[ajm218]

---

In 6nt on a club lead after a strong nt opening and a 2♥ response to stayman.

How would you play this?

Anyone able to do a sim to compare some lines?

[phil_20686]

I would run the club to the 9, unblock the ace of clubs if necessary cross to the QS and play a diamond towards the J. Regardless of the return I can reduce the position to:
x
x
x
K

-
AKx
J
-

In reality we are basically falling back on the major suit squeeze but with extra chances if the KQ diamonds on your right, or if diamonds are 5-2. Seems like the best line by some margin. If rho doesnt fly in when you play a diamond towards the J then he doesnt have KQ, so you should be able to read that position. If the diamonds are 5-2 and the spades 4-2 you just need the heart in the same hand as length in one of the other suits.

So i figure I will make:
Spades 3-3, or Jx spade.
Spade in the same hand as hearts:
diamonds 5-2 with heart in the same hand as diamonds:
diamonds not 5-2 with KQ diamonds with rho, and he holds the long heart.

Think that is about 80%. Anyone got anything better?

[gnasher]

At trick 2 I'd run ♦8 from hand. I don't want to make it easy for them to return a diamond, and it's easier to play one back through the ace than into the ace.

If they don't return a diamond, we can come down to
10
x
Ax
K

-
AKx
Jx
-

We can still play Phil's line - cash ♦A then ♣K. Alternatively, if LHO has the spade guard, we can play a double squeeze with diamonds as the pivot - cash ♣K throwing a diamond to squeeze RHO, then cash the top hearts to squeeze LHO.

This post has been edited by gnasher: 2011-February-09, 06:19

[CSGibson]

I like the double squeeze line in general. If running the 8 of diamond draws a K or a Q, I would probably reconsider & play the ace of diamonds, then play for a squeeze around hearts (not a double squeeze, since only one opponent guards hearts, but played like one).

[CSGibson]

I've thought about it some more, and what I think is right is as follows: win in hand, cross to a spade, and lead a diamond, putting in the 8 if RHO doesn't play an honor. I then play the ace of diamonds, unblock the club if necessary, play off the top spades, and run clubs, pitching diamonds from hand. This line works if the spade J falls, or if the same hand has 4 spades & 4 hearts, 4 diamonds & 4 hearts, if RHO has the KQx of diamonds and fails to duck an honor & has 4 hearts, or if KQ of diamonds is doubleton.