[whereagles]

Matchpoints against cunning opps. You land on 3NT with

Scoring: MP

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Pard you
1D 2NT
3NT pass

LHO leads the heart ten. What's your plan?

[Fluffy]

Options, options options.... and ahrd to decide wich is better.

I hope RHO would have overcalled 1♠ with ♠AQxxx so I will start with ♠J, since I have some entry problems to try the finese later. then play ♦A, ♦ to the ♦9.

[Rebound]

I'm going for running the diamond 9 right away.

[inquiry]

I win heart Queen, and play diamond to ACE and if nothing exciting happens (no one shows out, not top diamond show), I will lead a low diamond back towards the nine. I will not start spades right away.

[Free]

I would also wait with the ♠s and start with ♦s the way Ben does (Ace first).

[luke warm]

i absolutely agree with fluffy, ben, and free.. win the heart, diamond to the ace, duck a diamond

[Fluffy]

Thx Jimmy, but I am not starting with ♦ since it will make it impossible for us to make the ♠ finese twice, so I Start with ♠ directly.

[luke warm]

oops sorry, misread your post

you might be right, but i can count to 9 with 4 diamond tricks (and no horrible break), and really don't want to break spades for them till i have to

[Free]

Jimmy, it's a MP problem, you need to score as many tricks as possible...

[luke warm]

i understand that free... i'd still play the same... once i duck a diamond i can worry about spades (i'll know how d's are breaking)...

i don't understand your point, didn't you say you'd play the same? i don't see what being able to count 9 tricks has to do with the (in my mind) correct play

[inquiry]

Fluffy, on Sep 14 2004, 12:24 AM, said:

Thx Jimmy, but I am not starting with ♦ since it will make it impossible for us to make the ♠ finese twice, so I Start with ♠ directly.

I think you probably could manage the spade finessee twice after starting diamonds. After they win a diamond (or someone shows out), win heart in hand (if they lead spades, there is your two hooks), lead spade jack, win heart or club in hands, lead spade. I don't quite see what the problem is.

Starting with spades, however, if the hook loses, they can continue spades, no matter where the ace is... they will have count on spades... and you are now in danger of losing 3S, and 1 diamond (or more) holding yourself to three. However, with a normal split in diamonds (or WEST with four to the QJ, or eAST with stiff honor), the diamond ACE and low to the nine allows you 9 easy tricks, and now the spade play will be for one or more overtricks. In addition, the spade hook is 50%, while the diamond play has much better odds.

Ben

[Flame]

playing spade first contain another problem other then AQxxx, u can lose 2 spades 2 clubs and a diamond. Still there are hands where it will work out best.
Playing 9 of diamond is a problem because when west has QJxx he will probebly cover and you will know know how to continue (you are not too rich in entries, so you dont want to wast an entry if west only has Qx), so playing A and then to the 9 is better, and probebly what i would play.

[whereagles]

Thx all. Full hand was

Scoring: MP

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At table the heart queen took 1st trick, followed by a diamond to ten, which held (East discarding a heart). After this a club was ducked, East taking the 8 and playing a heart. Now the timing and entry situation is right for finessing the spade queen. Making 5 by means of 3 clubs, 2 spades, 3 diams, 3 hearts.

Dunno if this is the best line, but it certainly works

[Fluffy]

The entry problem starting with ♦:

1: ♦A, ♦ to the ♦9, East shows out: not enough entrties to hand for 3 fineses.

2: ♦A, ♦ to the ♦9, suit is 3-2.

You win ♥A, play ♠J won by west with the ace
a ♣ comes back, when you make ♠finese you might not cash either third ♥ or ♠K. Althou this is kidna rare actually.

[inquiry]

Fluffy, on Sep 14 2004, 01:10 PM, said:

The entry problem starting with ♦ on 5-0 split, or 4-1

1: ♦A, ♦ to the ♦9, East shows out: not enough entrties to hand for 3 fineses.

2: ♦A, ♦ to the ♦9, suit is 3-2.

You win ♥A, play ♠J won by EAST, else you can play on clubs now. Win heart continuation (or club), hook spade again. West covers (per force), you overtake and return to you hand in spades to hook diamond. This give you all three hooks (diamonds, and spades twice). You are not going to make five of course (3D, 2S, 3H, 2C), but hooking the diamond ten loses to stiff honor, which is more likely than 5-0.

Now if diamonds are 4-1 (east shows out), you are cooking. Diamond nine loses, win heart shift, now diamond to ten will give you 4D, 3H and 2C, and you have plenty of time to decide how to play for your extra trick(s). When in with heart Queen, you can hook spade then, win club, and hook spades again if EAST is an honest fellow (but not if he wins Sapde ACE from AQ(x) when you hook the jack. Either you stay in your hand or have a spade re-entry. Or you can duck a club, which gains an extra trick too. I don't see the problem.

If diamonds are 3-2, I win the diamond return, and can decide to test clubs or guess right in spades. Don't see a downside there. I win second round of hearts in hand, and take first spade hook. If good things happen with same caveat above. As this is matchpoints, I probably play for second spade to be right if EAST wins the ace anyway.

Ben

Trick one.. ♥Q
Trick two.. ♦A
Trick three. ♦9 loses to Queen (if wins, duck a club)
Trick four.. ♥Ace (if spade back, that solves one hook need)

[Fluffy]

You are assuming opponents will play 3rd round of ♥ to create you another entry to hand, but they might switch to ♣.

[inquiry]

Fluffy, on Sep 15 2004, 09:13 AM, said:

You are assuming opponents will play 3rd round of ♥ to create you another entry to hand, but they might switch to ♣.

Win club king, lead spade Ten, ten wins, or West covers creating a spade entry to your hand. either way you can get two spade hooks and a diamond hook.

[Fluffy]

When WEST covers ♠10 with the ace you cannot afford a losing finese to the ♠Q, even when EAST wins you would be in danger

[paulhar]

Why is DA first stronger than running the D9? DA first picks up Q or J singleton offside, D9 first picks up a trick vs. DA most of the time that LHO has both diamond honors.

[luke warm]

caters to doubleton honor on the left and i also think there were entry concerns