[Cascade]

On our way to my most disappointing result in a long time this hand occurred.

Scoring: MP

Uncontested Symmetric Relay Auction

1♣ 3♣
3♦ 3♠
6♣ All Pass

---

1♣ 16+
3♣ 2=2=5=4 8/9+
3♦ Relay
3♠ 3 Controls (A=2 K=1)

♠Q Lead (Overlead).

How do you play?

Edit: Suddenly the hand diagram (above and in other threads) in my browser are displaying the cards centred not left justified. Does anyone know what is causing this?

[Old York]

Hoping trumps are 2-2 or favourable breaks in majors, I would try to discard a Spade on third Heart and plan to ruff 2 spades. If trumps break badly, it seems unlikely that Diamonds can be set up and cashed, or dummy reversal

Tony

[mikeh]

Whenever the hand looks trivial, it is usually time to be very careful, especially when presented as a problem. However, at the table, I would cash the diamond A, then the club Q or equivalent, then cash the top hearts, throwing spades, hoping to ruff a spade low, club to the 10 (or the 7 if rho has 4) and then ruff a spade high and exit the diamond.... pulling two rounds of trump works, of course, when the suit is 2-2, but we may be in trouble on a 3-1 break unless the stiff holds KQ(x0(x) in diamonds, because I can't get back to my hand to score the second spade ruff.

The suggested line only requires 5-3 or 4=4 hearts (or an unlikely 1=2 club/heart holding) and no overruff on round 2 of spades, and no 4-0 trump break, length on my left, with rho winning the diamond exit. All told, I think this is better than hoping for 2-2 trump or a miracle 3=1. But I haven't tried to calculate the percentages.

[Old York]

Cascade, on May 11 2009, 09:18 PM, said:

Suddenly the hand diagram (above and in other threads) in my browser are displaying the cards centred not left justified. Does anyone know what is causing this?

I used to have one of those old-fashioned "Culbertson" Browsers too.

Maybe it thinks that bidding a Club slam with only 6HT is totally unjustifiable?

Tony

[Cascade]

mikeh, on May 12 2009, 09:14 AM, said:

I would cash the diamond A

What is the advantage of cashing the ♦A?

[mikeh]

Cascade, on May 11 2009, 04:42 PM, said:

mikeh, on May 12 2009, 09:14 AM, said:

I would cash the diamond A

What is the advantage of cashing the ♦A?

When we ruff the spade high, either opp could pitch a stiff diamond: yes, it is extremely unlikely, but I don't think that guarding against it is ever going to cost... it's not as if we are worried about an extra undertrick. And if it happened, we'd be in dummy with no way back to our hand, so we'd have to try to cash the diamond Ace and it would be ruffed.

[Old York]

The voices told me not to touch the trumps, except as entries back to hand, it would then cost nothing to ruff the third Spade high

But with the luck of Karapet, I can be certain that the Heart will be ruffed

Tony

[kenrexford]

mikeh, on May 11 2009, 04:49 PM, said:

Cascade, on May 11 2009, 04:42 PM, said:

mikeh, on May 12 2009, 09:14 AM, said:

I would cash the diamond A

What is the advantage of cashing the ♦A?

When we ruff the spade high, either opp could pitch a stiff diamond: yes, it is extremely unlikely, but I don't think that guarding against it is ever going to cost... it's not as if we are worried about an extra undertrick. And if it happened, we'd be in dummy with no way back to our hand, so we'd have to try to cash the diamond Ace and it would be ruffed.

Technically speaking, I think the diamond Ace play might cost, in theory.

Suppose you win the spade lead, cash a high trump, and then run down three hearts, but LHO ruffs the third heart. With nothing left to do, you overruff.

Suppose further that this RHO started with 7-2-2-2 shape, with the Q9 or K9 in diamonds.

You now pull the last trump out, ending in hand and preserving transportation to dummy. You now lead the diamond Jack.

If LHO plays the 9, you float this. If RHO wins, he cannot return a spade; whatever he returns, you lead a second diamond to dummy and claim. If RHO ducks, you repeat, overtaking to lead diamonds, eventually claiming the overtrick.

If LHO covers, you overtake with the Ace and lead small toward your hand. If RHO pops his honor, he cannot lead a spade, so you will win whatever, cross to dummy, and claim. If RHO ducks, you lost no diamonds. So, you just give up a spade to LHO and then ruff out the last spade.

Seeing as this is too sexy for words, you just have to leave that option open, you see.

[mikeh]

kenrexford, on May 11 2009, 05:39 PM, said:

mikeh, on May 11 2009, 04:49 PM, said:

Cascade, on May 11 2009, 04:42 PM, said:

mikeh, on May 12 2009, 09:14 AM, said:

I would cash the diamond A

What is the advantage of cashing the ♦A?

When we ruff the spade high, either opp could pitch a stiff diamond: yes, it is extremely unlikely, but I don't think that guarding against it is ever going to cost... it's not as if we are worried about an extra undertrick. And if it happened, we'd be in dummy with no way back to our hand, so we'd have to try to cash the diamond Ace and it would be ruffed.

Technically speaking, I think the diamond Ace play might cost, in theory.

Suppose you win the spade lead, cash a high trump, and then run down three hearts, but LHO ruffs the third heart. With nothing left to do, you overruff.

Suppose further that this RHO started with 7-2-2-2 shape, with the Q9 or K9 in diamonds.

You now pull the last trump out, ending in hand and preserving transportation to dummy. You now lead the diamond Jack.

If LHO plays the 9, you float this. If RHO wins, he cannot return a spade; whatever he returns, you lead a second diamond to dummy and claim. If RHO ducks, you repeat, overtaking to lead diamonds, eventually claiming the overtrick.

If LHO covers, you overtake with the Ace and lead small toward your hand. If RHO pops his honor, he cannot lead a spade, so you will win whatever, cross to dummy, and claim. If RHO ducks, you lost no diamonds. So, you just give up a spade to LHO and then ruff out the last spade.

Seeing as this is too sexy for words, you just have to leave that option open, you see.

you opened a strong club, LHO held QJxxxxx in spades, with a diamond card, and passed? I admit that my cash of the diamond ace rarely wins, but I won't believe it costs in your scenario... I have never seen nor heard an opp pass over a strong 1♣ with your posited hand

[kenrexford]

I said, "technically." LOL

[kenrexford]

OK, one more try.

LHO has 1-4-4-4 shape with Kxxx or Qxxx (no nine). RHO didn't come in because the 3-level was a bit rich for him, his spades were only KJxxxxx, and the preemption would have been minimal).

When you play a club, you find out about the 4-0 club split. You could try heart, heart, heart anyway, ditching a spade. You ruff a spade on dummy and lead a club back to hand. You ruff another spade on dummy and are left on dummy. LHO has pitched two diamonds. If you play ace and a diamond, LHO can dump his honor had he started with Kxxx or Qxxx and then get an uppercut from partner on the next diamond (you played the club Ace on the first round. You ruffed in dummy to lead another club to your Queen. You ruffed with dummy's last club. So, you need the remaining J-10 to take care of LHO's 9x). If you play a small diamond instead, the opponents can trap you back on dummy.

Thus, when LHO has four clubs, you go set whenever he has only one of the diamond honors and only five cards in the pointed suits.

So, fearing this, and getting what appears to be true count in hearts, you instead switch tacks. After cashing three hearts and ditching the spade, you lead the diamond Jack. If LHO covers, you duck. If he returns a fourth heart, you ruff high in hand. You then cross to the diamond Ace, dropping RHO's 9, and ruff out RHO's diamond honor high. You cash one high trump in hand before leading your remaining club 7 and dummy's K8, pulling the last trumps and claiming a good dummy. Any other lead back has the same happy ending.

If, however, RHO ducks, you also duck. RHO could lead a spade back, which you ruff on dummy. Now you play the diamond Ace and cross-ruff. LHO doesn't get his diamond pitches in on the spades in time.

[Old York]

There does not seem to be any reason to play either minor suit
The Heart suit figures to break 4-4 or 5-3, so drawing even one round of trumps could be fatal and unnecessary
If you really feel that Hearts are 6-2 or worse, then you must draw all trumps.
Cashing ♣A causes communication problems, and a possible trump promotion if clubs are 4-0
I think that I will still risk the Hearts first, and let the trump suit look after itself

Tony