Play 4H

[kgr]

[hv=d=s&n=saqjxxxhjtxxdqxcx&s=sktxhakxxdajxxcqx]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

You don't play standard stayman and play 4♥ after bidding:

1NT-2♦

2NT-4♦

4♥

(2♦ transfer to ♥, can be a 4 card if limit+ and can be both majors. 2NT is 4-card ♥ and max)

 

LHO start a ♠ that very much looks like a singleton.

What is best play?

 

I took this in my hand and played ♥AK and LHO appeared to have started with ♥Q9xx. What is best play after this start?

[Free]

♥A followed by small ♥ imo: you keep control of the hand.

 

Playing ♥AK only works when ♥'s are 3-2 or when the Q falls. You should include the possible 4-1 split...

[suokko]

If diamond king is offside good defense can now set you what ever you try.

 

Now you have to make sure that you get 5 spades 3 hearts and 2 diamonds. You run spades next and if opponents makes mistake to ruff you are probably going to make.

 

If no ruff you need to get to end position where you have dummy with x JT Qx x and your hand with - xx AJ Q. If opponent ruffs now they are endplayed to give you try for diamond finesse. If LHO didn't ruff you just take diamond finesse. You will only lose 2 hearts and a club when playing this way if finesse works.

 

This line also gives extra chance if your opponent makes mistake to ruff and holds AK clubs and diamond king.

 

If you get a spade ruff early you can just run spades and discard diamonds and then take 10th trick with diamond ruff it is very unlikely that your opps will find club to RHO and diamond shift without cashing the trump queen. But if they find that then you are again depending on diamond king onside.

 

If scoring is MP then I'm not sure what to do. You can see that spade players are makeing 10 or 11 tricks. Iit seems like you can just try to lure opps to miss defend by playing trumps now and later choose if you take diamond finesse or not. If that doesn't work just take the next board.

 

Anyway, The intreting queston is why you missed your 9 card spade fit. Seems like MP contract trying for max if everything is nicely or opps fail to cash their minor tricks.

 

PS. Free has the point that thinking break was before playing the trumps :rolleyes:

[kgr]

Thanks both for the answers.

- I need to learn when it is better to duck a trump then to play from top. Any tips more then welcome :(

- After cashing ♥AK I played Spade ruffed by LHO who now played small ♣ and has partner returned a ♦ for LHO's K.

- Our team mates at other table returned ♣K iso small ♣ and RHO did not overtake to play the ♦.

- It is probably better to continue trump after playing AK then opps have to play twice clubs , 2nd ruffed and LHO should ruff the 1st Spade after this to break communication.

[gnasher]

The problems started during the bidding. North should just show a one-suiter in spades. Look how much good it did him to find the heart fit.

[Tradermule]

I'm going to win the spade on the table and pass the heart jack. If this loses, the best the West can do is a club return for his spade ruff. I can never make less than 10 tricks. (Am I missing something obvious??)