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Guess how I played this suit combination?


Wackojack

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You are in 3NT and have outside entries in either hand. You have to make 3 tricks in this suit to make the contract. 2 balanced hands shown in the bidding.

 

Dummy has AK82

You have J9

 

Opps who were strong played it one way and made , I played it another and went down. Guess how I played it and what are the odds for success of alternative plays?

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This is an interesting one. You can play LHO for holding at least one of the honours, which is 76%. That seems the best you can do legitimately.

 

Alternatively, lead small towards the nine, intending to run the jack if the nine loses to the ten. That should be just a little over 74%, but RHO has to avoid jumping in with the queen from Qx or Qxx, which might not be too easy. Certainly in the NICKO I'd try it that way.

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I had not pre-thought this card combination and at the table I did not think that I could do better than the double hook 75% (76%?) chance. So that is what I did. Unfortunately Q10x onside. :P I see now that can be improved as pointed out. Thinking what I might do if I were East, I would play low with Qxxx(xx) and the Queen with Qxx or less. I am not sure that opps would be brave or clever enough to play low (without hesitation) with Qx or Qxx. With this assumption I can see that if I play low to the 9 and run the Jack if taken by the 10. Then I lose only to Qxxx(xx) with East. Odds of success about 88%?

 

Yes obvious now, but at the table :)

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small to 9 is obv in real life vs non world class opps.

9 loses to the 10. Now do you run the J on the way back or play for Qxx?

The point of small from dummy is that RHO will give away that he has the Q (by hesitating or just popping Q) enough of the time to make up for the small edge you lose in theory, so if he plays a smooth small you are planning on playing him to not have the Q.

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