[kgr]

This is in BBO. You don't know the real level of anyone at the table and also not their carding agreements.
You suppose it is all standard.
This is not a real special hand. I consider it as a normal hand and would like to know expert thinking for the play.
(Like their once was an offer of a BBF expert to analyse play of normal hands)
IMP's:

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West leads ♥4: ♥4-A-3-2
How will you play ♠? (and how will you cross to your hand if you want to)
(You can comment on the bidding if you also suggest a play )

[kgr]

...Hoping to get some view on this...(Rainer? )

[FrancesHinden]

Perhaps the auction was so silly that no-one could be bothered.
South's 3S bid was aggressive but not absurd.
North's double was stupid looking at 3-card spade support.
South's pull of a penalty double was stupid looking at a very normal hand.

Anyway, for the play I'll take various finesses and see if any of them hold.

[nigel_k]

I would play a spade to the ace and a spade to the ten.

If trumps break I will need the ♣K onside (likely) or something very good in diamonds. If clubs are 4-1 then diamonds are probably 3-3.

If trumps don't break I can't see a way to make unless West discards all their hearts on clubs and can be thrown in with a trump to lead a diamond. So I need to retain a high club in hand to win the fourth round.

[OleBerg]

FrancesHinden, on 2011-April-02, 13:44, said:

...for the play I'll take various finesses and see if any of them hold.

Taken from my upcoming book on declarer play.

[kgr]

I did ruff a ♥ and did run ♠J, to keep the option open to finesse ♠7.
But maybe that was not good, as I never could know to finesse the 7 next (unless when ♠ are 5-0)?

[kgr]

FrancesHinden, on 2011-April-02, 13:44, said:

South's pull of a penalty double was stupid looking at a very normal hand.

I doubted that the DBL was really penalty. I rather thought it was a good 2155 or 2254 hand.
North complained that I did bid 5♦ without a 5c♦, but I think he had an obvious 4♠ bid.

[Hanoi5]

I think ruffing a heart is not a very good idea. In fact ruffing without a purpose in the long trumps hand is a very noobie play. Here you have two reasons for entering with the spade ace, first you don't want to ruff to enter your hand to finesse spades and second it is usually best to play an honour before finessing the queen.

[ceeb]

kgr, on 2011-April-03, 01:37, said:

I did ruff a ♥ and did run ♠J, to keep the option open to finesse ♠7.
But maybe that was not good, as I never could know to finesse the 7 next (unless when ♠ are 5-0)?

A simpler reason is that the finesse can hardly gain against ♠Qxxx anyway. Suppose even that it goes ♠J, x, 7, 9. Eventually LHO will win the ♦A, play another ♥, and get a trump trick anyway.

Looks to me that as usual Nigel (& Frances) found the right line. I had a blind spot about crossing in spades to finesse, since it's usually wrong to play this suit that way. But when trumps need to break anyway, why not?

This post has been edited by ceeb: 2011-April-04, 06:33

[kgr]

Thanks for the answers. This was the full hand:
IMP's:

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West leads ♥4: ♥4-A-3-2

[FrancesHinden]

Looks like I'm either 1 or 2 off depending on what I do in diamonds. Probably 2 off, as the double of 5D was a bit keen (and he might have led the DA from that holding).

[nige1]

I'm disappointed in Frances.
BBO expert play of 5♠
with "Over my shoulder" thinking::

♥ A (No point in holding up).
♠ AK (Routine safety-play to cater for singleton/doubleton queen with either opponent).
♠ T (For lurkers).
♦ KQ (Less familiar safety-play to guard against doubleton JT).
♣ A (Tough luck -- ♣ K isn't singleton).
Claim.

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