[pclayton]

When one of our regulars plays or defends a hand really nicely, it should be noted. You reach 3N on this combination:

Scoring: IMP

---

Your LHO opens 1♠ and you make the questionable decision to balance with 1N after two passes. Pard bids 2♥ which apparently wasn't discussed and you retreat to 2N, 3N by pard.

LHO leads the ♠10. You win in dummy and play a heart to the J and Q. LHO persists with a small spade.

Can you see any way out of this mess?

[Echognome]

Phil had me look at this movie. It was very nicely played by Arend.

[catch22]

Given the mess I am in, I would play LHO for AQ tight clubs. Win in hand and play a club up. If I survive that then I have good end play possibilities. If I don't then I'll move quickly to the next board

[pclayton]

catch22, on Dec 21 2007, 09:23 AM, said:

Given the mess I am in, I would play LHO for AQ tight clubs. Win in hand and play a club up. If I survive that then I have good end play possibilities. If I don't then I'll move quickly to the next board

I should have mentioned that RHO pitches a low club on the 2nd spade (encouraging).

[awm]

I have to admit, I'd have played a low diamond to ten at trick two.

Having created this situation by attacking hearts, it seems reasonable to play a small heart out of hand next. This potentially works very well if LHO has ♥AQ and may still be the right way to set up the suit if they are 3-3.

[Apollo81]

I'm pretty sure West has ♥AQ, ♦K, ♣A. There are not very many ways to make if this is the case, because West will usually win the race and establish a spade trick, or he can potentially knock out dummy's ♣K to establish club trick(s).

I thought for a couple minutes, I don't immediately see a way to make the contract if West is (5332), so I will play him for one hand where I know I can make the contract (hidden)

Spoiler

10987x
AQ8x
Kx
Ax

[benlessard]

I think playing D at trick 2 is best but im far from sure.


either K or small H are my options now. K♥ might bring 2H tricks however I will still need a diamond finesse or a D endplay. Small H and praying for no C switch and a D finesse is ok too but only work if LHO is exactly 5233. So i guess K of H is best since its working in 3 case.




Txxxx (KH work)
AQ8x
Kxx
A


Txxxx (KH work)
AQ8x
Kx
Ax

txxxx (KH work)
aq8x
K
Axx

Txxxx (here small H wont work)
AQ
Kxxx
Ax

txxxx (small H work)
aQ
Kxx
Axx

[han]

OK, so you play for the hand Noble gave and bang down the heart king, taken by the ace on your left and (Hurray!) the ten drops on your right.

Lefty returns another spade, you win in dummy, hook the heart and cash the last heart, righty repeatedly pitching a lot of clubs on the spades and hearts.
How do you continue?

[slothy]

It seems that this is only gonna make if opener can be endplayed in ♦

He has already shown up with 5 ♠ and 4 ♥. With just 6 points in the majors he most likely has the A ♣. If he hasnt got this key card and has KJ ♦ and Q♣, the Q must be stiff to have a chance.

This being the case the only way i can see is if declarer plays opener for A stiff in ♣ and thus 3D, KJx♦ most likely (dummy and declarer pips not strong enough).

So cash all my non ♦ tricks and exit with small ♣ West will be endplayed irrespective of whether he holds Kxx or KJx ♦, losing 1 ♠, 2♥ and a ♣

An alternative, as stated in first paragraph, is to play opener for Q ♣ stiff by cashing K but would he have opened with that *****?

Txxxx, AQxx Kxx Q ????

I go for first scenario

[benlessard]

Im sure

Txxxx
AQ8x
Kx
Ax

is much more likely then

Txxxx
AQ8x
Kxx
A

or

Txxxx
AQ8x
KJx
A

+ you also have

some slight chances of

Txxxx
AQ8x
K
Axx

where he misdefended by not switching clubs.

[slothy]

benlessard, on Dec 23 2007, 12:34 PM, said:

Im sure

Txxxx
AQ8x
Kx
Ax

is much more likely then

Txxxx
AQ8x
Kxx
A

or

Txxxx
AQ8x
KJx
A

..

where he misdefended by not switching clubs.

With this hand you suggesting that he cashes A♦ and then plays a small one, ducking in dummy (cant finesse 10 - interediates are such that there are always losers)?

so you playing E for EXACTLY kx D and a posteriori Ax ♣. Seems similar percentages as A stiff and Kxx (table percentages anyway slight favour for Kx Ax) At least my way is slicker whether it right or wrong.

I suppose your line also gains if stiff K ♦ and Axx ♣ so better

[benlessard]

AQ54
♥9754
♦A73
♣K8

♠KJ3
♥KJ3
♦QT52
♣J52


For simplification lets say the spot in D are

A43 & QT52

in C
K4 & 532


If LHO has A? in clubs & K? in D. we Have AQ♣ to A6♣ (7 holding) & in D

KJ +K9 to K6 (5 holding) for a total of 35 specific holding.

But if LHO has stiff A♣ and 3♦.

We have
KJ9,KJ8,KJ7,KJ6,K98,K97,K96,K87,K86,K76 for 10 combinations.

So

K? + A? is 3.5 times more frequent then K?? + stiff A.

So unblocking the last spades & play for the endplay is quite inferior to ♦A and Diamond duck.

[mikeh]

Hannie, on Dec 22 2007, 01:19 PM, said:

OK, so you play for the hand Noble gave and bang down the heart king, taken by the ace on your left and (Hurray!) the ten drops on your right.

Lefty returns another spade, you win in dummy, hook the heart and cash the last heart, righty repeatedly pitching a lot of clubs on the spades and hearts.
How do you continue?

You win the third spade in hand, not dummy, so that you can hook the heart.... clearly what Han meant.. then cash the last heart, pitching a .......

I wouldn't cash the last heart... there is surely no rush and I don't want to pitch a minor from my hand.

So instead, after winning the 3rd heart in dummy, I lead the diamond 7 and duck completely.

I am playing LHO for 109xxx AQ8x (known already by this stage) and the ♦K and a club honour. I don't really care who has the diamond Jack, other than in the sense that if RHO has it, I'd like to know his responding style: would he be inclined to pass 1♠ with x 10x Jxxx Axxxxx? I wouldn't.

I am basically playing LHO for Kx or KJ in diamonds, hoping for 4 spades, 2 hearts and 3 diamonds.

If he has that holding, then the only danger is if LHO wins the 1st diamond.

If my reading is correct, then he started with 5422, and he has a choice of plays.

He has to play a club, else I am home.

If he has Ax, he has to play low.

If he has Qx, he should also play low, and he should be able to work out that this is the correct play, but it may take him longer to do so, since there will be some temptation to lead the ♣Q in this position... similarly with Q10.

I'd really like to know RHO's tendencies here, in terms of response... would he pass x 10x Jxxx Axxxxx? Would he pass x 10x xxxx Axxxxx?

So I'd really like LHO to have won the first diamond with the J.. now I'd be far more comfortable ducking on the club switch. As it is, if LHO wins with an x, I will play him for the A unless he takes a long time to work out the switch.

Obviously, if RHO wins the first diamond, I am home free if LHO is 5422.

BTW, the reason for the diamond 7 is in case RHO has J98x.... if he covers, he may be allowed to hold the trick, and if he ducks, I find out where the J is (unless LHO is far more awake than most opps and plays the K from KJ, which is the correct play, but tough to find at the table)

[pclayton]

At the table, Arend hooked the heart. I held as his LHO T98xx, AQ8x, Kxx, A. He then cashed the spades and exited a LOW club to my bare Ace.

Is my hand any less common than a 5422? Probably so, but RHO was sluffing clubs with great disregard, so 6 seemed likely.

A simple diamond to the 10 would have worked I suppose on the actual hand. and that is probably better overall.

[benlessard]

There is also the fact that with ♣Ax LHO might be tempted to switch clubs. Nothing beat a good read