[inquiry]

Matchpoint

Opening Lead ♠8

T1. ♠8-3-A-7
T2. ♠Q-K-2-9

Some questions to consider (you do not have to answer them in your post, if you don't want too)

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• Does this rate to be a normal contract?
• How do you plan to play trumps?
• When might you play to ruff the ♠7 and when not?
• After you decide on trumps, how to play the hand if no trump losers, or if one trump loser?
• What is the best chance for 11 tricks?
• Is there a line where you might make 12 tricks?

[Fluffy]

not enterilly sure but my instict is to run ♥J early.

[gnasher]

I'd expect something over half of the field to play in 4♥ and the rest in 3NT. The weak two is probably normal, but many players would overcall 2NT.

To make 11 tricks in 3NT against best defence, declarer would have to take the first spade and then bring in both red suits for no loser. Even after a spade to the jack, ♠A, spade, many declarers won't risk the heart finesse into the East hand, so I may already be ahead of them by playing in hearts.

In 4♥, I'll run ♥J at trick two. If that holds, I'll ruff a spade, cash ♥A, and go about my business. If trumps come in, I may take a diamond finesse.

If ♥J loses, presumably I'm going to make only ten tricks, or nine if it was a singleton queen.

[inquiry]

Ok ... so far everyone is playing the ♥J at trick three (well gnasher tried it at trick two, but we know what he meant). This seems normal (7 open spaces to 10 open spaces --- see why 10 and not 11?)

Let me give you two lines from here.

Line 1. The middle heart honor wins (that is it is not covered but East plays low on it).
Line 2. West covers with the heart Queen. If you play a second round of hearts, the nine DOES not show up, but both follow suit.

[Hanoi5]

Does this rate to be a normal contract? Yes, I'd say it's pretty normal though there might be a contender by greedy MP players: 3NT
How do you plan to play trumps? I had planned to play the King first, before finessing, but I guess a singleton 9 is a bit more likely than a singleton Q.
When might you play to ruff the ♠7 and when not? Again I hadn't thought of this, I just imagined parking it in a diamond...
After you decide on trumps, how to play the hand if no trump losers, or if one trump loser? If no trump loser I suppose I'd play diamonds from the top, throwing the losing spade on the third top diamond. If diamonds are not good I'll let the ♣10 run unless it's covered. If I lose a trump I'll be depressed and probably finish down (unless the diamond miracle occurs, though I guess I can try the diamond finesse if the ♥ finesse loses to East.
What is the best chance for 11 tricks? Running the ♣10 if diamonds don't behave. After finessing trumps, of course.
Is there a line where you might make 12 tricks? Of course! By ruffing a spade, winning all hearts and winning 5 diamond tricks...

Line 1 sounds like 12 tricks. I ruff my spade in dummy and see if I can get 5 diamond tricks. Line 2 doesn't seem so good. I draw trumps and try to see how diamonds behave.

[gnasher]

I should have run ♥10, not ♥J, because the ten is harder to cover.

If West covers, I'll play a club to the king.

If West takes the club, I'll win the red-suit return in hand and cash the rest of my trumps, probably playing a double squeeze with clubs as the pivot.

If West ducks the club, I'll cash two more trumps, then try to guess the layout. I could play for East for ♣J - three rounds of diamonds then a club finesse. Or I could play West for it, by cashing the last trump to squeeze him out of a minor-suit guard.

[rhm]

inquiry, on 2011-February-16, 18:32, said:

Ok ... so far everyone is playing the ♥J at trick three (well gnasher tried it at trick two, but we know what he meant). This seems normal (7 open spaces to 10 open spaces --- see why 10 and not 11?)

Let me give you two lines from here.

Line 1. The middle heart honor wins (that is it is not covered but East plays low on it).

Ruff or over-ruff your spade now. Draw trumps. If ♦ come in for 5 tricks you have twelve

Quote

Line 2. West covers with the heart Queen. If you play a second round of hearts, the nine DOES not show up, but both follow suit.

Now I would draw trumps and play the ♣ King. If West wins I can set up a double squeeze for 11 tricks, unless West returns a ♣ giving me 11 tricks straight away, cashing all my hearts before running ♦. If they do not break, nobody will be able to keep ♣. If West ducks I will have good chances for 11 (or 12) tricks anyway.

Rainer Herrmann

[inquiry]

Matchpoint

Opening Lead ♠8

T1. ♠8-3-A-7
T2. ♠Q-K-2-9

Some questions to consider (you do not have to answer them in your post, if you don't want too)

---

• Does this rate to be a normal contract?

It was, hand played 68 times, only 6 pairs found 3NT, 39 played in 4♥. I thought the total would be a little higher in game in hearts. The interesting thing, was the results when played in hearts....

4♥E+1     4
4♥E=      25
4♥E-1      9
4♥E-2      1

• How do you plan to play trumps?

The vast majority played ♥J (or ten). When not covered, not a single player then ruffed the spade, see below. Playing West for heart queen is -- of course -- the correct way

• When might you play to ruff the ♠7 and when not?

rhm got it right, I think. When the heart jack holds, ruffing (or if necessary, overruffing) the spade is a very strong line With 5♥, a ♠, a ♠ ruff gives you a chance for 12 tricks. If west, who surely has the club ACE (which is why it is 10 to 7, instead of

• What is the best chance for 11 tricks?

After West covers the ♥Jack (or else you will win 12 tricks), you can pull trumps, and lead the club KING. If West wins, (he has to have it) he can return a club finding the club JACK for you (2C 1S, 5h, 3D = 11 tricks), or a diamond, which you win in your hand, and run hearts. If East has ♦J he will be squeezed, if West has ♦J and the ♣J he will be squeezed. I would not risk the finesse of the diamond Jack despite the slightly better than 50% that West will hold it.

• Is there a line where you might make 12 tricks?

See the spade ruff/overruff line. After ruffing a spade, you pull trumps, and actually squeeze south for 12 tricks (5H, 1S, 1S ruff, 3 top diamonds

It is worth noting, that not a single person in 4♥ found the play -- as outlined by rhm above. The four pairs who make 11 tricks did so due to either an opening lead of the club ACE, or when they won the club ace, they returned a club. It was also a little surprizing that 10 pairs of the 39 pairs in 4♥ who went down all finessed the preemter for the heart queen.

[gnasher]

inquiry, on 2011-February-17, 19:07, said:

rhm got it right, I think.

I'm not proud (or not very, anyway), but didn't I post the correct line before RHM did?

Quote

After West covers the ♥Jack (or else you will win 12 tricks), you can pull trumps, and lead the club KING

I think it's slightly better to lead the club from dummy, after taking the second trump, as though taking a finesse. Obviously that shouldn't affect West's decision about whether to duck, but it might. That takes a slight risk that East is 6340, but I think it's worth it.

Quote

After West covers the ♥Jack (or else you will win 12 tricks), you can pull trumps, and lead the club KING. If West wins, (he has to have it) he can return a club finding the club JACK for you (2C 1S, 5h, 3D = 11 tricks), or a diamond, which you win in your hand, and run hearts. If East has ♦J he will be squeezed, if West has ♦J and the ♣J he will be squeezed. I would not risk the finesse of the diamond Jack despite the slightly better than 50% that West will hold it.

Are you suggesting a double squeeze with diamonds as the pivot? If so, I think that's the wrong squeeze to play. RHO has six spades and two hearts, but didn't switch to a singleton club. He therefore can't have ♦Jxxx. The correct play is to cash the hearts, throwing a club and a diamond, then cash the diamonds.

[whereagles]

Some will miss this game, so playing to make shd be worth at least 50%. I'll just ruff a spade and play ♥AK. This line is probably inferior to running the heart jack trick 3, but will avoid the embarassment of losing the jack to queen and club to ace and ruff.