[manudude03]

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Another board from the Camrose, the 2H opener was standard weak (not 2-suited), you get the ♣A lead and RHO shows the 9 (discouraging), followed by the ♦3 switch which you win. You cash the ♥K which sees K-3-2-9. How do you play trumps from here?

On a side note, does it change anything if the hand with the hearts is dummy?

edit:fixedheart trick, we didn't crash honours

[nige1]

manudude03 writes 'Another board from the Camrose, the 2H opener was standard weak (not 2-suited), you get the ♣A lead and RHO shows the 9 (discouraging), followed by the ♦3 switch which you win. You cash the ♥K which sees K-3-2-9. How do you play trumps from here? On a side note, does it change anything if the hand with the hearts is dummy?

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OK, I'll be the 1st to take the plunge...

Vigilant and trusting pip-watchers notice that

• The danger of a ♣ ruff is small.
• Unless LHO underled ♦KQx(..), LHO is more likely to hold ♥Q.
• You can afford to overtake dummy's ♣T, at some stage.

As well as ♣AK, You can afford to lose a ♥ trick; provided you don't lose trump-control when opponents force you in ♦s. (The forcing defence would be more obvious if North were declarer).

If declarer cashes ♥K, then leads ♥6 and RHO follows small, declarer has 3 options

• Play for the drop (♥A): wins when LHO has ♥Q9 doubleton.
• Finesse ♥J: wins when LHO has ♥T9 or ♥9x doubleton.
• Finesse ♥7: dominated by alternatives 1 & 2.

All 3 options are likely to work when ♥ are 3-3.

Hence, marginally, the odds seem to suggest that you finesse ♥J.

[HardVector]

Well, you are looking at 2 clubs and at least 1 heart loser, you can't lose any more. My play is going to be predicated on losing only 1 heart. The possibilities are if hearts are 3/3, or west started with Q9 or T9. In either case, I'm going up with the ace at the 4th trick. If you are thinking about setting up the diamonds, keep in mind you have to get rid of 4 club losers.

[mikeh]

HardVector, on 2019-March-10, 21:30, said:

Well, you are looking at 2 clubs and at least 1 heart loser, you can't lose any more. My play is going to be predicated on losing only 1 heart. The possibilities are if hearts are 3/3, or west started with Q9 or T9. In either case, I'm going up with the ace at the 4th trick. If you are thinking about setting up the diamonds, keep in mind you have to get rid of 4 club losers.

Say LHO has 109 tight. You play the Ace: now what? You need to run the clubs in order to make. You drive out the trump queen, and RHO plays a diamond. You ruff, pull trump and lead a club: not only do you no longer have any trump to prevent them cashing a diamond, but you can't get back to your hand to run clubs!

Playing the Ace wins, otoh, if LHO has Q9: now you cash the J and go about your business in clubs.

If LHO has 109 tight, the way to make the contract is to hook the Jack, then cash the Ace and play on clubs.

So which is it?

The principle of restricted choice applies: with 109 tight, would he not at least sometimes (with some players, almost always) play the 10? Whereas with Q9 tight he will always play the 9.

Now, he could play the 9 from other holdings as well, but given the takeout double I don't think it likely, plus any line works on 3-3 hearts (the Jack is superior since it gains an overtrick when the queen is onside, but the odds of that, and the benefit of the overtrick, are such that I won't let that influence my play. We are in a bad contract, unlikely to be replicated, so let's play to make).

Because of restricted choice, and because I cannot make with 5-1 hearts (and likely would be doubled since RHO would have Q10xxx and a diamond honour) I will play to the Ace.

[HardVector]

mikeh, on 2019-March-11, 11:54, said:

Say LHO has 109 tight. You play the Ace: now what? You need to run the clubs in order to make. You drive out the trump queen, and RHO plays a diamond. You ruff, pull trump and lead a club: not only do you no longer have any trump to prevent them cashing a diamond, but you can't get back to your hand to run clubs!

Playing the Ace wins, otoh, if LHO has Q9: now you cash the J and go about your business in clubs.

If LHO has 109 tight, the way to make the contract is to hook the Jack, then cash the Ace and play on clubs.

So which is it?

The principle of restricted choice applies: with 109 tight, would he not at least sometimes (with some players, almost always) play the 10? Whereas with Q9 tight he will always play the 9.

Now, he could play the 9 from other holdings as well, but given the takeout double I don't think it likely, plus any line works on 3-3 hearts (the Jack is superior since it gains an overtrick when the queen is onside, but the odds of that, and the benefit of the overtrick, are such that I won't let that influence my play. We are in a bad contract, unlikely to be replicated, so let's play to make).

Because of restricted choice, and because I cannot make with 5-1 hearts (and likely would be doubled since RHO would have Q10xxx and a diamond honour) I will play to the Ace.

I was making some assumptions based on the discouragement at trick 1, the assumption being that east didn't have a doubleton club. After the A♥, I'd play a high club to drive out the ace (if they ducked that, I admit I'd have problems). Only after the clubs were good would I drive out the heart Q.

[manudude03]

The full hand can be found here.

My gut was telling me that declarer played it correctly by playing the ace, my partner didn't agree. I guess I misdefended by not playing spades instead of diamonds where not threatening a diamond force means playing the ace after the falsecard is even more tempting.