Defensive carding theories all over the place

[kenrexford]

Strange hand.

 

[hv=d=e&e=saxhqj109xxxdxxxck&s=sqjxh82dxxxc10xxxx]266|200|[/hv]

 

East opens (a strange) 4♥. We pass throughout. West bids 4NT, and East shows one. West places the contract at 6NT. Partner leads a Rusinow club Jack.

 

Question #1. What do South's club pips mean? Would you play high for attitude or low for count, if playing standard count? What seems to apply here?

 

Anyway, Declarer wins and then plays a small heart toward hand. Here's where it gets really interesting.

 

The "obvious" seems to be to give count (8 for even). But, think through from an IMP perspective what is going on here. No matter what you do, partner is going to duck if he has the heart Ace, right? If he wins the Ace, the hand is surely over. I mean, how can winning the Ace ever be right (at IMPs)? You are just giving Declarer the heart suit.

 

The default high-low seems obvious, but is it?

 

Suppose that we assume, at IMP scoring, that partner will assuredly duck the heart whenever it makes a difference. In that event, Declarer will always have a stiff heart King. Hence, the heart suit will be dead at that point.

 

If Declarer is to make this hand, then, the sole risk is a running diamond suit. So, what if Declarer can get to 11 tricks by way of the diamond suit and just one heart trick?

 

Now, you might want to use the heart suit to send a different message, whatever that may be. Maybe confirming a spade control?

 

Or, back up. If the first club was attitude, then maybe this is the best first opportunity to show count in clubs (to help partner find pitches intelligently on the run of diamonds)? If the first club was count, maybe a "Smith echo" showing attitude for clubs (to let partner now know that you have the club 10)?

 

This seemed like an interesting question. The defense is 100% clear as to how to play hearts. A true count signal does nothing for partner other than to make him sad if you play low or hopeful that high is not a forced stiff play. either way, he ducks (ducking with hope that a low card was grabbed wrong). In that event, it seems that this is an opportunity to have the pip play mean something.