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Beginners guide to suit combinations You voted for it, here it is.

#1 User is offline   inquiry 

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Posted 2004-October-15, 20:13

This will be a thread on basic suit combinations. Everyone should feel encouraged to add suit combinations to this thread. I guess we should number them so we can talk about them in subsequent replies... So I will get us started with some very, very basic ones. We will then cover more sophisticated ones and defensive ones as we go along.

Excuse the simplicity of these first ones, but we have to start somewhere.
#1. Win four tricks

BEST PLAY
Spoiler

#1. Win four tricks

BEST PLAY
Spoiler

#1. Win four tricks

BEST PLAY
Spoiler

#1. Win four tricks

BEST PLAY
Spoiler

#1. Win four tricks

BEST PLAY
Spoiler

#1. Win four tricks

BEST PLAY
Spoiler

#1. Win four tricks

BEST PLAY
Spoiler

--Ben--

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Posted 2004-October-16, 08:26

1/. lead Q to A if finese holds lead J to A and so on

2/. same as above for 1

3/. lead Q whatever LHO plays of that suit play A

4a/. Play A the small to finese against J

4b/. Play small to finese against J K

5/. Play Q and if LHO covers play low let them win the trick, then win the A and J

6/. Play A then finese against the the 10 Q
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#3 User is offline   jillybean 

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Posted 2004-October-16, 08:40

Hi, thanks Ben.
I'll try.

1. lead Q to Ace, let it run if North plays low.

2. You can only guard against North holding Kxx, Kx
lead Q to Ace, let it run if North plays low.

3. Same play as 2?

4a. Play low to ace then low to Jack.
This fails when North holds Qx or Qxx?

4b. Play Ace, King then low to Jack
win against Qx or QTx?

5. Play low to Q, if it wins back to Ace and low to J?

6. Play low to 10, if South plays K, T to Ace playing north for Jack
If South plays Jack, cover with Q

I need a lot more practice before I could work these out at the table !!
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#4 User is offline   myfish 

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Posted 2004-October-16, 09:32

let me try :)

1.run Q,J,T,9 if N do not play K(50%)
2.run Q,J,T if N do not play K(50%)
3.in theorm,just play A,practically lead Q and then play A(52%)
4.win A and then low to jack(34%)
5.win K,win A,low to jack(~82%)
6.win A,low to jack,low to Q(assume there is no entry/ruff problem)(~82%)
7.win A,low to T,low to Q(cover if neccesary)(i don't know :D )
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Posted 2004-October-17, 00:58

Got a complaint that the hidden text in the first post prints when you print the puzzle out... so i will not include the answers on this lot (who know,I probably wouldn't get these all right anway).

7. You need three tricks


7. You need three tricks


7. You need three tricks


7. You need three tricks


7. You need three tricks


7. You need three tricks

--Ben--

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Posted 2004-October-17, 03:35

Hi all,
Ben opened a threat about how to play suit combinations.

Suit combinations 1-4

To continue here a very common situation:
#5a Lose only 1 trick!
You have enough entries to dummy

#5a Lose only 1 trick!
You have enough entries to dummy


Sincerly
Al
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#7 User is offline   cherdano 

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Posted 2004-October-17, 04:11

Here is one that is frequently misplayed, although it is not so difficult:

Goal is maximum number of tricks (think MP).

Arend
The easiest way to count losers is to line up the people who talk about loser count, and count them. -Kieran Dyke
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Posted 2004-October-17, 04:41

here are some examples of what I struggle with occasionally


A



A



A



A



Please note I will be answering these myself before I check them out in books, as they represent the sort of hand I have probs with
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Posted 2004-October-17, 04:44

Sorry I never identified them, Please refer to them as Hand A,B,C,D
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Posted 2004-October-17, 04:52

7/. A then small to Q

8/. same as 7

9/. A then low to finese 9 whatever card is played play 9

10/. low finese 8 then play A

11/. end play opps and ruff sometricks

12/. lead 10 to A, play ace if 10 is covered then low to Q
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#11 User is offline   myfish 

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Posted 2004-October-18, 04:02

hi :P

7. win A and then low to Q(34%)
8. low to 9(cover if needed),win A,low to Q
9. win A and then low to Q(~78%?)
10. low to 9,win A and then low to Q
11. i don't have 5 tricks unless it is the trump B)
12. win A and then low T,low to Q(properly wrong)

A. low to T,win A
B. win A and hope K drops,finnesse with 9(6 tricks)
win A and then low to Q(5 tricks)
C. can't win 5 tricks in any combination,must take 4 tricks if the suit breaks 4-3
in 5-2 breaks only a doubleton K helps,so low and then A/A and then low
D. win A and then X
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#12 User is offline   xx1943 

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Posted 2004-October-18, 04:40

Hmhhh

I'm wondering why there are no responses to these puzzles.

Are they too easy?

I set the second in my today's Indy and only two declarer got it rite.

traveller

The other 5, who won 4, got it, because RHO took A of at once in the hope of a diamond ruff.

cheers

Al
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Posted 2004-October-18, 04:53

When you play these suit combination, remember how to play them in isolation like in this puzzle is one thing, how to play them in the wild depends upon some other issues, like, who need to keep off the lead, what you have found out about the distribution in other suits, etc. But most of the times knowing the right play in the suit is the secret to the entire hand. Here is two cases to demonstrate this.

Scoring: IMP

West North East South

 Pass  Pass  Pass  1
 2    2    Pass  3
 Pass  3    Pass  Pass
 Pass  


DT DQ D7 D5 <<----- good lead for your chances.

Now you can afford to lose 3 trumps (an unluck 4-2 spade split), as long as you lose only one club trick. First let's see what declarer did.....
H4 H2 HA H3 <<--- heart to dummy, good.. now sapde to queen and duck Spade
CJ C8 C2 CK <<--- but NOOOOOO declarer didn't know position #5 from 1st post
D6 DA D4 D2
S4 S2 SQ S3
S5 SJ S6 S9
HT HK H8 H7
C3 D8 CA C7
C5 C9 CQ ST
SA D3 H5 S7
HQ

This hand should be auctomatic.. 2S, 2D, 3C, 2H for 9 tricks... The player who made this club play, btw, was an "expert" on his profile. No expert would have played this hand this way..... because they ALL know how to handle position #5.

This next one was played in july by one of our beginners I am trying to help out. This one, at least, is harder to get right. But after this thread, we will all get these right from now on.
Scoring: IMP

West North East South

 Pass  Pass  Pass  1
 2    2    Pass  3
 Pass  3    Pass  Pass
 Pass  


H5 H8 HT HJ <<---- this give you 3H and you will win a club, so if you can get 3D you are almost home.. how best to play this one?
D3 DT DQ DK <<---- this isn't it the way...

We haven't covered Axxx opposite Q9xx but we did look at Axxx opposite QTxx, (position 6, first post) and found ACE and then low to the dummy... queen (if west plays low). Same line works best for Q9xx

Look how well.. Diamond ACE and Diamond would work
H2 H3 H4 HK
D9 D4 D7 DJ <<--- true she "might" have guessed right here, but you get the point
H9 C4 C8 HA
S2 SA S3 S8
HQ C7 C5 H6
H7 S4 S9 C3
C6 S7 CK CA
DA S6 D2 D6
D8 C2 D5 CT
S5 C9 SK ST
SJ SQ CJ CQ
--Ben--

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Posted 2004-October-18, 04:58

cherdano, on Oct 17 2004, 06:11 AM, said:

Here is one that is frequently misplayed, although it is not so difficult:
QT9
 
 
A32
 

Goal is maximum number of tricks (think MP).

Arend

Leading the QUEEN and let it ride if not covered and lead the TEN and let it ride then in both cases repeat the finnessee both have 87% (76%... the 87% was a frame shift typo) chance of wining two tricis... but, leading the QUEEN first is best.. because if WEST has singleton JACK you can win three tricks. There is no way to win three tricks if WEST has the singlton King.... so that "EXTRA" chance makes QuEEN the matchpoint play.

Ben

This post has been edited by inquiry: 2004-October-18, 08:40

--Ben--

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Posted 2004-October-18, 05:22

inquiry, on Oct 18 2004, 10:58 AM, said:

cherdano, on Oct 17 2004, 06:11 AM, said:

Here is one that is frequently misplayed, although it is not so difficult:
QT9
 
 
A32
 

Goal is maximum number of tricks (think MP).

Arend

Leading the QUEEN and let it ride if not covered and lead the TEN and let it ride then in both cases repeat the finnessee both have 87% chance of wining two tricis... but, leading the QUEEN first is best.. because if WEST has singleton JACK you can win three tricks. There is no way to win three tricks if WEST has the singlton King.... so that "EXTRA" chance makes QuEEN the matchpoint play.

Ben

But leading the 10 picks up a singleton K with RHO, so I think there are the same. Anyway, what you should not do is cashing the Ace, and leading to the Queen or 10.

Ben, I would have expected the success chances to be closer to 75% (need either J or K with RHO). I would guess you must have miscalculated.

Finally, a hidden remark for intermediate+ players:
Spoiler

The easiest way to count losers is to line up the people who talk about loser count, and count them. -Kieran Dyke
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#16 User is offline   Free 

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Posted 2004-October-18, 05:32

I also have a nice one:

13. 3 tricks with 100% success

"It may be rude to leave to go to the bathroom, but it's downright stupid to sit there and piss yourself" - blackshoe
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#17 User is offline   Free 

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Posted 2004-October-18, 05:35

I think it's quite silly to start a new thread, when all other posters read and post in the first thread... Why didn't you post them there anyway? 1 thread, 1 topic, ALL info together...
"It may be rude to leave to go to the bathroom, but it's downright stupid to sit there and piss yourself" - blackshoe
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#18 User is offline   xx1943 

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Posted 2004-October-18, 05:37

Free, on Oct 18 2004, 01:35 PM, said:

I think it's quite silly to start a new thread, when all other posters read and post in the first thread... Why didn't you post them there anyway? 1 thread, 1 topic, ALL info together...

Hi
you are rite. Sry for this. I didn't want disturb Ben thread.
Al
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#19 User is offline   xx1943 

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Posted 2004-October-18, 05:42

Hi all,

To continue here a very common situation:
I set the second in my today's Indy and only two declarer got it rite.

traveller


#14a Lose only 1 trick!
You have enough entries to dummy

#14a Lose only 1 trick!
You have enough entries to dummy

How do play?


Sincerly
Al
Play Bridge for fun and entertainment and to meet nice people.
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#20 User is offline   xx1943 

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Posted 2004-October-18, 05:48

Free, on Oct 18 2004, 01:32 PM, said:

I also have a nice one:

 
KJ42
A953
 
13. 3 tricks with 100% success

Billies put this to your standard safety-plays:
It seems strange, but if you think over it, it makes sense.

Hidden solution:
Spoiler


Ciao

Al
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Teaching in the BIL TUE 8:00am CET.

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