[pooltuna]

Scoring: XIMP

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Auction

West North East South
- P P 3♥
P 4♥ all pass

Opening lead is ♣K

T1 ♣KJ96
T2 ♠63K5
T3 ♠2Q47

Plan the play for the next 3 tricks or less if you expect to lose the lead. If you play this correctly you should consider yourself advanced (IMHO). There are gradations of possible lines of play. Players who consider themselves advanced or higher should wait a day or two before posting a line of play.

[maggieb]

So to summarize, those who see the answer should not post?

[ONEferBRID]

Posting as a rank amateur:
Sp are 4-2 at worst
T4: HA ( you find out Hts are 3-0 )
T5: HQ
Whether opps wins or ducks you can set up Sp for discarding losing Diam.

[Little Kid]

I'll play the Q♥ and see what happens. Looks like LHO has 4 spades, so even if he does have Kxx♥ I'm not to worried as my spade Ace won't get ruffed.

[vin1990]

The danger is a spade ruff with the king of diamonds offside.

Lead Ah. If kh drops bonus. if 2h show no problem - lead 2nd heart to clear trumps (you can then ruff club loser and discard losing diamond on ace of spades).
The main danger is if west started with 2 spades and 3h - when you give west their king of hearts on 2nd trick and they switch to a diamond. If that happens then take ace of diamonds, cross back to hand by ruffing a low spade high then clear trumps by leading to dummy's 10 and cash the remaining spades (ace of spades and 5th spade).

[jillybean]

Im playing West for ♠Jxxx ♦K and ♣KQ, East for ♠K, ♥K and ♣A

Low to ♦Q
Low to ♥A
Ruff ♣ high

[Quantumcat]

Play the ♥A, if both follow then play another heart. Whatever they do, you can ruff a club and discard the diamond on the ♠A. Ten tricks.

If someone does not follow, still play another heart. You have two entries to ruff a spade good and enjoy them: the ♥T and the ♦A. Whichever one he plays, you use the other to go back to dummy for the ♠A9.

[Mbodell]

Quantumcat, on Aug 8 2009, 04:39 PM, said:

If someone does not follow, still play another heart. You have two entries to ruff a spade good and enjoy them: the ♥T and the ♦A. Whichever one he plays, you use the other to go back to dummy for the ♠A9.

You have to be a bit careful, the ♥T may not be an entry if the person with 3 hearts holds up to make sure the ♥K covers the trick of the ♥T.

[zheddh]

Heart Ace -- If both follow, another heart and then ruff clubs and pitch a diamond on Spade Ace.

If both dont follow, ruff club with ten and play remaining heart from dummy. If opponent ducks, just remove the last heart and claim. Even if he wins, he can do nothing to prevent me from winning 10 tricks. (6 hearts, 2 spades, 1 diamond and 1 club ruff)

[matmat]

zheddh, on Aug 9 2009, 12:07 AM, said:

Heart Ace -- If both follow, another heart and then ruff clubs and pitch a diamond on Spade Ace.

If both dont follow, ruff club with ten and play remaining heart from dummy. If opponent ducks, just remove the last heart and claim. Even if he wins, he can do nothing to prevent me from winning 10 tricks. (6 hearts, 2 spades, 1 diamond and 1 club ruff)

Hearts are 3-0. LHO wins the second heart and plays a diamond through your AQ.

[zheddh]

matmat, on Aug 9 2009, 12:37 AM, said:

Hearts are 3-0. LHO wins the second heart and plays a diamond through your AQ.

damn! still an intermediate

[vin1990]

Mbodell, on Aug 8 2009, 10:50 PM, said:

Quantumcat, on Aug 8 2009, 04:39 PM, said:

If someone does not follow, still play another heart. You have two entries to ruff a spade good and enjoy them: the ♥T and the ♦A. Whichever one he plays, you use the other to go back to dummy for the ♠A9.

You have to be a bit careful, the ♥T may not be an entry if the person with 3 hearts holds up to make sure the ♥K covers the trick of the ♥T.

I didn't cover this possiblity - if it's 3-0 with west then if they hold up ruff a club immediately and play ace of spades discarding a diamond.

[pooltuna]

1) T4 A♥ this wins most of the points
T5 if RHO shows out of ♥ small ♥ to the T: allows you to set up ♠ with an entry if LHO wins or win the T and take an immediate ♦ discard

2) T4 Q♥ this is an acceptable start provided you trump a T5 ♠ return by RHO(both following at T4) high enough

3a) T4 ♣ ruff puts you on the road to the ♦ Finesse Asylum
T5 A♥ you survive all 2-1 ♥ and 3-0 ♥ with RHO

3b) T5 finesse the Q♥ earns you passage straight to intermediate level hell where you are sent to "How to recognize a practice finesse" class for 6 months

3c) T5 Q♠ earns a trip to Novice land where Watson's "Play of the Hand" is required reading

4) T4 take the ♦ finesse ...see 3b) for your free trip itinerary

AND THE WINNER IS;
5) T4 A♥ with an immediate claim at the end of the trick earning this month's CECO award

[jillybean]

LOL Can I take back what I said about you joining forums
Keep these coming, good problems and I need a lot of practice.

[Quantumcat]

if they hold up - life is EASY! Just ignore the good heart, ruff a club and discard a diamond on the ace of spades - they can only be ruffing with the king of hearts which they would get anyway.

[Jlall]

matmat, on Aug 9 2009, 12:37 AM, said:

zheddh, on Aug 9 2009, 12:07 AM, said:

Heart Ace -- If both follow, another heart and then ruff clubs and pitch a diamond on Spade Ace.

If both dont follow, ruff club with ten and play remaining heart from dummy. If opponent ducks, just remove the last heart and claim. Even if he wins, he can do nothing to prevent me from winning 10 tricks. (6 hearts, 2 spades, 1 diamond and 1 club ruff)

Hearts are 3-0. LHO wins the second heart and plays a diamond through your AQ.

you win, ruff a spade, and cross to dummy with a heart.

[vuroth]

pooltuna, on Aug 8 2009, 09:27 AM, said:

Dealer: North Vul: E/W Scoring: XIMP

♠ A9873 ♥ T52 ♦ AQ52 ♣ J ♠ Q5 ♥ AQJ9764 ♦ 97 ♣ T6

Looks like I'm late to the show, but I'll try anyways.

A♥
Club ruff
T♥ overtaking.

I make on any 2-1 (roughly 75%), and roughly 50% of 3-0s on a diamond return (when the short spades, since they ARE 4-2, don't have the remaining trump).

Club ruff then finesse does pick up righty having 3 hearts, but if the finesse loses I'm only 50-50 (either losing diamond finesse, OR having my ace of spades ruffed).

[vuroth]

Gah still intermediate!

[ArtK78]

Jlall, on Aug 10 2009, 04:21 AM, said:

matmat, on Aug 9 2009, 12:37 AM, said:

zheddh, on Aug 9 2009, 12:07 AM, said:

Heart Ace -- If both follow, another heart and then ruff clubs and pitch a diamond on Spade Ace.

If both dont follow, ruff club with ten and play remaining heart from dummy. If opponent ducks, just remove the last heart and claim. Even if he wins, he can do nothing to prevent me from winning 10 tricks. (6 hearts, 2 spades, 1 diamond and 1 club ruff)

Hearts are 3-0. LHO wins the second heart and plays a diamond through your AQ.

you win, ruff a spade, and cross to dummy with a heart.

Apparently Jlall is not an intermediate. However, he should have said that upon gaining the lead with the ♠Q you played your ♥A and, upon RHO showing out, play another heart. LHO wins and plays a diamond - you win and ruff a small spade HIGH, and cross to dummy with a heart.

To coin a phrase, "LOL!"

(Of course, if LHO does not take the HK on the second round, you ruff a club and cash the ♠A, throwing away your diamond loser.)

(If, instead, LHO shows out on the first round of hearts, you ruff a club in dummy HIGH and play another heart. RHO cannot do anything to prevent you from pulling trump and getting rid of your diamond loser.)

[Jlall]

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