[Hanoi5]

Scoring: IMP

---

I got to 5♠, it was an imp's tournament. I received a heart lead to the ♥K and ♥A and a diamond was returned to the ♦T, ♦Q and ♦K. How do you play it from here?

[obscurans]

Spade-club double hook? That's pretty close to 70%. If the spade loses, you draw the rest of trump, run the diamonds and hope the clubs behave. If the first hook wins you cross to the diamond A and finesse the club Q. If that wins you're home, else pull the club A and ruff to hand for a second hook. You'll need 4-3 clubs (60%).

If you try to finesse trumps once, there's nothing else to do if it loses but try the clubs; if you pull the ace after it wins, you run the diamonds and hope the last trump's on East who hands you the club suit on a platter.

4-1 W you're never going to endplay anyone, 4-1 E onside means the king dropped first round so you simply hook the club queen for the overtrick. So that's half of 3-2, half of 1/5 of 4-1 for close to 40% (nobody survives a 5-0).

[vuroth]

If things work out, I have 2 entries to the board. Of course, diamond switch means it might be only 1.

If I truly only have 1 entry, I'd rather try the club finesse.

[Hanoi5]

Can you elaborate on why you need the club finesse first?

[kenrexford]

Hanoi5, on May 10 2009, 06:45 PM, said:

Can you elaborate on why you need the club finesse first?

Hook Q, Play Ace, ruff back.

Then hook spade.

If club King did not drop, ruff club back high and hook spade again.

If LHO's club King dropped, return with diamond to hook again.

[Hanoi5]

I think the real reason is that the spade finesse can and should be repeated in case it wins while the club finesse has to be done but only once, and usually when you have two finesses it is better to do do the one you HAVE to do first than the one you really don't need (if the club finesse works you could decide not to do the spade finesse, if the spade finesse works you need the club finesse anyway for an entry).

[vuroth]

Hanoi5, on May 11 2009, 08:06 AM, said:

I think the real reason is that the spade finesse can and should be repeated in case it wins while the club finesse has to be done but only once, and usually when you have two finesses it is better to do do the one you HAVE to do first than the one you really don't need (if the club finesse works you could decide not to do the spade finesse, if the spade finesse works you need the club finesse anyway for an entry).

Nice.

I hadn't even thought of the club entries to hand. I just knew that I could eliminate my club loser with a single finesse, but that after a successful spade finesse I might still have a spade loser.