Two similar suit combinations

[awm]

The other night in the ACBL tourney I was faced with each of the two suit combinations in 3NT contracts. How would you play each of these for four tricks assuming plenty of entries?

 

J64

AT873

 

 

J8765

AT2

[Free]

1. Playing LHO for Hx. Start with small to the J, and finesse later on.

 

2. Playing RHO for Hx or stiff H. Start with small to the T. If it loses, cash the Ace.

[nige1]

Here is a link to Jeroen Warmerdam's excellent Suitplay, which accurately analyzes combinations like these.

[TimG]

1. Playing LHO for Hx.  Start with small to the J, and finesse later on.

I think it is better to lead the Jack, basically playing for the 9 to be onside. Though I suppose success of your line depends in part upon how often LHO will hop with his honor when you lead up to dummy.

 

Edit:

Looks like I was half right. Leading the Jack is best, but if it loses to an honor, next playing to the Ten is correct.

 

[awm]

1. Playing LHO for Hx.  Start with small to the J, and finesse later on.

I think it is better to lead the Jack, basically playing for the 9 to be onside. Though I suppose success of your line depends in part upon how often LHO will hop with his honor when you lead up to dummy.

 

Edit:

Looks like I was half right. Leading the Jack is best, but if it loses to an honor, next playing to the Ten is correct.

Supposing LHO will not hop with an honor from Hx, if your plan is to play to jack and then finesse ten, you pick up:

 

HH with RHO

HHx with RHO (times two)

HH9 with RHO

HHxx with RHO

Also H stiff with LHO (times two)

 

That's seven positions.

 

If you play to the jack and then try to drop an honor you pick up:

 

HH with RHO

H9x with RHO (times four)

Hxx with RHO (times two)

Also H stiff with LHO (times two)

 

This is nine positions, substantially better.

 

On the other hand, say you plan to play to the eight in your hand. This picks up:

 

HH with RHO.

H9 with RHO (times two)

H9x with RHO (times four)

H9xx with RHO (times two)

HH9x with RHO (times two)

HH9 with RHO

 

This is twelve positions, substantially better than either of the previous.

 

Or am I missing something here?

[Stephen Tu]

>Or am I missing something here?

 

You are supposed to pick up stiff honor with RHO, and KQ, but not K9/Q9. Like the blurb in Rosenberg's book, "play the 9 unless you must". honor 9 is supposed to falsecard in principle.

 

Running the J, hooking for the 9 if covered, low to the T if losing 1st trick to LHO, is best. You pick up H9 on your left, stiff 9 on your left, H9 on your right, and only lose additionally to stiff honors. Unless your RHO is incapable of falsecarding from H9 in which case the low to 8 line is best.

 

I recommend using suitplay and Richard Pavlicek's card combo program to tally up and compare lines, check your work. If suitplay is telling you something different from your initial analysis, consider falsecard positions.