An application of restricted choice

[CSGibson]

I've thought of an application of restricted choice that I have not yet found an opportunity to use in a game, I was wondering whether anyone else has successfully tried it...

 

In this scenerio, you have more trump than advertised on the bidding, and the position is:

 

[hv=n=sxxx&w=sjxx&e=sq&s=sakt9xx]399|300|[/hv]

 

low from the dummy fetches the Q, so now you play the T back. It is 2-1 that the position is as above instead of QJ tight, and it will be hard for LHO to assume partner doesn't have a doubleton honor, so he will probably let it ride.

 

Obviously you'd have to pick your moment for this one, but it should work enough to pay off in a matchpoints game, for example.

 

Any thoughts on which would be more deceptive, winning the first trick with the K or the ace?

[kfay]

This play isn't working on me. Why do I care if partner has a doubleton honor? I know that my J is going to fall on the next trick anyways.

[CSGibson]

Doubleton honor like AQ or KQ, and you don't care? It's the difference between 1 trump trick and 2.

 

I guess I should have made it clear. What declarer is trying to simulate is:

 

[hv=n=sxxx&w=sjxx&e=saq&s=skt9xx]399|300|[/hv]

 

or

[hv=n=sxxx&w=sjxx&e=saq&s=skt9xx]399|300|[/hv]

[whereagles]

This is similar to another thread. Seems like East should rise with the highest honor to prevent crashes. It will work on case 2, at least.

[helene_t]

Any thoughts on which would be more deceptive, winning the first trick with the K or the ace?

The ace. RHO is more likely to play the queen from KQ than from AQ.

[Codo]

I had this on the table once, it works.

[Free]

Doubleton honor like AQ or KQ, and you don't care? It's the difference between 1 trump trick and 2.

 

I guess I should have made it clear. What declarer is trying to simulate is:

 

[hv=n=sxxx&w=sjxx&e=saq&s=skt9xx]399|300|[/hv]

 

or

[hv=n=sxxx&w=sjxx&e=saq&s=skt9xx]399|300|[/hv]

You can only simulate one of the 2, since you took the first trick with either the King or the Ace.

 

A tricky one, but don't you think you'll look extremely stupid if you play this way and RHO had QJ to begin with? :blink:

[Rossoneri]

You can only simulate one of the 2, since you took the first trick with either the King or the Ace.

 

A tricky one, but don't you think you'll look extremely stupid if you play this way and RHO had QJ to begin with? :blink:

I think he said "or". :)

[kenrexford]

Although this one does not seem likely to succeed, I executed a similar play in real life on my favorite declarer play problems.

 

I had 9xx on dummy in a NT contract and Qxxx in hand. I needed one trick from this suit to make 3NT, but without giving up three tricks to get it.

 

So, the obvious first try was small toward the Queen. RHO might have the A-K.

 

I saw 10-Q-K.

 

Now, restricted choice principles suggested to me that RHO was a priori 67% likely to have A10 or K10 than J10. Stiff 10 was theoretically possible, but gave LHO too good a holding to make his actual lead. Plus, LHO could cash out down one with AKJ.

 

So, I used the suit that established LHO's suit as an entry to take a fake AKQ finesse of the Queen in a side suit. This suggested, per my 1NT opening, that I had 3-4 points elsewhere, and the only elsewhere logical was the diamond Ace.

 

I then also had established what appeared to be an eighth trick, looking for the ninth.

 

So, now came a small fake Grue Coup (before the Grue Coup was named) of small "from my Ace" toward the third-highest 9 in dummy, to sneak a trick. From LHO's perspective, this was too much, and he hopped the Jack, crashed under RHO's Ace, to establish my 9 in dummy, with no card held by RHO to get to his partner's established suit.

 

:blink:

[Free]

You can only simulate one of the 2, since you took the first trick with either the King or the Ace.

 

A tricky one, but don't you think you'll look extremely stupid if you play this way and RHO had QJ to begin with?  :blink:

I think he said "or". :)

Sometimes you can simulate 2 situations at once... :)

 

To respond to the question about taking with the King or the Ace: the Ace is definitely better. With AQ it seems unreasonable to put down the Q, while with KQ it's not.

[pclayton]

Very nice.

 

Here's a hand I've been thinking about with a similar theme:

 

[hv=d=s&n=st76hak54d432c763&s=sqj9532hq32da5cak]133|200|Scoring: MP

1S - 2S - 4S[/hv]

 

It's matchpoints. You get a diamond lead to your Ace.

 

Any ideas here?

[Tomi2]

Very nice.

 

Here's a hand I've been thinking about with a similar theme:

 

[hv=d=s&n=st76hak54d432c763&s=sqj9532hq32da5cak]133|200|Scoring: MP

1S - 2S - 4S[/hv]

 

It's matchpoints. You get a diamond lead to your Ace.

 

Any ideas here?

win the ace, play ♥ to the ace, ♣to the king, simulating you made a finesse with Kx in clubs, then cash ♥Q, go to dummy with ♥, hope they split 3-3, discard you ♦loser on the good heart and hope RHO ruffs with a small card from Ax (case one) or forgets to ruff with a small card from Hxx (likely Kxx) (case 2)

 

in case one you win the !D return und play ♠Q simulating that you used your only entry for not taking the trump finesse but the club finesse

 

sonds strange but maybe works on a good day. on a bad day some of these cards gets ruffed and you lose that game

[Cascade]

Great idea. I have not thought of this. Looks like it would work against competent defenders.

 

Against incompetent defenders you win when RHO really does have two honours.

[Guest Jlall]

Very nice.

 

Here's a hand I've been thinking about with a similar theme:

 

[hv=d=s&n=st76hak54d432c763&s=sqj9532hq32da5cak]133|200|Scoring: MP

1S - 2S - 4S[/hv]

 

It's matchpoints. You get a diamond lead to your Ace.

 

Any ideas here?

cash HQ, lead a small spade. LHO may pop with Hxx thinking you have stiff Q (consistent with RHOs count card).

 

That theme is well known though, I really like OPs theme.

[xcurt]

Very nice.

 

Here's a hand I've been thinking about with a similar theme:

 

[hv=d=s&n=st76hak54d432c763&s=sqj9532hq32da5cak]133|200|Scoring: MP

1S - 2S - 4S[/hv]

 

It's matchpoints. You get a diamond lead to your Ace.

 

Any ideas here?

cash HQ, lead a small spade. LHO may pop with Hxx thinking you have stiff Q (consistent with RHOs count card).

 

That theme is well known though, I really like OPs theme.

Agree with this. I'm in game with 23 HCP, I'm not chancing going down by playing 3 rounds of hearts. Even if +620 is only 60% of the matchpoints I'm laying 2:1 MP odds.

[pclayton]

Very nice.

 

Here's a hand I've been thinking about with a similar theme:

 

[hv=d=s&n=st76hak54d432c763&s=sqj9532hq32da5cak]133|200|Scoring: MP

1S - 2S - 4S[/hv]

 

It's matchpoints. You get a diamond lead to your Ace.

 

Any ideas here?

cash HQ, lead a small spade. LHO may pop with Hxx thinking you have stiff Q (consistent with RHOs count card).

 

That theme is well known though, I really like OPs theme.

No this isnt what I had in mind. Move a heart to a diamond and try again.