[gwnn]

Scoring: IMP

---

p-p-p-1NT
p-2♥-p-2♠
p-3NT-p-4♠ (agree?)
end.

LHO leads a small diamond won by RHO's Ace, who fires back another one. Opps don't believe in giving count and lead randomly.

[ArtK78]

Yes, I agree with 4♠.

A low spade out of hand virtually guarantees the contract.

[gwnn]

ArtK78, on Oct 7 2007, 03:01 AM, said:

Yes, I agree with 4♠.

A low spade out of hand virtually guarantees the contract.

I know my question is ridiculous, but could you please elaborate on this?

[ArtK78]

You have 10 tricks - 4 spades, 2 diamonds, 2 hearts and 2 clubs. You just have to make sure that you are able to take your 10 tricks before the opponents take 4. The only real danger is that the opponents can score a diamond ruff or overruff. You need to be able to pull trump while keeping control of trumps and the diamond suit. If you lead a low trump from hand and the opponents take their ♠K, you can ruff a diamond return with the ♠A, pull trump and play A and another club. The ♥A is an entry to your hand to allow you to cash the high club and throw the losing heart from dummy.

If the opponents return a heart instead of a diamond on winning the ♠K, you must win the heart return in dummy so that you keep the ♥A as an entry to your second club trick.

One important point of this hand is that you should not take either the spade finesse or the club finesse.

[skjaeran]

ArtK78, on Oct 7 2007, 07:31 AM, said:

You have 10 tricks - 4 spades, 2 diamonds, 2 hearts and 2 clubs. You just have to make sure that you are able to take your 10 tricks before the opponents take 4. The only real danger is that the opponents can score a diamond ruff or overruff. You need to be able to pull trump while keeping control of trumps and the diamond suit. If you lead a low trump from hand and the opponents take their ♠K, you can ruff a diamond return with the ♠A, pull trump and play A and another club. The ♥A is an entry to your hand to allow you to cash the high club and throw the losing heart from dummy.

If the opponents return a heart instead of a diamond on winning the ♠K, you must win the heart return in dummy so that you keep the ♥A as an entry to your second club trick.

One important point of this hand is that you should not take either the spade finesse or the club finesse.

Good analysis Art!

[Quantumcat]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. This hand is great as a pure lesson hand, eh. When I need to take extra tricks I still tend to want to take every finesse in sight without thinking about it properly, this hand is a good lesson on how not to do that!

[jdeegan]

Good lesson hand on the importance of counting ones tricks. Looking at losers, it is not obvious. Slow third round potential heart loser can be eliminated.

[pclayton]

skaeran, on Oct 7 2007, 07:34 AM, said:

ArtK78, on Oct 7 2007, 07:31 AM, said:

You have 10 tricks - 4 spades, 2 diamonds, 2 hearts and 2 clubs.  You just have to make sure that you are able to take your 10 tricks before the opponents take 4.  The only real danger is that the opponents can score a diamond ruff or overruff.  You need to be able to pull trump while keeping control of trumps and the diamond suit.  If you lead a low trump from hand and the opponents take their ♠K, you can ruff a diamond return with the ♠A, pull trump and play A and another club.  The ♥A is an entry to your hand to allow you to cash the high club and throw the losing heart from dummy.

If the opponents return a heart instead of a diamond on winning the ♠K, you must win the heart return in dummy so that you keep the ♥A as an entry to your second club trick.

One important point of this hand is that you should not take either the spade finesse or the club finesse.

Good analysis Art!

Agree. A♠, ♠ is an easy trap to fall into.

[gwnn]

pclayton, on Oct 8 2007, 07:15 PM, said:

Agree. A♠, ♠ is an easy trap to fall into.

Tell me about it. I felt like a dumb penguin after the smoke had cleared. Thanks Art for explaining the hand a little better