Wrong strain

[nige1]

[hv=d=n&v=n&w=sat82hkj65432dkcq&e=sj743haqd432ca432]266|100|Scoring: IMP

One of the deals that I misbid and misplayed,

last night, at St Andrew Bridge Club.

We bid..

(_P) _P (_P) 1♥

(2♦) _X (_P) 2♠

(_P) 4♠ AP

1. Would you have reached the superior 4♥ game?
   
2. Against your 4♠,
   LHO led ♦7 ♦2 ♦A ♦K
   RHO returned ♦J and LHO played ♦5
   Please plan the play.
   

[/hv]

[maggieb]

I would just ruff, play a heart up to the A, and play a spade to my ten.

[Fluffy]

I Was gonna suggest ruff, ♥AQ, then ♠A and hearts, with need north to have ♠Hxx and hearts 2-2 or ♠xxx with hearts 1-3 pr 2-2. But I think what maggie said is more likelly to succeed.

[Fluffy]

BTW, it is easy to play in hearts, just bid 4♥ instead of 2♠, 7-4 hardly ever plays better in the 4-4 fit than the 7-1.

[nige1]

[hv=d=n&v=n&w=sat82hkj65432dkcq&e=sj743haqd432ca432]266|100|Scoring: IMP

One of the deals that I misbid and misplayed,

last night, at St Andrew Bridge Club.

We bid..

(_P) _P (_P) 1♥

(2♦) _X (_P) 2♠

(_P) 4♠ AP

1. 
    
    
    
    
   
2. Would you have reached the superior 4♥ game?
    
    
   
3. Against your 4♠,
   LHO led ♦7 ♦2 ♦A ♦K
   RHO returned ♦J  and LHO played ♦5
   Please plan the play.
    
    
   

[/hv]

BTW, it is easy to play in hearts, just bid 4♥ instead of 2♠, 7-4 hardly ever plays better in the 4-4 fit than the 7-1.

• Bidding: I admire Fluffy's 4♥ rebid, because, in old fashionded Acol it implies a ♠ fit. We were playing SAYC, however, so I was less sure about the meaning of 4♥.
  
• Play: You probably need ♠ 3-2 and a 2-2 or 3-1 ♥ break.
  • Crossing to dummy and finessing ♠ fails when RHO has ♠Qxx or ♠Kxx. And opponents force you again in ♦.
    
  • Leading ♠A & another fails when either opponent has ♠KQx.
    
  • There was one vote for ducking a ♠. IMO that is the best line but it would be easier to spot if you held neither the ♠J nor ♠T. It seems to work against any 3-2 ♠ break.
    • If opponents continue ♦, you ruff, cash ♠A, cross to ♥A, lead a third round of trumps and claim.
      
    • If opponents lead anything else, you cash ♠A and run ♥. An opponent still has a ♠ and can ruff in with it at any time; but you are left with a trump entry to your remaining ♥
      

  In fact, RHO has ♠Kx so all lines should lead to success. I failed, when a cow flew by, later in the play :(

[cherdano]

Fluffy was suggesting to ignore the spade fit, his 4♥ bid just shows hearts.

[nige1]

Fluffy was suggesting to ignore the spade fit, his 4♥ bid just shows hearts.

I understood Fluffy's point; and there is merit in that view; but I fear that this ♥ suit may not be robust enough to insist on as trumps (even opposite a vold) when you know you have a ♠ fit.