[wyman]

100% east for me.

Hardest call in the sequence is east's after 4S for sure, so I blame east (but I'm sympathetic and don't think there's 100% blame to give out) after 5H-AP. That said, east's X of 5S is reprehensible (unless EW play some X/pass inversion, in which case 100% west). After 5S, EW should really bid the slam if east re-invites.

[phil_20686]

gnasher, on 2011-August-11, 03:06, said:

A slight improvement:
- Ruff the spade lead
- Cross to dummy in trumps
- Ruff a spade
- Cash ♦A.
- If an honour appears, claim; otherwise take a club finesse

That caters for the possibility that LHO doesn't have ♣K, but does have a singleton diamond honour, KJ doubleton, Kxxx, or Jxxx.

Doesnt this go off trivially if the K of clubs is offside but the diamonds are Kxx or Kx with the preemptor? whereas you were picking up these holdings with the elimination?

Am I being blind? I honestly do not see how your line can gain on a spade lead. ace of diamonds and a diamond up to the Q picks up Kx Jx Kxx Kxxx onside trivially. It also picks up Jxx and xxx onside as lho is endplayed. It loses only to KJx(x) offside.

The only other line that I can see involves taking the club finesse so gain an entry (in the trumps) because you need to ruff fewer things. Now you could in theory pick up KJx with a diamond to the Q. However, you would have to guess the position, and you would lose to Kx off-side. So I dont think that it is an improvement. It would be an improvement if the ten was in the south hand, or if the 9 was in the south hand, as the likelyhood of the club K being in the vul vs not is extremly high. I do not know if the presence of the 8 in the east hand would be enough to choose this line, as now you would pick up all holdings where the 9 was doubleton aswell. I am not sure whether that is enough of an edge.

EDIT: obviously I would bid 6H over 5S at the end. I also play 5D as a length looking to do the right thing over 5S at these colours. Easts dble is sick. Would probably have bid 4H with the west cards, although it ffeels a bit heavy. Would certainly have bid 5D. However, 5S at tehse colours makes it so easy, as I have no certainty of beating 5S.