How do I play this?

[Hanoi5]

♠Q9x

♥JT9xx

♦Kxx

♣JT

 

♠AKJTxx

♥AQ

♦xx

♣9xx

 

You receive a spade lead after an opponent-quiet auction to 4♠. It's teams and you know they're not reaching even 3 at the other table.

[gordontd]

It would be useful to know the size of the spade Xs to determine whether or not we might have three entries to dummy.

[wclass___]

I think crtitical LHO hand is

♠xxx(x)

♥xx

♣something

♦A(x)+

 

You can't directly establish ♥ as you don't have enough entries.

Suppose it goes: ♠9, ♥ finesse, ♥A, ♠Q , ♥J covered and ruffed high.

You can't play ♣ as ♠ return kills you. (unless AKQ with RHO)

You can't play ♦, as after ♦A, and ♦ return you, need to ruff one more ♥. Then ♣, ♠ kills you.

 

If LHO has 2/3 A/K/Q, then you can't do anything. Anytime you play ♣, he returns ♠. Anytime you play ♦ he returns ♦.

 

But, if LHO has only one honor, you can get this home via trying to establish ♣ ruff. Play ♣ at trick 4. LHO will win and return ♠(best). Win in hand and play one more ♣. RHO will win, and if they now force your last ♠(not allowing to ruff ♣) with ♦ switch to A, ♠. You can establish your ♥.

 

You need ♥ no worse than xx-Kxxx, and no more than one ♣ honor with LHO

[jonottawa]

What Gordon said.

 

I take the line that wclass rejected. Maybe ♥ are kx onside and nothing else works. If not, maybe ♠ are 2-2 and the ♦A is onside.

 

Edit: nvm, I like wclass's line better now. I read it too quickly. (He still takes the early ♥ finesse.)