Oh no, a play problem!

[Guest Jlall]

I know play problems don't get many responses but I liked this one.

 

AKx AKTx AQJxx x

 

Q876x xx K KQJ98

 

After RHO overcalled 1H to a strong club, you land in FIVE spades. You get the H7 lead and just as you are about to yell at partner for stopping in 5, you cash the SA and RHO discards a heart. How do you plan to make?

[cnszsun]

With ♠876 in hand, we can endplay LHO in trump after stripping his side suit to limit trump loser to one. But we need to know his exact shape.

For example, if LHO is 5-2-3-3 most likely,

Play ♣ to force out Ace, win any return, ♦ to King, ensuring ♣KQJ cashed,

♠8, if LHO covers, you win ♠K, two rounds of ♦ pitching two ♣s, 4th♦ to ruff with ♠7;

[ClaceyJ]

Michael's line also works if LHO is 5143 with the CA, with the only difference being you will cash 3 diamonds after winning the KS.

 

Joe

[kenrexford]

The general appraoch seems right. The question seems to be RHO's shape, as that dictates LHO's shape. It may well be the case that RHO has a sixth heart, in which case LHO has a four-card minor.

 

I'd want to know what 1♥ shows. This may seem obvious, but maybe they failed to alert. I'd rather not end up in committee.

 

I'd also like to know vulnerability, what their alternative options are with multi-suited hands, and the like. Lots of questions. Then, I'd probably end up guessing that RHO has 0544 also, unless some zinger hits.

[Finch]

The concept is clear, it's reading the layout that's tough.

So, heart won in dummy.

Club.

 

If RHO wins with the ace of clubs, I shall assume hearts are 5-2 because otherwise he just plays a heart backed ruffed on my left and I still have a trump loser. So RHO wins the CA and probably plays a heart back, won on dummy. We play a diamond to the King, KQ of clubs (discarding hearts from dummy). But then we have to guess if LHO is 5224/RHO 0553 or LHO 5233/RHO 0544. The latter is more likely, but what do you do if RHO plays the C10 on the third round?

[Guest Jlall]

LHO wins the club ace and plays back a diamond.

 

You win and cash 2 clubs, RHO dropping the ten.

[ClaceyJ]

Dont think RHO will falsecard the 10, leaving us picking whether to play LHO for 5134 or 5224. And I honestly dont know how to pick up both. Seems to me you just have to pick one.

[Finch]

LHO wins the club ace and plays back a diamond.

 

You win and cash 2 clubs, RHO dropping the ten.

I think we just have to get this right.

 

FWIW, my experience in England, where standard count is extremely commonly played, is that people playing reverse count never, ever give false count. In those circumstances I trust RHO's count signal in clubs.

 

Failing that as Ken says you just need to know more about their overcalling style. Personally I'd overcall 2H NV with a 0553 but possibly not with a 0544.

 

Failing any of that, I need to know what club pip is outstanding, because people usually play their pips upwards. If the 13th club is higher than the last club LHO played, I think he's got it.

 

So, trying to put off the problem, exactly what clubs were played in what order?

[kenrexford]

I still think that the focus is on RHO's hand. 0553 or 0643? If RHO is not making a really deep-game falsecard, then which is more likely?

 

Look at the exact hand maximums:

 

♠0 ♥QJxxx ♦xxxxx ♣10xx

♠0 ♥QJxxxx ♦xxxx ♣10xx

 

This guy is frisky, either way. He likes the spade void, though.

 

If he uses two-suiter jump overcalls over 1♣, the latter obviously. EVen is not, hand #1 just looks sick, IMO, but people do like to bid over 1♣ no matter what.

 

I still think that there is a remote chance of a FTA, in which case 1♥ could show the red suits, but 6-4 may qualify. If 1♣-2♥ is weak, though, and one-suited, that seems somewhat appealing with the 6-4 hand.

 

LHO has either of these hands (assuming no falsecard, again):

 

♠J109xx ♥xx ♦xx ♣Axxx

♠J109xx ♥x ♦xxx ♣Axxx

 

I seem little difference. However, I might raise the first or bid a lead-director 2♣ on the first if I had room.

[Finch]

I still think that the focus is on RHO's hand. 0553 or 0643? If RHO is not making a really deep-game falsecard, then which is more likely?

These holdings are irrelevant. After heart lead, spade, club, diamond, you always continue with the KQ of clubs discarding hearts from dummy.

 

If East has 3 clubs only, then whether he is 0553 or 0643 you need to cash the fourth club discarding the the HK from dummy.

 

The immediate question is whether East has managed to falsecard the C10 from 0544/0634.

 

Admittedly if you do decide the C10 is a true card and cash another club, you will still need to decide West's original shape a couple of tricks later.