Purgatory I

[pclayton]

While my homies (and gnomies) are seeking greatness in the LM's, I am off in the bracketed KO's earning a little scratch. This changes Monday and its a good thing since I am sick and tired of little IMPs poking me with pitchforks for a little IMPs.

 

It is truly purgatory.

 

[hv=n=sqt76hq3d4cakt985&s=sk3hajt2daq953c73]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

You play in 3N with the lead of the ♥2, Q, K, A

 

You play the ♣7, Q.....and you duck (seems obv but do you agree?). RHO plays the 6.

 

LHO continues with a heart and you win in hand. Right or wrong, you continue the ♠K. LHO wins immediately and fires back a low spade. You finesse the 10 and it loses it to the Jack. RHO and plants you back in hand with a heart.

 

Decision time....♣3, 4.....?

 

Note: LHO is a crusty old lady. You've never played against her in your life but the average MP holding for the bracket is about 2,500.

[HeavyDluxe]

Again, I'm swimming at the deep end of the pool, in spite of the lifeguard's whistles... But I am trying to improve, so I need to take my knocks.

 

I'm a little confused with the lead (since it seems I have the ♥2). But, anyway, I'm playing the ♣8 (low)... I'm thinking that W started w/ QJxx in clubs.

 

If I lose to E, I still have 7 more tricks (♣AKT9, ♦A, ♥T, ♠Q) and can win any return. So, I'm at least going plus.

[kenrexford]

LHO is defending like they know what I have.

 

I think the auction was 1♦-P-2♣-P-2♥-P-2♠-P-2NT-P-3NT, or something like that, where LHO sees my 2452 shape.

 

The Queen of clubs is a classic falsecard from Qxx. I think they might be up for it. So, I'm popping. I'll decide what next later if I'm wrong.

 

At least I'm playing as if I was in the real game. LOL

[Rebound]

LHO's plays raise a lot of questions... first, leading the 2 then the 5 of ♥ holding nothing in the suit - how many hearts? 4? For sure she has no more than 3 spades. A diamond return from west after winning the the ♠ J would have seemed obvious, unless holding the king, but it might have made you guess unless she also holds the J.

 

So, after all is said and done, I think LHO has, at most, 3 spades, 4 hearts and 3 diamonds. But I think it's closer to 2-5-2-4. So I put the QJxx of clubs in LHO's hand and take the finesse.

[cnszsun]

If lho had QJxx, why didn't she duck first ♣ to kill the whole suit?

[wank]

If lho had QJxx, why didn't she duck first ♣ to kill the whole suit?

because she's not very good

[keylime]

At the table, I finesse calmly. I have to ask myself why a diamond wasn't played from RHO when they got in the JS. Makes me think the diamond finesse is working.

[pclayton]

LHO found the play from Qxx. I was wowed.

 

Qx I can understand from a moderately good player but I was impressed she found it from Qxx.

[benlessard]

Hehe. The funny thing is when they do these kind of play but instead of being proud they are clueless as why did you go down by finessing.

[brianshark]

Q is standard play from Qx, so I'm guessing that is what she has and her bridge is better than her appearance suggests. I guess I'm grosvenored if she actually had QJxx.

 

Having said that, so many times I have assumed a line of play based on the assumption that random people in the clubs haven't made a gross misdefence, and often I get burned.

[dburn]

If lho had QJxx, why didn't she duck first ♣ to kill the whole suit?

Because she does not need to. If you are going to play for the drop on the second and third rounds of the suit, then she should play an honour on the first round so that you make two tricks rather than three.

 

As to the actual case, you should play for the drop in clubs (especially at matchpoints, where making no tricks at all from this combination will score a bottom and render you the subject of much justified ridicule). Moreover, you should not have played the queen of hearts from dummy to the first trick.