[kgr]

IMPs
S/-
P -(P)-1H-(2C)-
2NT-(P)-4H-all pass

AQ84
AQTxx
xx
Ax

Jxx
Jxx
AKxxx
xx

2C: 5+ card Club and 9+ pts
2NT: 10-11 pts with fit

Opps are no beginners, but also not World class players. They can make mistakes.
What is the best line?
(This was last board of the match. After 2NT of partner I was sure to make 4H and probably more and did'nt really count the loosers when dummy came on the table. So I was surprised to be -1 at the end).

[kgr]

... the lead was ♣K

[Flame]

No one like going down with such a good hand, i guess thats why no one answered yet.

[Free]

Seems like IF ♠s are 3-3 you have maximum 3 losers, so you should play low to all your Jacks However, if ♠s are not 3-3, then you have an extra loser.

Play ♦AK and exit a ♣, with some luck you can pitch a King.

[pclayton]

The orientation confuses me. If I opened 1♥, then the club bidder should be on lead, right? I'm assuming everything has turned turned 180 here and that I hold the 4522 hand and the club bidder is on lead.

This is a very complex hand and its hard to analyze all of the permutations.

First, I'm letting LHO hold the first club. I can handle any return and letting RHO later in the play may turn awkward. I'll assume a club continuation. Regardless of the stated point count, LHO rates to hold most of the goodies here.

Go to dummy with a ♦ and lead a small ♥. I don't think RHO has the stiff K♥, but I'm hoping my non-world class LHO will win the Q♥ which allows me a late entry to dummy. I'll assume it loses and LHO continues a diamond. Ruff a diamond high. If diamonds are 3-3, cash the A♥. If trumps are 4-1 and I lost to the stiff K♥; I think I'm toast here. If ♦'s are 3-3 and trumps are 3-2, take the spade hook for the overtrick.

Most interesting if diamonds are 4-2 and LHO pitches a club when I ruff the diamond high. I cash the A♥. Right or wrong, I now lead a spade toward the Jack. If LHO goes up with the King, I think I can claim, even if he pumps me with a club. If the J♠ wins; ruff another ♦ high; heart to J and claim.

If the spade Jack loses, I think I need spades to be 3-3 now. I'm rejecting the 'cute' play of the Q♠ at this point.

I'll let someone else figure out what happens if the Q♥ wins, or if LHO holds the long ♦.

[Fluffy]

I like Phil´s start of duck ♣, ♣A, ♦K and ♥->♥Q, when it loses I would instead of try ♦ try to ruff a ♠ in dummy, play a ♠ to the ♠J if it wins I am hom, ♠A+♠ and ruff 4th, if not, draw second trump and try to cash ♠Q.

[luke warm]

P -(P)-1H-(2C)-
2NT-(P)-4H-all pass

AQ84
AQTxx
xx
Ax

Jxx
Jxx
AKxxx
xx

take ♣A, play another club.. win diamond return, spade to ace and return a spade.. if trump comes back, take ace, play ♠Q and ruff spade with J.. play last high diamond, ruff a diamond

only at imps, and this is set on almost any bad split

[Flame]

luke warm, on Dec 12 2004, 06:37 PM, said:

P -(P)-1H-(2C)-
2NT-(P)-4H-all pass

AQ84
AQTxx
xx
Ax

Jxx
Jxx
AKxxx
xx

take ♣A, play another club.. win diamond return, spade to ace and return a spade.. if trump comes back, take ace, play ♠Q and ruff spade with J.. play last high diamond, ruff a diamond

only at imps, and this is set on almost any bad split

What if west has Kxxx of spade and xx of heart ? you will get a spade ruff.
or what if east has xx in diamond and Kxx in heart and u get a diamond overruff.
or if hearts are 4-1 ? I wouldnt say this cover almost any bad split.

[Flame]

How about playing taking the A of club playing AK and another diamond pitching a club ?
If diamonds are 3-3 i can take 4H+1C+4D+1 spade for 10 tricks.
If west has QJxx in diamonds (if only Q or J its still right) then RHO is marked with both the other Ks and i have 2 entries to take 2S+3D+4H+1C,a good diffence can force me to ruff west play his forth diamond i will ruff with the Q, then play the 10 ,east will take this one or i will cont a small heart to the J which he will take, anyway he can force me to ruff again but if trumps are 3-2 i will make.
Didnt think of it too much so i might have missed something simple.
I'll think loudly about other diffences, at trick 4 west cont a club. i ruff low, play Q of H, then small to the J east take either one and must play heart, i will take the J of heart at the third round ruff a diamond and enter with the J of spade.
another option: east returns a spade at trick 4: ill play small, west will put the 9 (the K will just give me 3 spades) I take the J, ruff a D with the Q, if east overruff its over, if not i play the 10 of heart, then heart to the J, east cant do nothing better then take the K and let me win the J and the diamond later.
And last option, east returns a heart at trick 4: ill play the Q and have my entry to the table wather east ducks or not.
I guess my line work at 3-3 diamonds or 4-2 diamonds with 3-2 heart.

[kgr]

Thanks for the answers.
East had xx-Kxx-QJx-KQxxx
West had Kxxx-xx-xxx-xxxx
As said: I even didn't verify if there was an issue (Probably because after the 2NT bid I considered to go to slem). I used D honours in dummy to take finesses in H and S. I didn't even consider to keep one H in dummy to ruff a S. At the end I was surprised to see that I had 2 spade loosers and down 1.