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How to play simple suit-combinations


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Q432 - J1065

 

How do you play this suit to make 2 tricks. Entries enough and other things being equal.

 

The knowledge, how to play such common suit-combinations is very important imho.

 

We had a lot of threats about how to play suit combinations here in the forum in 2005, most of the invented by Hanni.

You'll find them all, if you search in the posts title "combination".

example

 

Maybe you are interested to look up some of the commonest safety plays I opsted at my site.

 

Al

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SuitPlay says:

You don't have SuitPlay at the table.

I would suggest always trying to do suit combinations yourself.

IMHO: If the question is in forum, the right answer (=SuitPlay) should be prefered to what you can think out at table.

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We had a lot of threats about how to play suit combinations here in the forum in 2005, most of the invented by Hanni.

Sometimes the forum posts can be a bid heated, but there is no justification for such hostile language. One should be allowed to play a suit combination as one sees fit, without the fear of physical harm if Hanni disagrees with the line. :P

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On all 3-2 splits, you will win the required 2 tricks. So let’s not worry about those, but instead deal with 5-0 and 4-1 splits. For the sake of argument, I will use H to represent either the ACE or KING of this suit. The distributions where you are in some doubt about winning 2 tricks are:

 

LHO having

Void

x

H

 

Or RHO having

Void

x

H

 

Barring an endplay possibility, if your RHO has void or x, then the AK98(x) will be behind your JTxx and you will lose three tricks. So here are the distributions you have to worry about (that is, where your play will make a difference between winning 1 and 2 tricks)….

 

1 === Void --– HHxxx (1 possible holding)

2 === x –-- HHxx (3 possible holdings) = (and of three small x's stiff)

3 === H –-- Hxxx (2 possible holdings) = (either A or K stiff)

4 === Hxxx --– H (2 possible holding) = (either A or K stiff)

 

On hand 1 and 2, simply not leading out J or T assures 2 tricks for you (4 out of 8). On hand 4, leading low away from the queen will win 2 tricks, on hand 3 leading low towards the queen (or leading the queen) will win 2 tricks.

 

What this means is that if you lead the queen (or low towards the queen), you will win in positions 1,2, and 3 (total 6/8 where your play makes a difference), and if you lead low towards the JT, you will win in positions 1, 2 and 4 (total 6/8 where your play makes a difference). Obviously leading out the JACK or TEN loses in all 8 of these distributions. Hope that helps. Also note, that 6/8 = 75%, but I didn’t include those distributions where you had no chance to win 2 tricks nor any reasonable chance to never be able to lose more than 2 tricks. I think the odds of winning 2 tricks on this holding is about 10% higher than 75%.

 

Ben

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We had a lot of threats  about how to play suit combinations here in the forum in 2005, most of the invented by Hanni.

Sometimes the forum posts can be a bid heated, but there is no justification for such hostile language. One should be allowed to play a suit combination as one sees fit, without the fear of physical harm if Hanni disagrees with the line. <_<

Sorry, if I did something wrong.

It was not my intention to be hostile to anybody.

I found the posts invented by Hanni very interesting and helpful for beginners and intermediates and had the idea to resume.

If there is a misunderstanding in my post, please excuse my bad English.

 

Al

 

Ouch, I see my typo now: meant thread not threat :)

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1 === Void --– HHxxx (1 possible holding)

2 === x –-- HHxx (3 possible holdings) = (and of three small x's stiff)

3 === H –-- Hxxx (2 possible holdings) = (either A or K stiff)

4 === Hxxx --– H (2 possible holding) = (either A or K stiff)

 

Obviously leading out the JACK or TEN loses in all 8 of these distributions. Hope that helps.

 

Ben

Ty Ben

 

The reason why I posted this here was, why I saw so many declarers play J or 10. :)

 

Al

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We had a lot of threats  about how to play suit combinations here in the forum in 2005, most of the invented by Hanni.

Sometimes the forum posts can be a bid heated, but there is no justification for such hostile language. One should be allowed to play a suit combination as one sees fit, without the fear of physical harm if Hanni disagrees with the line. <_<

Sorry, if I did something wrong.

It was not my intention to be hostile to anybody.

I found the posts invented by Hanni very interesting and helpful for beginners and intermediates and had the idea to resume.

If there is a misunderstanding in my post, please excuse my bad English.

 

Al

 

Ouch, I see my typo now: meant thread not threat :)

You'll notice that I myself hasd a typo in my joking response. LOL

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