Rate a Slam #5

[inquiry]

[hv=n=s75hkdkj762cakt95&s=saq986ha98da83c73]133|200|1♠-2♣

2NT-3♦

3NT-4NT

5♠-6NT

Pass

 

[/hv]

After a slight bidding misunderstanding (partner meant 4NT as invite, not blackwood), you get to 6NT. Opening lead ♥5 (4th best versus NT), west plays the Six. You win the king in dummy and think of what to do next.

 

This one may require you to play a few cards and ask what happens next. For instance, should you ever lead a club to the TEN (first round of clubs), the ten wins. Don't necessarily let that fact told to you now influence your decision on how to play the hand.

[quiddity]

I don't think the club finesse can gain - even when West holds QJx he can split his honors on the first round and declarer will have to lose a trick anyway or else use the last dummy entry on a speculative second club finesse. So it seems best to start playing clubs from the top hoping for 3-3 or a doubleton honor.

 

If we drop the miracle QJ doubleton, we can't afford to block the diamonds by starting with the K. Play a diamond to the ace and then run the eight (allow west to win if he covers in case he started with QT9x).

 

Otherwise, after losing the club trick, win the likely heart return, cash the ace of diamonds, and finesse the jack hoping for Qx or Qxx onside. If East drops the Q on the first round we can pick up West's T9xx with two finesses.

[inquiry]

At the time of posting this "solution", this poll has received 14 votes, ranging from 1.5 up to 4.0. The average is 3.14, so just slightly above average advanced. This hand requires no special technique so this is slightly higher than I would have thought. Maybe I missed something.

 

You need a good source of tricks. I am very fond of quiddity’s line: just start clubs at trick two from the top. Cashing club AK gives you four club tricks nearly 65% of the time (catch 3-3 clubs 35.5% of time, catch Jx or Qx, an additional 25.8% of the time, plus occasionally catch lucky QJ doubleton (only 3.2% of the time). On this hand the Jx falls doubleton, so the only question after that is what suit to go for? Well, spade hook can never get you enough tricks, so you have to try diamonds next.

 

[hv=n=s

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kj43hjt753dq9cj2&e=s

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aq986ha98da83c73]399|300|

Note, if you crossed to your hand to hook clubs, you had to do it in diamonds, or you are down, and after your ♣ hook won, you have to play clubs from top rather than risk spade hook or spade to ace.

[/hv]