaining two hearts.

Your response above makes perfect sense, but I couldn't find anything pointing out how the final two spades would be distributed among the opps...which seems to be the point of the lesson


Rick

[inquiry]

Ah, ok. This is a play known as an avoidance play.

A couple of issues. If their spades are divided 4-4, you can AFFORD to lose the diamond finesse. They will take three spades and a diamond, and you will score 1S, 3D, 3H, and 2C. So you need not worry about spades being divided 4-4.

The question becomes which hand MIGHT have five spades? So far, they both had three spades and there are two more out (the Ten and the NINE). So ask yourself this. If West started with the KQJ tripleton, and EAST had T9876 of spades, what spade would he have played at trick one? And what spade did he play?

He played the his lowest spade (the six). This would hardly be the kind of signal he would want to send to his partner with such a great opening shot if he held five of them. He would encourage like heck with the ten (which also promises the nine).

If you agree with this logic, then the danger hand (the hand most likely to have five spades, if either) is the opening leader. So you want to do everything you can to make sure he does not win a trick (again if spades are 4-4 your contract is safe). HAving decided which hand is the DANGER hand (in this case, WEST), you will finessee through him for the diamond queen.

If EAST had played ♠T then 6,7... you would probably decide EAST was the danger hand and play the diamond suit the other way around.

PRINCLES on this hand...

1) duck two round of spades to break communication
2) determine the danger hand
3) choose an avoidance play to keep the danger hand off the lead.

Hope that helps.

ben

[Rickysa]

Ben,

That was a wonderful explaination and many thanks for taking the time to walk me throught it.

I hadn't thought that deep.. into signalling, opening leads etc. (and, alas, my teacher and I didn't get a chance to study leads )

Are you taking students??? hint hint

Rick

[inquiry]

I do take students, but they must play on line at the BBO.

If you have a BBO identity, let me know what it is... you can send it by private message here, or leave me a message on the BBO. I can suggest some seriouis, full or near full time teachers who might be so much better than me.