[inquiry]

S A96
H KJ3
D Q976
C 642


S Q82
H A8642
D AKJ
C KJ

Board 1, MAtchpoints, online event, 16 boards to play. Field, unknown group of BBO players, assume average BBO players.

Bidding

1H - 2H (2H is constructive raise)
4H - P

Opening lead S7, dummy plays low, EAST wins the SPADE king, and returns diamond 4, you win ACE as WEST plays diamond 2 (normal signals).

[whereagles]

Club is such an obvious shift that the diamond smells like singleton. I'm playing East for something like Kxxx QTxx x xxxx. Heart to the king and run the heart jack.

[Fluffy]

Guess Guess Guess..., I hate it

♥A & to the ♥J to me, I don´t trrust myopponents that much, ♥ finese is not a great improvement to ♥AK when trumps are 3-2, and losing to a ♥Qxx can cause 2 down, but when ♥ are 4-1 you will hate to play 'safe'.

[flytoox]

This is matchpoint, let's follow the field. Most would play HA and then finesse HJ. So do I. Dont try sth special in MP without good reason.

[helium]

whereagles, on Sep 14 2004, 09:21 AM, said:

Club is such an obvious shift that the diamond smells like singleton. I'm playing East for something like Kxxx QTxx x xxxx. Heart to the king and run the heart jack.

I whould play like this too,not becouse i think he have a singelton ♦, but becouse he want me to think he have a singel ♦ and play ace king of ♥.

i think he have something like: Kxx.Q10xx.xxx.AQx

[Flame]

whereagles, on Sep 14 2004, 09:21 AM, said:

Club is such an obvious shift that the diamond smells like singleton. I'm playing East for something like Kxxx QTxx x xxxx. Heart to the king and run the heart jack.

I agree that diamond can be a sgl, but i dont think it would be smart to lose to Qx heart in west's hand and going down with a diamond ruff.
I think west would lead diamond and not spade if he had 3 cards in spades and 5 in diamonds. So imo east hand is more likely to be 5314 then 4414.
Therfore i will play A and K of heart and not run the J.
Also the play of the J is a problem because you dont have the entry to finnese again, unless you give up on using The Q of diamond for throwing a club.
Playing AK unlike playing The J doesnt put all the eggs in 1 basket, maybe he just dont know bridge and lead the diamond. AK are 40% instead of the noraml finnese but it give you better chances of not losing 2 clubs.

[luke warm]

why the diamond shift? i can think of only 2 reasons, one of them bad (the stiff diamond)... i agree with whomever thinks rho has the A,Q♣

i'm playing the ♥A and leading to the board... if lho follows, i finesse (note that i'm playing righty for the ♣A all along).. i see 3 losers this way IF i'm right about the clubs... if i run the J and if rho IS now void in diamonds, i'm set

hell i don't know what's right, but that's my plan