[Codo]

Which line do you prefer?

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You have no information about the doubles, but 1 Spade was 5+ spades 11-19 HCPS, 4 ♦ was a splinter (11-14 HCPs with 4 card support)
West starts with the Spade King, usually from KQxx, sees the 4 from partner and plays another spade.
You ruff in dummy and play a diamond to the King, Ace and ten.

So, easy question: Do you play for a finesse in clubs ? Or do you try to ruff the clubs out?

[rhm]

Codo, on 2012-September-18, 03:34, said:

Which line do you prefer?

---

You have no information about the doubles, but 1 Spade was 5+ spades 11-19 HCPS, 4 ♦ was a splinter (11-14 HCPs with 4 card support)
West starts with the Spade King, usually from KQxx, sees the 4 from partner and plays another spade.
You ruff in dummy and play a diamond to the King, Ace and ten.

So, easy question: Do you play for a finesse in clubs ? Or do you try to ruff the clubs out?

This is in deed an easy question.
Taking the club finesse risks going down an additional 200. Knowing whether this is IMPs or MP is relevant in such cases.
But I admit I would not take the finesse here at any form of scoring.
The finesse is only necessary if East doubled 5♣ with ♣JTx or less.
Doubling with that risks a disaster when you know that opponents have 11 cards in diamonds.
Surely both doubles in direct seat would have more justification with the ♣K or with length in clubs.

Anyway if West was staring at the ♣K, he just might have thought it a clever idea after inspecting dummy to switch to hearts at trick 2.
Likewise East staring at 2 or three small clubs might just have had enough brainpower to overtake at trick one and cash his heart tops

Rainer Herrmann

[Codo]

It is imps....

[billw55]

Interesting. East's double of 5♣ seems to argue against the finesse. But then, I don't have enough entries to ruff out Kxxx anyway. Next up, the hook risks -300 instead of -100. Against that, -300 could still be an IMP gain if our teammates are playing game in a major.

Beats me what to do.

At the table I have to do something, for some reason, in a reasonable amount of time. I guess I will take the position that holding a well-placed club king, east might have chosen to bid on to 5♠. So I will finesse.

[JLOGIC]

Agree with rainer, I'd never consider hooking here

[Zelandakh]

billw55, on 2012-September-18, 06:17, said:

But then, I don't have enough entries to ruff out Kxxx anyway.

Why are 4 entries not enough? ♣A, ruff ♣2, ruff ♠, ruff ♣5, ♦ to 9, ruff ♣9, ♦ to 7, ♣Q.

[billw55]

Zelandakh, on 2012-September-18, 06:45, said:

Why are 4 entries not enough? ♣A, ruff ♣2, ruff ♠, ruff ♣5, ♦ to 9, ruff ♣9, ♦ to 7, ♣Q.

A spade was ruffed in dummy at trick 2.

[Codo]

Thanks all, I tried the obvious line too- obviously without success...

[gszes]

A word from the minority report

finesse

If the assumptions about the opening lead are correct then taking the finesse
is a poor idea. I am not convinced these assumptions are correct. Lho could
easily have started with AK spades and club Kxxx and heart K and from
their point of view returning a spade to shorten dummy trumps (keep declarer
from setting up clubs) might be the only way to kill the club suit. There is also
no strong reason to assume RHO has the club K since rho could not make a
forcing pass over 5c with xx(x) in clubs and forcing pass situations are not
always right (just mostly right).

To me there is enough doubt plus rho not making some obvious killing overtake
and switch to give me hope 5c can make and I am willing to risk the extra 4 imps
by taking the finesse.

[JLOGIC]

4 imps is a lot

edit: and I just realized I don't know where the number 4 came from, if the contract is the same in the other room we risk 5 imps though

[gszes]

JLOGIC, on 2012-September-19, 15:47, said:

4 imps is a lot

edit: and I just realized I don't know where the number 4 came from, if the contract is the same in the other room we risk 5 imps though

if the other room is in 4h and they are going to make 5 (assuming the K is offside) while we are giving up
-100 so we gain 350 or +8 imps this is becasue the defense may start club A club ruff and we will always
underlead the dia A to try and get to p for a second ruff.

If we take the losing finesse we are -300 vs + 450 or + 4 imps

[billw55]

Actually EW cannot make 5M because of the club ruff. This adds another possible result at the other table (-50 for us) which further complicates the situation. Too hard for me, meh.