[benlessard]

Ive never met a hand that was such a textbook example.

1C (strong)-----(1S)------pass (0-4)-------(4S)
5H (showing 9.5-10.5 tricks) all pass

Scoring: IMP

---

1- LHO lead A spades and continue spades.
2- LHO lead K spades (asking for count) and return trumps (wich are 2-0)

[hanp]

wrong forum.

[pooltuna]

hanp, on Nov 18 2009, 10:22 AM, said:

wrong forum.

so we are moving endplays to B/I forum?

[helene_t]

1) Looks easy, just eliminate everything and play a club from the dummy. Is there more to it?

[gwnn]

I like the criterion that if you can explain the correct solution in 2 or 3 sentences, it probably belongs to the B/I forum (i think this was clee theory). The A/E section play problems should be for plays that the A/E people disagree on or cannot give a definite answer. Alternatively there are some play problems that an A/E felt they may have misplayed so they would like A/E opinions (of people who do not know the whole hand). This is not strictly the same category as the other one since the OP might have just missed some simple and clearly superior line at the table.

[hanp]

pooltuna, on Nov 18 2009, 10:28 AM, said:

hanp, on Nov 18 2009, 10:22 AM, said:

wrong forum.

so we are moving endplays to B/I forum?

I think the original post would not be out of place in the "interesting bridge hands" forum, but yes I do think that many B/I readers would enjoy this hand.

I don't think that the hand will stimulate A/E bridge discussion.

[jdonn]

My very first thought about this hand was the exact same as han's, before I read his post.

[Phil]

I have seen much tougher hands in the BI section. This is a Bridgemaster II hand.

[gnasher]

I had to think for a bit about the right line in (2). Maybe I'm just slow.

[zheddh]

gnasher, on Nov 18 2009, 11:39 AM, said:

I had to think for a bit about the right line in (2).  Maybe I'm just slow.

I couldn't figure 2 out. It seems i am an entry short.. I can get to the position x xxx opposite x AQ9 but with the lead in hand. Can anyone help?

[gnasher]

zheddh, on Nov 18 2009, 08:01 PM, said:

I couldn't figure 2 out. It seems i am an entry short.. I can get to the position x xxx opposite x AQ9 but with the lead in hand. Can anyone help?

I think that the best you can do is to ruff dummy's spades, then lead ♦10 from dummy. If RHO plays low, you pitch ♣9. If RHO covers ♦10, you ruff and exit with ♣9.

[benlessard]

I agree i should have put it in interesting hand. Its just that this hand look so much like a constructed problem its hard to believe that its was a real hand.

1- need to keep the 3 of trump
2- exactly the correct number of entries is needed.
3- need to unblock AK of diamonds before playing a 2nd trump
4- perfect endplay AQ9 holding (KTx happen quite often but aq9 ?)
5- LHO had the club king
6- they have a strong counter with trump at trick 2
7- i had the counter breaker of loser on loser play of the T of diamond
8- LHO had QJ of diamond !

Ive never played a hand that was as textbook as this 1.

[Jlall]

gnasher, on Nov 18 2009, 07:16 PM, said:

zheddh, on Nov 18 2009, 08:01 PM, said:

I couldn't figure 2 out. It seems i am an entry short.. I can get to the position x xxx opposite x AQ9 but with the lead in hand. Can anyone help?

I think that the best you can do is to ruff dummy's spades, then lead ♦10 from dummy. If RHO plays low, you pitch ♣9. If RHO covers ♦10, you ruff and exit with ♣9.

Disagree with this line when LHO has 2 trumps.

Assuming LHO has 5 spades, 2 trumps, and the CK (if he doesn't have CK we are cold, so assume he does), and RHO has 4 spades and 0 hearts, it seems better to play RHO for the JT of clubs than to play LHO for the QJx+ of diamonds or KJ/KJT tight of clubs since the defensive error possible is pretty small.

Of course it's possible when LHO has Kx of clubs to begin with you will be able to read the endgame and you give up on this also, but I think he best technical line when LHO has 2 trumps is to pull trumps, cash the AK of diamonds in case of QJ tight, and then cross and play club to the 9 then cross again and play club to the queen.

[cherdanno]

Interesting, RHO having ♣JT under Justin's assumptions is 1.8 times as likely as LHO having ♣JT or ♦QJ. I wouldn't have thought it is so dramatic.

[benlessard]

removed

yep justin line seems way better

[Jlall]

Assuming a normal LHO when they drop a diamond honor on your left on the second round I guess they have Hx to begin with or QJx. Hx being more likely because of restricted choice obv, but if LHO has Hx you still need RHO to have the JT of clubs to gain, whereas if they have QJx you will be cold. So I think if they drop an honor and they are a normal opp aka they won't drop an honor from Hxx, you should go ahead and go for the endplay.

[Jlall]

cherdanno, on Nov 18 2009, 11:27 PM, said:

Interesting, RHO having ♣JT under Justin's assumptions is 1.8 times as likely as LHO having ♣JT or ♦QJ. I wouldn't have thought it is so dramatic.

Did you include KJ tight of clubs with LHO as a holding also?

In all honesty at the table if they have KT tight and you lead the 9 and LHO plays the ten and RHO overtakes with the jack to play a club, you might be able to read it eventually also. I mean would LHO find the falsecard from Tx to set up this position? But if hes bad maybe hes just trying to win the ten and it's not a falsecard at all...

Anyways gnashers line definitely gives you the chance to read the endgame on KT/Kx positions which has value, and it also just endplays them outright when they have KJ tight.

Add in the chance they mess up and let you endplay by not covering when they have say J8xx on your right them and it's getting closer...

I say J8xx because from J9xx they will probably find the cover, with the queen they will probably pop queen, and even if LHO forgets to unblock Qxx you will probably ruff when RHO plays the J anwyays and lead the C9 so you aren't gaining at all. So I think it's only J8xx with RHO and he forgets to cover. Mayybe J8xxx also.

But 1.8x as likely is a lot, it's probably impossible to overcome that.

[benlessard]

Quote

but if LHO has Hx you still need RHO to have the JT of clubs to gain

That what i thought but you just play clubs and cover and west cannot exit in diamonds.

[Jlall]

benlessard, on Nov 18 2009, 11:45 PM, said:

Quote

but if LHO has Hx you still need RHO to have the JT of clubs to gain

That what i thought but you just play clubs and cover and west cannot exit in diamonds.

Yeah but you haven't stripped out the hand so he can exit in spades...

If your plan is to win the trump, ruff spade, heart over, ruff spade, you don't have 2 entries to dummy anymore to play a club to the 9 and then a club to the queen.

[benlessard]

s lead
trump won on dummy
ruff a S
AK of D, west drop and honor.
H to dummy

now you can ruff the S and play for the elimination ?

Maybe he didnt play the J smoothly so my subconcient (lol) was sure he had the Q of D so i ruffed the S get back to dummy and played the T of D but the technical once he showed an Hx line is either the elimination or the double finesse.