See if you can do better

[Phil]

[hv=n=skj8762hkdakqcq32&s=s54hq953djt32cakt]133|200|1S - 1N - 2N - 3N[/hv]

 

After the set you'll discuss how to get to 4♠. For now you get to play 3N.

 

1. ♥4 (4th best), K, 3

2. ♥8....

 

Now what?

[cloa513]

Win the queen, lead to the king of spades hope the ace is onside or the queen drops onside. If not hopefully the original lead was from six hearts without an entry otherwise your done for.

 

The spades have to be played immediately or else opponents will have too much information to guess how to play them except for the slight squeeze in the run of diamonds (but to run the diamonds gives away the location of the king of clubs).

 

4♠ contract isn't a lot better as the play of spades involves a lot of guesses.

[matmat]

[hv=n=skj8762hkdakqcq32&s=s54hq953djt32cakt]133|200|1S - 1N - 2N - 3N[/hv]

 

After the set you'll discuss how to get to 4♠. For now you get to play 3N.

 

1. ♥4 (4th best), K, 3

2. ♥8....

 

Now what?

I assume RHO's ♥A won the first trick?

[gnasher]

I duck this trick, and probably duck the next one too. That caters for the posssibility that LHO has led from Jxx, and lets me find out who has five hearts. Then I play the hand without the long hearts for SA.

 

If I was sure that the hearts were 5=3, I could take the third heart and play a spade to the 8, gaining when RHO has AQ doubleton.

 

Don't ask me what I'm going to do if RHO's ♥8 holds and he now leads he jack.

[Phil]

I assume RHO's ♥A won the first trick?

Yes, this was posted late last night, sorry:

 

1. ♥4 (4th best), K, ACE, 3

[Phil]

Win the queen, lead to the king of spades hope the ace is onside or the queen drops onside. If not hopefully the original lead was from six hearts without an entry otherwise your done for.

 

The spades have to be played immediately or else opponents will have too much information to guess how to play them except for the slight squeeze in the run of diamonds (but to run the diamonds gives away the location of the king of clubs).

 

4♠ contract isn't a lot better as the play of spades involves a lot of guesses.

Perhaps you were playing with one of your cats when you posted this. :P

 

Try again please.

 

I'm not going to say if Andy is on the right track, but I will give you a hint:

 

Rexford will get this.

[kenrexford]

I'm not sure that I do get this one.

 

I mean, it really seems straight-forward. RHO appears to have no returned fourth best. Of course, I could stick in the 9 just in case. But, if RHO started with A8 doubleton, ducking blocks the suit. If the 4 is true, then A8 tight can be ruled out, but this might be funny all around. More likely, LHO has J10xx(x) or xxx (if RHO is funny).

 

So, I'll try the 9 for S&G, assuming that it loses.

 

On the continuation, I might as well duck a third time, to see whether I can guess the spades or must play the spades for RHO with the Ace. If hearts split 4-4 after all, I can guess spades. If hearts split 5-3, I must play for the person with the fifth heart to not have the spade Ace.

 

I could win the third heart for a squeeze, but what am I squeezing LHO out of?

 

As for the 4♠ contract, why are there guesses? I lose a heart and then find out how many spades that I lose. I guess to play to the Jack and then guess to play to the King. Not much guessing there.

[Bbradley62]

I'm gonna presume that West started with ♥JTxxx and East A8x. If so, I'm down if West has A♠, so I play East to have it.

 

Duck the second heart and win the third, expecting this to ex-communicate West from East. Cash two top diamonds. If both opps follow, neither has a fifth, so I can cash the third, cross to a high club and cash the fourth diamond.

 

We're now down to 5 cards. If East is shorter in spades than clubs, I want to play a spade (minimally covering West's card) to East, win the club return in hand, and duck a spade to East's now-singleton A (presuming that the first spade didn't go to the A), winning Q♣ and K♠ at the end. If East has more spades, I want to cash Q then K♣ and duck a spade into East, endplaying him. I just I have to decide which...

 

Opps started with 5 spades and 7 clubs. If East [corrected] had 3 diamonds, I should play him for having started with 3 spades and 4 clubs, unless I see a reason to think otherwise.

Edited July 9, 2010 by Bbradley62

[Bbradley62]

As for the 4♠ contract, why are there guesses? I lose a heart and then find out how many spades that I lose. I guess to play to the Jack and then guess to play to the King. Not much guessing there.

Agreed. And 1S-1N-3S-4S gets you there.

[jdonn]

Rexford will get this.

I run the jack of spades from dummy, which I expect to hold.

[Phil]

So, I'll try the 9 for S&G, assuming that it loses.

So close...

[kenrexford]

So, I'll try the 9 for S&G, assuming that it loses.

So close...

I mean, the 9 also operates as a potential deep Bath Coup type of problem, if RHO has A87.

[Phil]

So, I'll try the 9 for S&G, assuming that it loses.

So close...

I mean, the 9 also operates as a potential deep Bath Coup type of problem, if RHO has A87.

Well done! Ask yourself how we would play with Q973. We would play the 9 - in tempo.

 

LHO must have JT642 or JT742. With the latter, nothing makes a difference. LHO will win and clear hearts, not concerned about crashiing pard's 6. If he has the ♠A you are toast.

 

With the former, you make life very difficult for LHO, but why would he? While dummy's spades are threatening for all he knows we are 1444 and the 2nd heart trick is our 9th.

 

AFAIC the 9 never hurts if the defender are carding honestly.

[gwnn]

I'm afraid I'd also be in 3NT btw. Nice stuff, and wd kenrexford.

[gnasher]

AFAIC the 9 never hurts if the defender are carding honestly.

That depends on what RHO would play back from an original A10872. In all of my partnerships, the correct card would be a current-count 8.

 

I think the later play is more interesting. Bbradley62's line is obviously better than my rather primitive suggestion.

[Phil]

AFAIC the 9 never hurts if the defender are carding honestly.

That depends on what RHO would play back from an original A10872. In all of my partnerships, the correct card would be a current-count 8.

 

I think the later play is more interesting. Bbradley62's line is obviously better than my rather primitive suggestion.

Leading back the 8 from AT872 is hardly standard.

 

Still, I think Ken's answer is more effective if the opponents use standard methods. I also think its much more likely LHO is opting for a lead of JTxxx than Jxx.

[Bbradley62]

Gonna show us the whole table?