[Free]

Scoring: MP

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We ended up in 6♥ by South, opps were absolutely quiet. West lead a small ♣, East covered with the Q.

What is the best way to play this contract? I think you need the ♥ 3-2...
Imo you have 2 possible lines:
- Finesse. If W has the K you make the contract.
- Play ♥A and small ♥. If the K is singleton or doubleton you make.

Does anybody know the percentages on both lines?

[luke warm]

i'm not much on percentages (meaning i'm not sure about the exact %), but it seems to me that odds are 4:1 against K being stiff and 3:2 against it being doubleton... that being the case, it appears that taking the 50% finesse is better

[whereagles]

Finesse: 1/2 of 3-2 splits = 34%
A & small: 2/5 of 3-2 splits = 27% (I don't think you make it with singleton K, lose 2 hearts anyway.)

[paulhar]

Quote

If the K is singleton or doubleton you make.

If one opponent has ♥JT84, don't you lose two trump tricks?

I finesse. Because you might have to ruff a spade to get back to your hand to finesse (risking the defenders leading a second spade which might produce another trump trick for the defense), you don't have the luxury to play the Ace first or duck a round to save an undertrick against singleton King.

If you had an easy no-cost entry to your hand (which you don't), you might try leading a low heart from dummy trying to dupe RHO holding Kx, then finesse if the King doesn't show up.

[Free]

paulhar, on Sep 5 2004, 09:50 PM, said:

Quote

If the K is singleton or doubleton you make.

If one opponent has ♥JT84, don't you lose two trump tricks?

Hmmm, looks like I was a bit sleepy on that one. I first state that you need 3-2 trump split, and then I say you can make with stiff K - ZZZZZZZZ You're absolutely right.

I guess Whereagles answered this - hope correct

I had to play this, finessed and went -1 That stupid K was offside and RHO had only 2♥s - boohoo... I don't think anyone made that contract anyway, but perhaps playing 6♠ would've been better (probably not a ♣ lead).

[flytoox]

playing ace first is always right in this case.

[Free]

flytoox, on Sep 5 2004, 11:02 PM, said:

playing ace first is always right in this case.

Really? Perhaps I didn't mention that my LHO had a singleton ♠, so I had NO re-entry to my hand ! It was the killing lead, otherwise I'd probably play ♥A first...

[jtfanclub]

Hmmm...

KTJ84 are missing, yes? LHO only:

Good for finesse: KJT KJ8 KJ4 KT8 KT4 K84*
Good for drop: T84 J84 JT8 JT4

*Unless trust your opponent and snuff the J or T, in which case that one is even.

Shouldn't be any case in which playing it one way or the other matters. So 5 or 6 to 4.

Hmmm...this will sound dumb, but how about instead of A and another or a finesse, what about ruffing a diamond and leading a low heart from the board? How many people with the KT, K8, or K4 have the nerves to duck smoothly? So if he doesn't play it, you assume he doesn't have it, and next you try ruffing a spade for an entry (hey, I notice they didn't lead a spade with or to partner's shortness) to try another finesse.

Not that I'd try it in real life, but it's a thought....

[Fluffy]

The technical play is ♥A and then small to the ♥Q, that would maybe be the best play at MP, at IMP jeopardizing the contract to save an undertrick when ♥K is bare offside is not worth it, so jsut play ♥ to the ♥Q inmediatelly.

[iscbrooks]

6♠ is the better bid, both because of the ease in pulling trump and because of the bonus 150 points. This is a bit off-topic (you need the heart tricks anyway), but I just thought I'd mention that despite the heart fit spades is better when you get extra points and know that you will have no problems pulling trump.

Also, playing ace and low♥ makes with a singleton king, after you cash AK♦. You don't need to set up the whole suit, only make two tricks. And the Q♥ does just that, even though it sets up the opponent's J♥ (which never gets a trick).

[Free]

What 150 bonus points are you talking about??

On the rest I fully agree. Problem was that my partner considered this as a GF 55+ hand, so the long ultra-strong ♠ suit went down the trash. I advised him to open this as GF in ♠ next time, and rebid some ♥ later on. But I still think that after a ♣ lead (less likely but anyway) you'll need to cash your ♦AK and you'll probably finesse again. On a non-♣-lead I think you can make it after some ♠s, since West will probably discard some ♥s...

[Fluffy]

Don´t ever open a 2 suiter with 2♣, having to take a blind action at 5 level is often hard.

[whereagles]

A two-suiter like that one counts as a spade 1-suiter

[iscbrooks]

Quote

What 150 bonus points are you talking about??

Honours:
The top five trumps (A K Q J 10) are called honours. If one player holds all five of these cards, that player's side scores a bonus of 150 above the line.

[Free]

Ah lol, I think you didn't see it was an MP event, no rubber 6♥ or 6♠ score the same over there...

[luke warm]

flytoox, on Sep 6 2004, 12:02 AM, said:

playing ace first is always right in this case.

play ace then what, low? you seem to be catering only to K doubleton... i see entry problems playing that way, but maybe i'm wrong

[paulhar]

luke warm, on Sep 6 2004, 11:12 AM, said:

flytoox, on Sep 6 2004, 12:02 AM, said:

playing ace first is always right in this case.

play ace then what, low? you seem to be catering only to K doubleton... i see entry problems playing that way, but maybe i'm wrong

I think you're right, Jimmy.

[Fluffy]

PLay ♥A, reenter dummy ruffing a ♠ and lead a ♥, ,this sadly loses to ♠5-1 and also when someone has ♠xxxx/♥Kx.

[the hog]

Fluffy, on Sep 8 2004, 06:10 AM, said:

PLay ♥A, reenter dummy ruffing a ♠ and lead a ♥, ,this sadly loses to ♠5-1 and also when someone has ♠xxxx/♥Kx.

There is a problem with this line -
a strong player will duck smoothly with kxx and now you are in the same position - do you rise q or do you duck? Also as you say, your line leaves you vulnerable to the poor S break.

[luke warm]

absolutely... with Kxx and A gone, ducking is the only thing to do