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Is it obvious what to do next?


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[hv=d=e&v=n&n=sq75hakqtd75c8752&s=sat9862h83daq8cq4]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

Auction:

 

1 1 p 2*

3 3 p 4

all pass

 

* good raise

 

Lead is J to Ace, K, 10. Your play.

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Well, it's obviously right to ruff with something other than the 2 - is that any help?

If we ruff with the Ace, I imagine we shall run the 10 of spades next.

If we ruff low(ish) and it's over-ruffed with the Jack, I imagine we shall run the SQ next.

 

Ruff with Ace makes every time LHO has the Jack (apart from when LHO has KJxx when there's nothing we can do).

 

Ruff low(ish) makes every time RHO has either the King or the Jack, except that it loses when RHO is 3055 and LHO has one of the two spade honours.

 

RHO has what looks like 5-5 or 6-5 in the minors, which makes spade length on our left much more likely. However, with KJx Jxxxx(x) xx(x) Jx LHO might have emerged with a light negative double.

 

With spade length on our left, once we eliminate 4-0 breaks ruffing low loses to KJx (2 cases) while ruffing with the ace loses to singleton Jack (1 case).

 

Doesn't seem obvious to me.... bearing all these things in mind, it seems about 50-50.

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RHO really needs the K for the opening bid. Am I a lock to hold the A? Probably, but not the A-Q. Therefore, its very possible that the defense needs a diamond shift at T4, especially if RHO is looking at KJx.

 

Unless RHO is playing a very deep game, I am fully expecting a heart void on my right. I can't make this hand if LHO has either of the spade honors, unless LHO has specifically the singleton J and RHO has Kxx (ruff the club with the ace, spade catching the J). It seems more likely that RHO has KJx.

 

But this is very troubling. Even if I figure out that RHO does have 3=0=5=5 with KJx, how do I get to dummy to hook the spade? If the great dealer would have given me the club 9, I could ruff the club with the 10, and pass the 9 and RHO would have to give me a diamond finesse, a spade finesse or put me on the board with the 9.

 

Therefore, I think I need to play for more mundane layouts with RHO trying to trick me into ruffing with the Ace and having a stiff heart with East. I'll play for split spade honors and ruff the spade with the 9, overruffed. Win the heart on the board, run the Q of spades.

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Ruff with Ace makes every time LHO has the Jack (apart from when LHO has KJxx when there's nothing we can do).

No, RHO will win with the king and give LHO a club ruff with the jack (unless LHO has a singleton jack).

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What happened at the table? I ruffed with the Ace and finessed the J, playing LHO for KJx and opener for a small singleton trump (probably 1165, maybe 1255). The good news was that opener had a singleton trump. The bad news was it wasn't a small one...
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What happened at the table? I ruffed with the Ace and finessed the J, playing LHO for KJx and opener for a small singleton trump (probably 1165, maybe 1255). The good news was that opener had a singleton trump. The bad news was it wasn't a small one...

I'm still curious why RHO signaled for a heart lead. Maybe the club spot was just random noise.

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