[inquiry]

BBO hand.

Opponents silent

P - 1♥
2♥ - 3♣ (short suit GT)
4♥ - Pass

T1. ♦6-J-2-7

Plan your play.

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If you play ♥ to the JACK and it wins, how do you continue?

If you play ♥ to the JACK and it loses and a ♥ comes back how do you continue?

If you play 3 rounds of ♠ instead of touching ♥ and West discards a ♦ as EAST wins and returns a ♦ how do you continue?

[Trpltrbl]

need to behave, either 3-3 or 4-2 with 4 in East. Good thing they lead a , solves that problem. My gut tells me to play 3 high .

Mike

[inquiry]

Trpltrbl, on Feb 2 2004, 03:56 PM, said:

need to behave, either 3-3 or 4-2 with 4 in East. Good thing they lead a , solves that problem. My gut tells me to play 3 high .

Try to flush these answers out a little bit better. But ok, you play 3 rounds of ♠s. This is not a bad idea, as you need to ruff one ♠ in dummy if they are not divided 3-3, of course you risk a ♠ ruff yourself, but all goes well. Both follow to two rounds, and your LHO pitchs the ♦9 as your RHO wins the third ♠. Your RHO returns a ♦ continue planning your play.

I take it, btw, from your reply, you didn't care to look into the other lines of play. As in, what to do if you play on ♥ and the hook wins or loses.

Ben

[cnszsun]

1) If you play ♥ to the JACK and it wins, how do you continue?

duck one round ♠ from both hands, then whatever defenders return, play ♥A(if defender don't return trump), cash ♠AK, no matter defender ruff or not, you always can ruff 4th ♠ in dummy;

2) If you play ♥ to the JACK and it loses and a ♥ comes back how do you continue?

maybe no longer makable unless ♠ 3-3, defenders can always clear 3rd trump in dummy after they get in (♣ can be used as communication);

3) If you play 3 rounds of ♠ instead of touching ♥ and West discards a ♦ as EAST wins and returns a ♦ how do you continue?

cash ♦AK, duck one round ♣, after win back, ruff last ♠ in dummy, play ♠Q from dummy, if East doesn't overtake, finesse it.

All these lines assume trump 3-2 break.

[inquiry]

Quote

1) If you play ♥ to the JACK and it wins, how do you continue?

duck one round ♠ from both hands, then whatever defenders return, play ♥A(if defender don't return trump), cash ♠AK, no matter defender ruff or not, you always can ruff 4th ♠ in dummy;

Very good. If you play the ♥ hook you have to give up on ♥ and play on ♠. When RHO wins the ♠ and continues a low ♥ don't play low assuming the ♥Queen will win in dummy. Because if LHO has ♥Kx remaining, he will win and clear ♥ and you can no longer make.

Quote

2) If you play ♥ to the JACK and it loses and a ♥ comes back how do you continue?

maybe no longer makable unless ♠ 3-3, defenders can always clear 3rd trump in dummy after they get in (♣  can be used as communication);

You are correct in a sense. If they win and continue ♥ you are in trouble (which is why playing 3 rounds of ♠ immediately is the right play). The correct play now is to try to set up a ♣-♠ squeeze by ruffing two rounds of ♣s and using the ♦ACE as the squeeze card. The oppenents will have to help by leading one round of ♣ for you, or when you lead a low ♦, WEST with ♦Qx(x) will have to play low to allow you to "finesee" to gain a second entry to dummy. This plays EAST for something like 5♣+4♠.

Quote

3) If you play 3 rounds of ♠ instead of touching ♥ and West discards a ♦ as EAST wins and returns a ♦ how do you continue?

cash ♦AK, duck one round ♣, after win back, ruff last ♠ in dummy, play ♠Q from dummy, if East doesn't overtake, finesse it.

All these lines assume trump 3-2 break.

Nice play, cashing the ♦ is just good form, but leading the ♣ is excellent.