[mikeh]

Scoring: IMP

After an auction in which the opps were silent, you reach 6♥ by South and face the ♣10 lead. Plan the play. I thought maybe this should be in the B/I area, and comments on that would be appreciated.

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[ArtK78]

Clearly, if trump are not 4-0, this hand is a claim. Pull trump and play a top diamond. You can pitch one spade loser on the other top diamond and ruff the other spade loser.

So, the problem becomes what to do if hearts are 4-0.

If RHO has the hearts, there is not much that can be done which is different than I just mentioned, except that the timing is different. Win the ♣A, cash the ♥K. If LHO shows out, play a diamond towards the KQ. You have a claim if RHO wins the ♦A (12 tricks - 3 spades, 5 hearts, 2 diamonds and 2 clubs), so assume the ♦K loses to the ♦A. You win any return and play A, K and another spade (not the Q), intending to ruff in hand. If, at any time RHO ruffs in before the third round of spades, you are dead meat, but I do not see what you can do about it. Otherwise, you get rid of one spade loser with a ruff in hand and the other spade loser goes on the high diamond.

If LHO has the hearts, the play is similar, except that the third round of spades is ruffed with the ♥A, and you must play hearts twice from hand towards the QJ8 of hearts in dummy, taking the finesse against LHO's 10 9 of hearts.

In both lines, you must cash the high diamond at your first opportunity to prevent the opponent with the long hearts (and 2-2 in the pointed suits) from pitching a diamond on the third round of spades.

If the first round of diamonds is ducked, you can afford to DUCK the second round of spades. Even if spades are 5-1, you can ruff the losing spade in hand safely. If spades are 4-2, all your spades are high and you can just pull trump. You should be able to handle all eventualities after ducking the second round of spades no matter who wins the trick.

If there is more to this hand, I don't see it.

[mikeh]

This didn't prompt much response (now, there's an underbid). My thought was that many players would go wrong at trick 1. Where do you win trick one, and why?

[FrancesHinden]

mikeh, on Oct 14 2008, 05:06 PM, said:

This didn't prompt much response (now, there's an underbid). My thought was that many players would go wrong at trick 1. Where do you win trick one, and why?

You only posted it last night (my time). Give us a chance.

[vuroth]

mikeh, on Oct 14 2008, 11:06 AM, said:

This didn't prompt much response (now, there's an underbid). My thought was that many players would go wrong at trick 1. Where do you win trick one, and why?

I wondered if that would be one of the keys to the hand.

On 2-2 or 3-1, I don't really see a big problem with communication. I didn't really search hard for lines on 0-4/4-0, but in general entries to the board are easier and safer to come by.

I would definitely win the first trick with the A♣.

[y66]

I have 3 top spades, 5 hearts, a diamond and 2 clubs. I will try to ruff a spade for my 12th trick.

The problem I see is that West may have the DA and someone may have 2 spades and 4 hearts. If it's West, I can ruff a spade with the HA and finesse twice to avoid a heart loser.

CA, HK, diamond to king.

[cnszsun]

ArtK78, on Oct 14 2008, 04:22 AM, said:

In both lines, you must cash the high diamond at your first opportunity to prevent the opponent with the long hearts (and 2-2 in the pointed suits) from pitching a diamond on the third round of spades.

Do we really need that ♦ trick? We assume the 4 trump holder has at least two ♠s. And, he is unlikely to have 5 ♠s, otherwise, his partner will have 12 cards in minors. So, ♠ suit has already been set up by one ruff.

[nige1]

mikeh, on Oct 13 2008, 03:02 PM, said:

Scoring: IMP

After an auction in which the opps were silent, you reach 6♥ by South and face the ♣10 lead. Plan the play. I thought maybe this should be in the B/I area, and comments on that would be appreciated.

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Agree with y6 and AK47. Hope for ♠ 3-3 or 4-2: ♣K, ♥K (♥ are 4-0), ♦ towards ♦Q. If RHO has ♦A then prospects are great, so asume ♦Q loses to ♦A and the ♣ return is won by ♣K. Now cash ♦Q.

• If LHO has the long ♥, then finesse ♥8. Cash ♠AK, ruff ♠ with ♥A, draw trumps and claim.
  
• If RHO has the long ♥, then you can (over-ruff) a ♠ safely.