[Echognome]

Scoring: BAM

(P) - P - (P) - 1♥;
(P) - 1♠ - (P) - 4♦;
(P) - 4♠ - All Pass

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Lead: ♠9

Plan the play

[jukmoi]

I win spade in hand. Lead ♥J win ♥A, ♥ruff, ♠ to dummy, ♥ruff. If spades are 22 and ♥K third, I have now 12 tricks. If not I will take club-finesse for 12th trick.

[jchiu]

Partner has a perfecto here, and we should try making twelve. Ride it around to the king and float the heart jack (assume spades not 4-0)

A. Holds, diamond toward the deuce. Spade comes back, win the ace. Heart ace and a high ruff.

1. Spades are 2-2. Take the club finesse as a last resort.

2. Spades are 3-1 and heart king still outstanding. Take the club finesse for twelve, presumably five spades, a diamond ruff, three clubs and three hearts.

3. Spades are 3-1 and heart king falls. Claim before I hold myself to eleven.

B. Loses

1. If they cash a diamond, and return a spade, try a crossruff.

2. Immediate spade return, won in dummy. Heart ace-queen, dumping diamonds, all if 4-3, and a club finesse in the end. Unlucky if lefty ruffs the queen.

[Echognome]

Scoring: BAM

P - 1♥;
1♠ - 4♦;
4♠ - All Pass

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After the spade lead which I won in dummy, I drew trumps ending in hand. (don't think that was best). I then lead the ♥J, which wasn't covered and won the trick. I crossed to a high club and played ♥A (pitching a diamond) and ruffed a heart felling the K. I then crossed to another high club (Q falling) and was able to make the rest of the tricks.

Turns out I didn't need to make any overtricks. At the other table, my teammate doubled the diamond splinter and the opponents chose to defend 5♦X and only take it 3 off.

[Fluffy]

running the ♥J is sounder than the ruff out, you arevery likelly to end up making a finese, and the ♥J is much bette when heats are 5-2

[whereagles]

I would probably reproduce Echo's line.

[jukmoi]

Fluffy, on Feb 24 2010, 06:23 AM, said:

running the ♥J is sounder than the ruff out, you arevery likelly to end up making a finese, and the ♥J is much bette when heats are 5-2

Is that right? a) west might cover with Kx (or even Kxx) so heart finesse is not really 50 % b ) losing heart finesse is instant 11 c) working club-finesse will produce 12 in most cases any way.

[Cascade]

jukmoi, on Feb 25 2010, 08:01 PM, said:

c) working club-finesse will produce 12 in most cases any way.

Really?

Five spades, three clubs, ♥A and what three other tricks? I can see one or two diamond ruffs but that still leaves a deficit.

[jukmoi]

Cascade, on Feb 25 2010, 03:26 AM, said:

jukmoi, on Feb 25 2010, 08:01 PM, said:

c) working club-finesse will produce 12 in most cases any way.

Really?

Five spades, three clubs, ♥A and what three other tricks? I can see one or two diamond ruffs but that still leaves a deficit.

♥A + 3♥ ruffs in hand + 3♣ +5th♥ + 4♠ in dummy equals 12. Of course this requires 43 hearts.