Common suit combination

[han]

♣A108x

 

♣J76xx

 

What's the best play for one loser? Can you think of information from the auction that would make you choose a different play? What is the best line if you have only one entry to your hand?

 

In practice you are in 3NT after RHO opened a weak 2D on what appears to be ♦Q109xxx. Suppose you have little information about the major suits yet (plenty of highcards missing), how would this affect your play of the club suit?

 

Experts please use hidden answers as usual.

[jillybean]

Low to the 10, loses if RHO has KQ9

[jocdelevat]

I play ace first then lead smal towards jack most of the time.

If one entry to hand I play small towards T if cover I let it go.

If rho opened 2d weak i play jack towards ace T if get cover i put ace.

[kenrexford]

Low to the 10, loses if RHO has KQ9

Low to the 10 loses when RHO has a stiff honor, because you do not have the 9. Jack toward the 10 gains if you finesse twice, and it gains against a 4-0, losing against KQ tight to the right.

[goobers]

Part 1: I think I lead low to the 8... Leading low to the T wins when RHO has the stiff 9, but leading low to the 8 wins when RHO has stiff K or Q, so 2 chances to 1 (I think.)

 

Edit: Saw Ken's post, I feel stupid now

 

Part 2: If I have only one entry, I will cash the CA and lead another. Wins whenever clubs are 2-2, or 3-1 with a stiff honor.

 

Part 3: Iono.

[Guest Jlall]

♣A108x

 

♣J76xx

 

What's the best play for one loser? Can you think of information from the auction that would make you choose a different play? What is the best line if you have only one entry to your hand?

 

In practice you are in 3NT after RHO opened a weak 2D on what appears to be ♦Q109xxx. Suppose you have little information about the major suits yet (plenty of highcards missing), how would this affect your play of the club suit?

 

Experts please use hidden answers as usual.

Best play for 1 loser:

Of the possible lines we have

 

1)jack planning on double finesse

2)low to the 8

3)low to the 10

 

1) loses to stiff honor onside and KQ tight offside

2) loses to stiff 9 offside and KQ tight offside

3) loses to KQ9x onside, stiff honor offside.

 

so 1) loses to 2 3-1 splits and a 2-2 split, 2) loses to 1 3-1 split and a 2-2 split and 3) loses to 2 3-1 splits and a 4-0 split. This means 2>3>1, so low to the 8 then low to the ten next.

 

 

What factors could make me choose a different line:

Well lets say we knew RHO could NEVER have a void and knew nothing else (ok thats pretty artificial, but lets just say that's the case). Then low to the ten becomes the percentage line. A more realistic scenario is that we know RHO is likely to be short in the suit, then leading the jack becomes the best play.

 

 

How would I play after RHO has preempted:

The preempt makes shortness more likely in RHO's hand, so leading the jack becomes the percentage play

 

[foo]

Justin, I thought Hannie wanted the more experienced players to hold off a bit to give the B/N's more time to answer this thread.

[skjaeran]

Justin, I thought Hannie wanted the more experienced players to hold off a bit to give the B/N's more time to answer this thread.

OP by Hannie:

Experts please use hidden answers as usual.

[foo]

Justin, I thought Hannie wanted the more experienced players to hold off a bit to give the B/N's more time to answer this thread.

OP by Hannie:

Experts please use hidden answers as usual.

Yeah, and all that happens is you swipe the mouse over it...

[Guest Jlall]

fooooooooooooooooo

[foo]

fooooooooooooooooo

Anyone who is computer literate enough to be a regular reader of this board is going to know how to "un hide" Hidden Text.

 

So I just delay posting in such threads until the target audience has had a decent chance to talk it out.

 

What we really need IMHO if we are going to try and keep secrets for some period of time is some sort of "time delayed text" that doesn't expose itself until the poster says it should.

[goobers]

By the way, really appreciate these types of posts, thanks Hannie

[gwnn]

doesnt Ace and a low spade also lose to 2 3-1 splits and a 4-0 split?

 

which would make it equivalent with low to the T?

 

the actual hand was after an intermediate (10-13 hcp) 2♦ opener which sounds like QT9xx(x) and there are 16 hcp missing all in all.

[cherdano]

doesnt Ace and a low spade also lose to 2 3-1 splits and a 4-0 split?

No, it loses to four 3-1 splits and two 4-0 splits.

[awm]

The ace is actually a pretty good play. When Justin was counting the positions you lose to, he was only adding in the ones that you could possibly pick up, which means not KQx(x) offside. In fact low to the ten loses to:

 

RHO void

RHO stiff K

RHO stiff Q

RHO KQ5

RHO KQ9

RHO KQ95

 

But the last three of those are hopeless.

 

Playing the ace loses to:

 

RHO void

RHO stiff 5

RHO stiff 9

RHO KQ5

RHO KQ9

RHO KQ95

 

But again the last three are hopeless.

 

So these two lines are equal. Low to 8 is a bit better, but if there are entry issues to the jack hand (for example) then laying down the ace is a pretty good option.