[kfay]

Scoring: MP

1♠-2♣
3♣-3♠
4♣-4NT
5♥-7NT

---

LHO leads the ♦J. You win in hand and play a spade to the K, LHO PLAYS THE 9!!!!

Probably he's incapable of doing this from J9x.

[hanp]

You had the 8 in dummy too.

[CSGibson]

run clubs, pitching a heart from dummy, and reassess. I'd probably play the Q of spades, diamond to dummy if I see enough hearts pitched from LHO to make a squeeze likely, would have to think about it otherwise. - also, if LHO had bidding opportunities, it's less likely if he's short in clubs (1 or 2) that he's also got a singleton spade, generally speaking, especially NV vs vul.

[kenrexford]

CSGibson, on May 16 2009, 04:22 PM, said:

run clubs, pitching a heart from dummy, and reassess. I'd probably play the Q of spades, diamond to dummy if I see enough hearts pitched from LHO to make a squeeze likely, would have to think about it otherwise. - also, if LHO had bidding opportunities, it's less likely if he's short in clubs (1 or 2) that he's also got a singleton spade, generally speaking, especially NV vs vul.

You can only run four clubs, ending in dummy. Otherwise, you can no longer hook the spade. That is, if you still want that option...

[CSGibson]

kenrexford, on May 16 2009, 02:34 PM, said:

CSGibson, on May 16 2009, 04:22 PM, said:

run clubs, pitching a heart from dummy, and reassess.  I'd probably play the Q of spades, diamond to dummy if I see enough hearts pitched from LHO to make a squeeze likely, would have to think about it otherwise. - also, if LHO had bidding opportunities, it's less likely if he's short in clubs (1 or 2) that he's also got a singleton spade, generally speaking, especially NV vs vul.

You can only run four clubs, ending in dummy. Otherwise, you can no longer hook the spade. That is, if you still want that option...

(sound of a slap to the forehead)

ok, still running 4 clubs.

[Winstonm]

Even if 5 spades come in, I only have 5 spades, 3 clubs, 2 diamonds, and 2 hearts = 12 tricks.

I need 5 club tricks so I start with two high clubs. As long as the clubs are coming in, then I only need 4 spade tricks. I don't really want to guess if someone is carding me with the 9, so I am simply going to start with low toward the spade Queen and protect against a 5-0 behind me..

[kenrexford]

Winstonm, on May 16 2009, 08:06 PM, said:

Even if 5 spades come in, I only have 5 spades, 3 clubs, 2 diamonds, and 2 hearts = 12 tricks.

I need 5 club tricks so I start with two high clubs. As long as the clubs are coming in, then I only need 4 spade tricks. I don't really want to guess if someone is carding me with the 9, so I am simply going to start with low toward the spade Queen and protect against a 5-0 behind me..

What's with everyone losing touch with reality on this hand?

I would put a lot of money on not getting a 5-0 split when both follow to the first round of the suit.

Now, technically, all that the OP said was that LHO plays the 9. No card was indicated for RHO. So, I suppose the suit could technically be splitting 5-0.

In that event, LHO has all five, which makes your line brilliant! Easy, but brilliant!

[inquiry]

kfay, on May 16 2009, 04:12 PM, said:

Scoring: MP

1♠-2♣
3♣-3♠
4♣-4NT
5♥-7NT

---

LHO leads the ♦J. You win in hand and play a spade to the K, LHO PLAYS THE 9!!!!

Probably he's incapable of doing this from J9x.

Sort of late to the party.

If West would not play the !SJ from !SJ9x, I assume not from !SJ9xx as well. So West has either...

♠J9
♠9x (giving count)
♠9 (singleton)

In two of these, you can finesse East in spades, in one of them you best not finessee.

I too would test clubs, and if finding them 2-2 or 3-1 make my decision based on that. If West has a singleton club, I would not play him for a singleton nine of spades as well, so I would go the queen of spades then spade ten.

If West had two or three clubs, the decision seems to be clear to finesse east for the !SJ.

Here are the possibilities
WEST will hold
9 (one case)
9x (3 cases)
9xx (non-brainer, the jack shows up when we play low towards QT) (3 ways)
J9xx (no-brianer, east shows out when we play low towards QT) (1 ways)
J9 (1 case)
J9x (3 cases)

This comes to a total of 12 possibilites. Even without discarding the the J9x with west, low to the Ten wins on 8 of the 12 cases (66.67%). If you are confident that WEST would not play the nine from J9x, low to the QT and finesse will win on 8 out of 9 cases (88.89%).

However, You might want to factor in the chances West will play 9 from 9x doubleton and 9 from 9xx as well. IF the answer to those question are he wouldn't play it there either, then you are in a mess. If he would occassionally give count from 9x (or always) I would hook East for the JACK. If he would not play the 9 from 9x of 9xx

West would have to have specifically
J9 doubleton or
singleton nine.

That is one case to one case. Flip a coin. It is a total guess. So you guessed wrong I take it? So i would more or less finesse EAST for spade JACK if east had singleton club (west 3 club) and play spades from top if clubs were 2-2. with no strong convictions either is right.

[Stephen Tu]

Quote

However, You might want to factor in the chances West will play 9 from 9x doubleton and 9 from 9xx as well. IF the answer to those question are he wouldn't play it there either, then you are in a mess. If he would occassionally give count from 9x (or always) I would hook East for the JACK. If he would not play the 9 from 9x of 9xx

???? How does this matter at all? Playing Q works perfectly fine if LHO starts with 9x, the spades break.

The only relevant holdings are 9, J9, J9x. If LHO is truly "falsecard from J9x" never, then you should play for j9 if LHO started with 1 or 2 clubs, because J9 is just more common than stiff 9. If LHO started with 3 clubs, then it becomes a tossup.

Of course if LHO can find the falsecard from J9x it's not close at all.

Edit: wow didn't notice you were resurrecting post from over year ago.

[Phil]

Any reason why I didn't run five clubs first?

[inquiry]

Phil, on Sep 23 2010, 03:28 PM, said:

Any reason why I didn't run five clubs first?

Entries to manage spade hook if you want to do that through RHO and get back to cash them? Seens a good reason to not run 5!C to me....

Yes this is very old, but noe has given the answer yet, and I stumbled across it looking for something else. I did say I was "late to the party"

[Phil]

inquiry, on Sep 23 2010, 05:12 PM, said:

Phil, on Sep 23 2010, 03:28 PM, said:

Any reason why I didn't run five clubs first?

Entries to manage spade hook if you want to do that through RHO and get back to cash them? Seens a good reason to not run 5!C to me....

Yes this is very old, but noe has given the answer yet, and I stumbled across it looking for something else. I did say I was "late to the party"

?

Run five clubs, ♠ to A, hook if necessary, unblock Q, ♦ to K, etc..

I hope you didn't think we squandered the ♦K along the way.

[manudude03]

Phil, on Sep 24 2010, 12:57 AM, said:

inquiry, on Sep 23 2010, 05:12 PM, said:

Phil, on Sep 23 2010, 03:28 PM, said:

Any reason why I didn't run five clubs first?

Entries to manage spade hook if you want to do that through RHO and get back to cash them? Seens a good reason to not run 5!C to me....

Yes this is very old, but noe has given the answer yet, and I stumbled across it looking for something else. I did say I was "late to the party"

?

Run five clubs, ♠ to A, hook if necessary, unblock Q, ♦ to K, etc..

I hope you didn't think we squandered the ♦K along the way.

If you play a spade to the ace, you won't have anything to finesse against East with (you already used the ♠K when W dropped the 9). If you use the ♦K to finesse, how are you getting back if spades break 4-1?

[Phil]

Must I be so literal? I'm winning the heart and I'm not touching spades until after I play 5 clubs.

[inquiry]

Phil, on Sep 23 2010, 08:02 PM, said:

Must I be so literal? I'm winning the heart and I'm not touching spades until after I play 5 clubs.

I guess the rest of us must really be asleep, since the FIRST TWO TRICKS ARE GIVEN and the ♠K has ALREADY BEEN PLAYED.

Some of us take questions as posed as literal, but if we can change the conditions, i am going to hook EAST for the spade jack, and if that loses, I am going to back up and play it differently... just like you.

[whereagles]

the 9? he's just giving count. Ignore that lol

[PrinceNep]

whereagles, on Sep 24 2010, 04:54 AM, said:

the 9? he's just giving count. Ignore that lol

Giving Count from 9x or J9?