KT vs A9xxx

[kgr]

I was in 6♥ with following ♥ suit:

KT

-

A9xxx

 

No other losers outside ♥'s.

How do you play this for 4 tricks?

Intuitively I played different then best line.

[Mbodell]

What is the intuitive line that doesn't work? I see only one line that makes any real sense assuming you are missing the 8 and 7 and other high spots (so cashing AK first can't be right and low to the K and running the T can't be right, both waste the too valuable T card [assuming RHO covers the T with original Hx but not with original Hxxx]).

 

We will win on any reasonable line on 3-3. A 5-1 or worse split is going to sink us (ignore the very minimal chance of stiff honor and a trump coup). So all that matters are the 4-2 splits.

 

The reasonable line seems to be low to the T, K, A. If we do that we'll win 4 tricks in the following 4-2 cases:

 

HH = xxxx (1 case)

Hx = Hxxx (8 cases)

xxxx = HH (1 case)

HHxx = xx (6 cases)

 

 

and lose on the following 4-2 cases:

 

xx = HHxx (6 cases)

Hxxx = Hx (8 cases)

 

So that means we will get 16/30 of the 4-2 splits and all of the 3-3 splits which works out to 8/15 * 48% + 36% = 61.6%. We lose on 14/30 of the 4-2 splits and all the 5-1 and 6-0 splits which is 7/15 * 48% + 15% + 1% = 38.4%.

[pooltuna]

I was in 6♥ with following ♥ suit:

KT

-

A9xxx

 

No other losers outside ♥'s.

How do you play this for 4 tricks?

Intuitively I played different then best line.

I suspect the unusual play of small to the T might be right. This assumes you anticipate no offsuit defensive ruffing problems

[gwnn]

I don't understand why low to T is unusual.

 

We gain against Hx and QJxx onside and lose against QJ offside and the former is much more probable.

[cherdanno]

I don't understand why low to T is unusual.

 

We gain against Hx and QJxx onside and don't lose against QJ offside.

FYP.

[Jlall]

You guys are good. Almost all beginners/intermediates are taught and drilled into very early on "cash the honor from the short hand." This is so they don't block suits like Kx opp AQJxx etc. It is a fundamental rule.

 

So suit combos like KT opp A9xxx or even more often KT opp AJxxx are not intuitive to them, because they want to cash the honor from the short hand. If you don't think about it and just go by rules, that's what you'd do (unless you have some very refined rule!).

 

People get this one wrong pretty much every time against me. KT opp AJxxx is even more common, and I've seen some very good players get this one wrong.

[gwnn]

oh lol Arend I was trying to make a comparison because I don't like division by zero. I guess we just lose another undertrick to stiff H offside?

[Jlall]

Another one that people almost always get wrong is AQxxx opp KT for 5 tricks. The correct play is low to the ten, and if you think about it it's obvious.

 

But the much more common holding of AQTxx opp Kx is the one people learn, there you play for the drop rather than finessing.

 

So most people would find it counterintuitive to hook when it's KT doubleton.

[kgr]

You guys are good. Almost all beginners/intermediates are taught and drilled into very early on "cash the honor from the short hand." This is so they don't block suits like Kx opp AQJxx etc. It is a fundamental rule.

 

So suit combos like KT opp A9xxx or even more often KT opp AJxxx are not intuitive to them, because they want to cash the honor from the short hand. If you don't think about it and just go by rules, that's what you'd do (unless you have some very refined rule!).

 

People get this one wrong pretty much every time against me. KT opp AJxxx is even more common, and I've seen some very good players get this one wrong.

I was playing against Jack. Not really thinking long about this I played the K and T.

..I thought this was interesting combination for beginner/intermediate. Thanks for the support :)