A Recurring Problem

[vuroth]

[hv=d=w&v=n&n=sthq73dak865caj53&s=sj862ha8642djct98]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

The bidding may be best forgotten, but west overcalled spades and east raised, and yet here we are in 4♥.

 

SK ST S5 S2

C4 CA C2 C8

DA D7 DJ D4

DK D9 C9 D2

D5 DT H2 D3

S6 S4 H3 S9

C3 CQ CT S7

C6 H4 H9 C5

DQ D6 SQ H6

S8 S3 H7 HJ

CK H8 HT CJ

H5 HQ HK HA

SJ SA D8 C7

 

Of the 8 N/S pairs who played in ♥, 2 made 3♥, 5 made 2♥, and I only made 1♥, for down 3. Clearly, there's something wrong to this kind of hand, because this keeps happening.

 

If anyone could take the time to pour over the play and offer advice, I'd really appreciate it.

 

V

[y66]

Your line seems reasonable to me. I question your decisions on trick 8, after LHO has shown out in clubs and on trick 10 (you know RHO is overruffing).

 

Where I go wrong on hands like this is in trying to work out too many lines, which I can't do, instead of just picking a reasonable line and playing it carefully and decisively.

[ArcLight]

trick 2 - why take the ace of clubs? Instead duck and let RHO have his club honor. You can now finesse in clubs, hopefully netting 3 tricks. (I realize this wont work on this hand, but I think its the line I would take - I haev no reason to think RHO has both club honors, since LHO overcalled)

 

 

If you can lead a heart to the Q then back to the ace, you have a club loser, a heart loser and a spade loser.

 

Making 2 dimes, 3 clubs, 4 hearts and a spade ruff.

 

As for a cross ruff - you have 3 winners outside trumps, 8 total trumps, and not especially good spots. I would not expect to have success.

[Mosene]

I would have finessed in clubs on the second trick. And then hoped for a good heart holding that allows me to both ruff a spade and pick up the king on the left (which it turns out was on the right). I think you lose control of the hand when you played that Ace of clubs. Also, the trumps are not quite high enough to cross-ruff the hand.