You like crocs?

[kenrexford]

Kind of a taunting problem tonight...

 

[hv=n=sajhq10xxdkjxcaxxx&s=skxxhakxxda10xcj98]133|200|[/hv]

 

1NT-P-2♣-P-

2♥-P-3♠(mild slam try or better)-P-

4♥-all pass

 

Spade lead, and the Jack wins.

 

This is horrible!!! I mean, at MP, there is so tempting a line. When you play hearts, they split 3-2, of course. So, how do you play this?

[CSGibson]

I think the line you are trying to go for is this: 3 rounds of trump, ace of spades, K of diamonds, J of diamonds (hopefully covered). If it is, win the A of diamonds, A of clubs, diamond to the T, K of spades pitching a club & a low club from hand (assuming no one unblocked on the A of clubs)...

 

If the jack of diamonds is not covered, I'm not playing them for the Q (The theme of tonight being that if they don't cover, they don't have it) I'm just taking my A, pitching a diamond on the K of spades, and making my 5.

[jukmoi]

[hv=n=shdcaxxx&s=shxdcjxx]133|200|[/hv]

 

In this ending South makes 12 by leading a small ♣ from dummy if East holds ♣KQxx.

[kenrexford]

I think the line you are trying to go for is this: 3 rounds of trump, ace of spades, K of diamonds, J of diamonds (hopefully covered). If it is, win the A of diamonds, A of clubs, diamond to the T, K of spades pitching a club & a low club from hand (assuming no one unblocked on the A of clubs)...

 

If the jack of diamonds is not covered, I'm not playing them for the Q (The theme of tonight being that if they don't cover, they don't have it) I'm just taking my A, pitching a diamond on the K of spades, and making my 5.

Yep. This one got easy, because RHO had Qx in diamonds. The question, though, is whether you would hook the diamond one way or the other, rather than pitch a diamond and hope for a club miracle. Tempting.

 

The humorous thing is that Honor-doubleton was with leftie, which means that the croc coup works, except that it was KQ tight, which means that blind play works as well. (Win the spade. Cash Ace, then King, then Queen in trumps. Cash Ace of spades. Cash Ace, then King of diamonds. Cash King of spades. Cash Ace of clubs. Cash established Jack of diamonds. Play a club to the Jack, and claim on the cross-ruff.)

 

I hate it when all roads lead to Rome, even realy dumb ones, with temptations everywhere that do not matter at all!

[CSGibson]

As to which way to finesse, I think that may be a restricted choice situation. If LHO had two suits headed by the Q empty, he might have led either one, so the fact that he led from spades decreases the probability that he has the Q of diamonds.

[kenrexford]

As to which way to finesse, I think that may be a restricted choice situation. If LHO had two suits headed by the Q empty, he might have led either one, so the fact that he led from spades decreases the probability that he has the Q of diamonds.

If the lead is an attacking one, sure. But, I think the inference is backwards if he is passive. If he won't lead from Queen-empty unless he has two Queen-empty options (or three considering diamonds), then the lead from Q-empty suggests that he did have Queen-empty in diamonds also. Otherwise, he would make a safer diamond lead.

[ONEferBRID]

Don't touch Diam.

Clear Sp A.

Draw trump.

Key play--PITCH a Club on the Sp K ( 3 Cl now in each hand ).

 

NOW, duck a Cl.

[ Opps cannot break Diam ( free finesse for you ) ;

and they can't lead another Sp ( ruffNsluff ) ]

 

Opp has to return a Cl, which you win w/Ace...

And return the last Cl.

 

Opps are now stuck.

 

You only lose two Clubs.

[kenrexford]

Don't touch Diam.

Clear Sp A.

Draw trump.

Key play--PITCH a Club on the Sp K ( 3 Cl now in each hand ).

 

NOW, duck a Cl.

[ Opps cannot break Diam ( free finesse for you ) ;

and they can't lead another Sp ( ruffNsluff ) ]

 

Opp has to return a Cl, which you win w/Ace...

And return the last Cl.

 

Opps are now stuck.

 

You only lose two Clubs.

That line misses the entire point of this post and is a sick line anyway. I only lost one club and no diamonds on my line. You can avoiud a diamond loser by just ditching one on the top spade and ruffing the third diamond. Then, you only lose two clubs as well, unless the K-Q are tight or yolu guess that LHO has a stiff honor, or someone flubbs the hand, or you play for KQ to be together and stuck with all clubs, or any number of things.

[jukmoi]

I think the line you are trying to go for is this:  3 rounds of trump, ace of spades, K of diamonds, J of diamonds (hopefully covered).  If it is, win the A of diamonds, A of clubs, diamond to the T, K of spades pitching a club & a low club from hand (assuming no one unblocked on the A of clubs)...

 

If the jack of diamonds is not covered, I'm not playing them for the Q (The theme of tonight being that if they don't cover, they don't have it)  I'm just taking my A, pitching a diamond on the K of spades, and making my 5.

Yep. This one got easy, because RHO had Qx in diamonds. The question, though, is whether you would hook the diamond one way or the other, rather than pitch a diamond and hope for a club miracle. Tempting.

 

The humorous thing is that Honor-doubleton was with leftie, which means that the croc coup works, except that it was KQ tight, which means that blind play works as well. (Win the spade. Cash Ace, then King, then Queen in trumps. Cash Ace of spades. Cash Ace, then King of diamonds. Cash King of spades. Cash Ace of clubs. Cash established Jack of diamonds. Play a club to the Jack, and claim on the cross-ruff.)

 

I hate it when all roads lead to Rome, even realy dumb ones, with temptations everywhere that do not matter at all!

[hv=n=shxdcaxx&s=shxdcj98]133|200|[/hv]

 

In that case this is the ending. Right play depends on information about opponents distribution.