hatchett Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 You continue the ♥J, and it continue Q, A, K!. What now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeh Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 What's going on? The basic question we always need to ask ourselves. In essence, I must decide which ♥ to play, after cashing the ♣A If RHO began with Q8x, it would be strange for him to find the cover of the J. But it might happen, I suppose. But it doesn't matter which trump I exit.. If I choose the 9, thus generating a second trump loser, apparently unnecessarily, the trick comes back since West is endplayed.... even if he exits the 3rd♣, ruffed by east, that merely swaps losers. Otoh, if he held Q10 or Q10x or Qx, then the cover makes far more sense. Ok, if RHO holds Q10, then LHO has unblocked the K from K8x, a very strange play indeed.... he didn't need to unblock to avoid an endplay in trump.. . But if RHO holds Q10x, then the unblock from Kx makes sense.. .a good defender knows that you rate to hold the ♦AQ by this time... and can see the looming endplay. If RHO held Qx, then LHO held K108, and he can't get off the endplay no matter what he does. If RHO held Q10, then exiting low works because altho East can win lead a ♦, you can win the A and drop the ♥8. But as I already said, it seems unlikely that LHO would unblock from K8x. If RHO held Q10x, then LHO has the stiff 8 left, and you can exit the 9. And if RHO held Q8, again, you can exit the 9...LHO has avoided the endplay but at the cost of a trump trick. So it looks like the best line is to cash the ♣A and then exit the trump 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finch Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 mike decided our line 1st for us earlier, we cashed the ace of hearts before any of the spade ruffs, club finesses etc. That´ll teach them to unblock.... Anyway, back to where we have got to here. If LHO is such a good player that he viciously unblocks in trumps to avoid an endplay, then I don´t really believe RHO has covered from Qx as then he´s just let the contract through. The same applies to Q10x, but I´d have thought the cover is more likely with that holding. I was also wondering if RHO could have started with Q10xxxx Q108x x Kx. We cash the ace of clubs and exit in clubs, RHO´s trump pips are too good even if he doesn´t ruff his partner´s club winner to play a diamond through. So to conclude, I´ll stick with mike´s line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatchett Posted August 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 The winning line was to cash the ♣A and exit with a third round of ♣, since East holds the remaining ♥T8 and west is endplayed to take a ♥ or ♦ finesse for you. Which is the better line exiting ♥ or ♣? I'm not sure but there probably isn't much between the two lines, depending on how likely you think RHO will cover and LHO will unlock with various holdings etc. When you cash the ♣A, you get some info, if LHO plays the J, then you know ♣ are 2-3 and exit with the ♥9.If LHO follows with the remaining low ♣ and RHO with the K you have no information.Exiting with the third club makes whenever LHO has three clubs or trumps can now be picked up for one loser ie someone started with Hx ♥.The holding you lose to is when west started with KT8 ♥ and xx or Jxx ♣. Mikeh's line of exiting ♥ loses when RHO has QT8 ♥ (or the unlikely QT as he points out) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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