[Fluffy]

Scoring: Chicago

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The bidding:

S W N E
1♦-Ps-1♥-1♠
2♣-2♠-5♣-All ps

Defence: ♠K, ♠ to the A, and ♠10 from east, plan from there.

[Free]

It seems too obvious to discard a ♦ and ruff in dummy and go for cross ruff (don't forget to cash the ♣K first)...
I put ♣Q in East, ♦ honours are probably split or KQx in East. Why else play in double voids? Small adjustments of the line can occur when it seems that East has no ♦s left.

[inquiry]

Fluffy, on Apr 27 2004, 06:24 AM, said:

Dealer: South Vul: E/W Scoring: Chicago

♠ Q3 ♥ AQ9752 ♦   ♣ KJ932 ♠ J5 ♥ 4 ♦ AJ742 ♣ A10754

S  W  N  E 1♦-Ps-1♥-1♠ 2♣-2♠-5♣-All ps T1, ♠K, T2. ♠ to the A, T3. ♠10 from east

Well, the ruff and sluff does nothing to help you. I suspect ♣ are not 3-0, and if they are WEST will no be void. The reason being, 2♠ did little to preempt the bidding, and with a void and support including the king, I expect more aggreesive bidding.

Also, I eye the ♠T with contempt, if EAST is a good player. Why is he telling you the location of the ♥King (not that we really were concerned about its location. It would also be good to know WEST's bidding style. Is he the type of guy who would jump to 3♠ when holding four card support for partner based upon the law of total tricks?

My believe is that East has six spades and west three. The problem hand is when ♥ split 4-2 with EAST having four. It will be theoretically easier to set up a long ♥ than a long ♦. You have plenty of tricks if you could safely cross ruff the hand out, but someone will overruff a ♦ or a ♥. So my line is this.

T3, discard a ♥ from hand and ruff in dummy,
T4, ruff a ♥
T5, finessee the ♣ 9 to get to dummy
T6. ruff a ♥with the ♣T
T7. finessee the ♣J
T8. ruff a ♥ with the ♣A
Pull trumps and claim....

If the club hook loses, well, I have been down before. Not sure what the best line really is, this is just how I would play it.

Ben

[mishovnbg]

I never play for opps are idiots . E can't know is declarer hand is 2254 or 2155 so play in possible double ruffing and discarding losing else ♥, if E had ♥ K is not reasonable line. I will play for finesse ♥, take trumps, starting with ♣A, because bidding and play show possible trump shortness in E hand, agree with Ben.
Misho

[Fluffy]

3 posters, and the 3 lines reasonable lines posted, how nice!

ok Ben, I think you maded a little mistake, there is no need to rely on ♣ finise, here is the timing:

ruff in dummy!! its amazing, since you need 2 rounds of trumps and 3 ♥ ruffs, you need to start shortening the hand you want to stablish.

ruff a ♥ in hand (you discarded a ♥ at trick 3 from hand)
♣K, pray for both following, (otherwise you´ll need ♥3-3)
♣A
ruff a ♥
ruff a ♦ (1 trump left in dummy)
ruff a ♥: dummy is high
claim

is it really high?

not at all, the real hand:

Scoring: Chicago

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Nice try Free, you were near, but not enough, 4th ♦ is ruffed with ♣Q :-(


What I could extract from this hand was: don´t be so blind, trying so solve an amazing timing problem (so I was), and look more closely to wha tis going on.

Well done Misho, oh well that is normal after all, isn´t it?

On the real hand I believe some more would succed:

It came form a total points 4 boards match semi-final, there is something to say about these kind of tournamets:

-They are unfair (so are individuals!, at least here you get in rage of your luck, not of your partner)

-They are really exciting, with 1 board to go having to score 200 points at least...

this was the third board, on first opponents bid 1♥-6♥ for 1010, so you can imagine they aren´t the kind of ones who play ruff&discard with ♥K (even then I failed).

[inquiry]

Fluffy, on Apr 29 2004, 07:47 AM, said:

3 posters, and the 3 lines reasonable lines posted, how nice!

ok Ben, I think you maded a little mistake, there is no need to rely on ♣ finise, here is the timing:

Ok.. I made a mistake, but on the other hand, I will still easily made the contract on my line. Sure I never set up a long ♥, but I can cross ruff the hand with impunity after EAST follows low on the first round of trumps.

I will win 1♦, 1♥, 1♠ ruff, 3♥ ruffs, and 5♣s in dummy (the hook, a high one, and three ♦ ruffs. My line allows for EAST to be void in ♣ (and hence have more ♥'s), or to be short in ♥'s and ♣'s.

Misho idea to hook the ♥ has merit, and this is why I said I view the ♠T with contempt. Not because if gave me a ruff and sluff, but because of the potential suit preference signal associated with it. But Misho is correct, with ♥K, giving a ruff and sluff makes no sense. I just assumed that I didn't need two ♥ tricks, so the location of the ♥King was rather immaterial. But clearly "rsking" a ♥ hook is better chances than risking the ♣ hook on this hand.

Ben

[Trpltrbl]

I am not trusting the ♠10.
X-ruffing will more then likely not work, so need to get 2 ♥ tricks, 8♣ tricks if they split 2-1 and ♦ Ace = 11 tricks.
Why does East play that ♠10, he doesn't know I am 5-5. Unless he peeked
So I pull trump and finesse ♥, if the ♣ are 3-0, then the ♥ have to behave.

Mike

[Free]

Fluffy, on Apr 29 2004, 09:47 PM, said:

~snip

Nice try Free, you were near, but not enough, 4th ♦ is ruffed with ♣Q :-(

~snip

I only need to ruff 3 ♦s (I wait with the ♦A ofcourse) Discard 1 ♦ on the ♠, crossruff 3♦s and 3♥s, last ♣ and my ♦A is good... Don't see why it's not enough...

[Fluffy]

Hi again free!

I assuemd you palyed starndard corss ruff line: make your outside tricks quick and then corss ruff, that should include ♦A.

Ok, so you aren´t doing so.... then I´ll need a paper to see if you are coming home

1 ♠K
2 ♠A
3 ♦discard + ruff in dummy
4 ♣K
5 ♥A
6 ♥ruffed in hand, trumps are 3-3 now
7 ♦ruff (2-3)
8 ♥ruff (2-2)
9 ♦ruff (1-2)
10 ♥ruff (1-1)
11 ♦ruff (0-1)
now you have to give ♣Q to west because you are locked in dummy unable to draw the last trump.