Guest Jlall Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 NAP unit qualifier, you and your partner are sort of goofing off but now you are playing against bramley/lazard so pride is on the line. You pickup: K8x Qx Ax KT8xxx and open 1N 11-13. Pard bids 3N, and lefty leads the 2 of spades (4th). Dummy is J9x Axx Kxxx AQx. RHO wins the ace of spades and returns the T. You fly king (if you wouldn't, say so) and run clubs. LHO pitches 2 hearts then 3 diamonds (in that order). RHO pitches 2 hearts then a spade (in that order). You pitched 1 diamond, 1 heart, and 1 spade (in that order) from dummy. Then endgame is now: -- Ax Kxx --- x Qx Ax --- Take it from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awm Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 I'll try to endplay RHO. There are several reasons for this. I'll start with the most compelling one and then mention a minor reason. 1. Most people will probably play this contract from the other side of the table, after a 1♣ opening and a notrump response from partner. We know that LHO has four spades, one club, and probably not five hearts (else might've lead a heart). Most likely LHO is 4441 and RHO 3433 (if LHO actually has five diamonds, you've already squeezed him and will make eleven tricks when the diamonds cash). This means after a "normal" auction like 1♣-P-3NT, your RHO will probably lead a heart. If the king is with LHO, this lead will always hold declarer to 9 tricks. You have 10 tricks, already defeating this score. On the other hand, if the king of hearts is with RHO, then there are an easy ten tricks on the heart lead with a (very slightly risky) play on spades for eleven tricks. This is the layout where you most need to find the eleventh trick, so play RHO for the king of hearts. 2. Suppose you plan to endplay LHO. You play two rounds of diamonds first to complete the strip squeeze. At this point you exit a spade, LHO winning and RHO discarding a heart. Now LHO plays a low heart. If he in fact has the king, you can duck it to your queen and take eleven tricks. But if RHO started with the ♥K, and was clever enough to bare it, then by ducking you make only nine tricks as he cashes his last diamond in hand. Your opponents are good enough to find this play... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfgauss Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 I assume LHO does have 4 spades (2 of spades lead, 10 of spades return), so exiting in spades can't help. In fact, for exiting spades to win, I'd need LHO to have: Qxx Kxxxx xxxx x or something, which seems an odd spade lead (if diamonds are 2-2 at this point then I don't endplay, clearly). So exiting a spade lead loses me two tricks immediately, so I'll take my ♦A, ♦K, and then, assuming RHO did have 3 diamonds left (if 2 or 4, just plunk down ♥A), I exit a diamond. This wins on the very likely layout of: Qxxx xxxx xxxx x -- A10x Kxxx Qxx xxx (missing jacks ignored) This is a pleasant reading problem, but unless I'm missing something, I can't imagine playing for the other holding. Perhaps this shows my inexperience in playing against people like Bramley and Lazard, but the 10 of spades return from A10xx after winning the Ace would seem rather prescient (especially without seeing the long clubs). Further thoughts: If LHO can read what's going on and holds the above hand, a spade pitch is perhaps indicated to give you a losing option (endplaying him, the guy who lacks !HK). I'm still not persuaded to play things the other way 'round, but it's something to think about. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherdano Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 Andy, there is a strip squeeze if LHO started with with 4 spades and the king of hearts. Come down to ♠x ♥Qx in hand, opposite ♥Ax and ♦x in dummy, with the lead being in the closed hand. If LHO keeps only one spade, you exit in spades; if he keeps two of them, he has bared his ♥K and you cash the two hearts. I also chose to endplay RHO, for the reason no. 2 given by Adam -- I missed the first one. Arend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfgauss Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 Andy, there is a strip squeeze if LHO started with with 4 spades and the king of hearts. Come down to ♠x ♥Qx in hand, opposite ♥Ax and ♦x in dummy, with the lead being in the closed hand. If LHO keeps only one spade, you exit in spades; if he keeps two of them, he has bared his ♥K and you cash the two hearts. I also chose to endplay RHO, for the reason no. 2 given by Adam -- I missed the first one. Arend Ok, thanks for pointing out what I missed :) . Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMetsch Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 I endplay LHO. I can endplay RHO only because LHO discarded his ♦s (and squeezed his partners exit). I don't believe LHO holds on to 2 worthless ♥s, because he discarded his first ♦ before the dummy or his partner could discard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jlall Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Right, the big clue here is that if RHO had the HK, then he could pitch diamonds and keep his spade and heart guards, lho could pitch all of his hearts and guard diamonds. So LHO must have the HK (against these 2, anyways). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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