[awm]

Here's a hand where I had a bit of an accident in the bidding. The contract reached is 6♥, which is clearly not the best spot... but it still has a bit of play. What would your plan be?

Scoring: MP

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The lead is the ♠3; you put up the queen but east covers with the king. Take it from here.

The opponents are very strong, in one of the strongest matchpoint fields you'll ever encounter (day three of ACBL's platinum pairs). The opponents were silent in the auction, which was:

1♥(1) - 2♣
2♦ - 3♥(2)
3NT(3) - 6♦(4)
6♥(5) - Pass

(1) Aggressive opening style is systemic
(2) 2♥ would be NF; gotta have some way to get out when you open this trash
(3) Spade cuebid; stupidly forgetting to bid 3♠ "non-serious" and showing a better hand
(4) Choice of slams
(5) Well, my diamonds are lousy and it is MP...

[Fluffy]

This hand is a headache, so many options everywhere.

losing no diamond sounds like a miracle, so I settle for 1 diamond loser, ♠A,♣K, ♣J.

after winning ♣J I have to decide if I tackle trumps before playing the top clubs. since opposition is suposed to play perfect, I won't look at the spots so much, except maybe the queen appearing in from of the ace.

Now its a question of %, and I am not very good at them, I am pulling trumps before cahing the club ace.

[jdonn]

I will finesse west for the queen of clubs since it's way more convenient, and there is restricted choice from his lead of a spade from (maybe) no honors. If the club finesse wins I am pitching the spade right away since even if I end up going down one anyway that may get me some matchpoints. Then I will take the heart finesse. This all seems pretty normal?

[hanp]

I don't believe the restricted choice argument, on this auction people will lead a spade over a club on just about any hand.

I do agree with the convenience.

[Fluffy]

just updating this hand cos I think its interesting

[nige1]

awm, on Mar 15 2010, 11:21 AM, said:

Scoring: MP

Here's a hand where I had a bit of an accident in the bidding. The contract reached is 6♥, which is clearly not the best spot... but it still has a bit of play. What would your plan be?
The lead is the ♠3; you put up the queen but east covers with the king. Take it from here.  The opponents are very strong, in one of the strongest matchpoint fields you'll ever encounter (day three of ACBL's platinum pairs). The opponents were silent in the auction, which was:
1♥(1) - 2♣
2♦ - 3♥(2)
3NT(3) - 6♦(4)
6♥(5) - Pass
(1) Aggressive opening style is systemic
(2) 2♥ would be NF; gotta have some way to get out when you open this trash
(3) Spade cuebid; stupidly forgetting to bid 3♠ "non-serious" and showing a better hand
(4) Choice of slams
(5) Well, my diamonds are lousy and it is MP...

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Scoring: MP

My guess: ♠A, finesse ♣J, finesse ♥, draw trumps, and cash ♣K.

• If a defender had 4 ♥, then finesse ♦Q. Cash ♣A, shedding a ♠, ♦9.
  
• But if ♥ were 3-2 then ♦A, ♣A chucking a ♠, ruff ♠, guess ♦.

IMO, you shouldn't worry about extra under-tricks because, at pairs, it is likely that cowardly experts will stay out of the slam

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[awm]

I took Josh Donn's line, which I still think is the best percentage line. The "six finesses" are the spade finesse (lost at trick one), the club finesse (potentially can be taken either direction), two diamond finesses, the heart finesse, and the club break. However, Nigel's line works better at the table as the full hand is:

Scoring: MP

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One pair is in 6♦ making; otherwise the field is in game. Making this hand is a top board and going one down is a bottom.