[sceptic]

http://online.bridgebase.com/cgi-bin/histo...5890&tzoffset=0

Hi I would like some opinions as to te play mistake i made, not so much the error itself as I know which card in trick 11, I should have played, what I am more interested, is what do you think the reason is that I never saw the right play, despite trying to count, etc etc

Here is the hand, I hope the link above takes you to the correct page final contract 6 hearts (the bidding may be subject also, but it is only really the play that bothers me)

Scoring: IMP

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West North East South

- - - 1♠
2♦ Dbl Pass 2♠
Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥
Pass 4NT Pass 5♣
Pass 5NT Pass 6♣
Pass 6♥ Pass Pass
Pass

[inquiry]

Well this isn't reallly a "count situation". You know that WEST has the tall diamond (your diamond Ten is not good, EAST showed out a long, long time ago). And you know that EAST has the last club (west showed out last round. Who has the spade jack? Don't you think with KJ west would have played the Jack rather than the king. If you duck the spade king (pitching your diamond), you have to go down, as you know he will lead his diamond, leaving you with a club loser. So you must ruff the spade, and quess who has the spade jack. If WEST, throw in with the diamond, if East throw in with the club. The quess here should be fairly easy.

As to how to play from the start... sort of difficult. I think playing for 3-3 hearts seems ok.. and you might try ruffing a small spade (saving the ACE earlier, but your line is fine too, give West has six diamonds, and to make, you hope three hearts. That makes the 3-3 club split fairly unlikely. Remember, West overcalled with very little (at most, Jack of hearts, King-Jack of spades, and KQ-sixth in diamonds). If he lacked the spade king, he probably would have bid 2♦.

So my line would have been. ♦A, ♦ ruff, ♠ruff, ♦ ruff. ♥. ♣Ace. ♥, ♣ to king... if WEST follows to this club, then clubs are- 3-3 or the ♠King is coming down under the ♠Ace. Of course, your line should have worked too.

Ben

[paulg]

I was going to start a thread called "What if ...." having seen Wayne play this hand.

I thought the play was stunning given it was during a long 24 board tourney and you came so close to making it. Certainly if one of the Italians had made this contract by the throw in then it would have featured in the bridge magazines.

Perhaps the most heartening thing is that you did give yourself a chance of making the contract. And, as Ben says, not as easy hand as it's tough to know where to start!

The bidding was reasonable too ... not easy to bid 17-point hands with a void in partner's suit and the opposition bidding your longest one!

All in all an excellent effort.

Paul