[vuroth]

Scoring: MP

P 1♣ 1♦ 1♠
P 2♠ P 4♠
all pass

Diamond ten led to the ace. 2 of diamonds back.

Spades are 3/2

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Not sure if this is an interesting B/I play problem or not, but here it is.

[billw55]

I'll take a shot:

This contract is cold, losing 1 trick in each suit other than trumps. But it's matchpoints so an overtrick will pay well.

Righty's bid probably marks him with both round kings. So taking both finesses sounds like a poor chance. Instead I'll try the ace of clubs and another (after drawing trumps). If righty has Kx, he is endplayed and I avoid the heart loser. This also picks up a singleton king from him.

[hanp]

I find it hard to base my play on opponents who bid all the way up 1D with a 10-card fit, white against red. I certainly wouldn't think that RHO needs 11 HCP to follow with 1D at these colors, but perhaps you are right that LHO would have raised with a king. It doesn't seem likely that RHO has 8 diamonds after all. I would guess that RHO has AJ-sixth of diamonds, given LHO 109xx. 109xx plus a king seems like a 3D raise, and AJ-6th with only one king seems like a 2D overcall.

So... I agree with billw.

[vuroth]

billw55's line worked for me last night.

I wasn't sure if the line was clearly better - this isn't the bermuda bowl, and LHO might have had a king. Thought it couldn't hurt to share the hand.

I'd like to hope that I would have wound up in the same spot if they'd switched to trump at trick 2.

[Trumpace]

Well done V! You got a top?

[Jlall]

I agree completely with hanp except for him saying he finds it hard to base his play on opps who only bid to 1D.

It is perfectly reasonable for LHO to have 0 points and 4 diamonds, and RHO to have all the points and 6 diamonds and for this auction to occur so it's not like something impossible has happened.

The other possibility of RHO failing to make a weak jump overcall, and LHO failing to bid with a king and 4 trumps requires 2 weird things, and even in that case if RHO has the CK and not the HK we are fine.

[vuroth]

Trumpace, on May 18 2010, 01:06 PM, said:

Well done V! You got a top?

Joint top. At another table, RHO returned a heart at trick 2.

V

[billw55]

vuroth, on May 18 2010, 02:48 PM, said:

Trumpace, on May 18 2010, 01:06 PM, said:

Well done V! You got a top?

Joint top. At another table, RHO returned a heart at trick 2.

V

With the AQ in dummy .. meheh

Regarding kings, lefty can hold the ♥K and the endplay still works.

edit: aha Jlall already said that.

[y66]

Good problem. I also took billw's proposed line. Others' comments duly noted and appreciated. This forum is amazing.

[hanp]

You found it at the table? That really was a very good play Vuroth.