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What's the best line?


Coelacanth

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I'm neither Advanced nor Expert, but I was playing in a Flight A/X Swiss and my opponent at the other table IS an expert.

 

Imps, obviously, with none vul. You reach 4 by South on an unopposed auction. How do you play the hand on the lead of a club?

[hv=pc=n&s=saq983hkq93dk84c5&n=sj54ha65dqt95ca62]133|200[/hv]

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I tried several times to write up my thoughts. I found that I either ran into dead ends, or had so many possibilities depending on splits and if opps continued clubs or switched to hearts. My general thought was to set up a red suit squeeze for the 4th heart or 2nd diamond and try to cater to 4-1 spade splits without being pumped if they kept leading clubs (and so I'd have 5 red suit tricks, 1 club, and 4 hearts).

 

The idea I had was to duck the first club and ruff the second. Then play A of spades and spade to the Jack.

 

If the club was continued at trick 2, then the heart switch now is too late to kill my communication. If spades are 3-2, I can play all my trump, and lay down the diamond King, then see what happens.

 

If spades are 4-1 I still have some transportation and timing issues. I dunno if I'm completely off base on this line.

 

Very interesting hand, hopefully some poster with better ideas can either complete my thoughts or post better ones.

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Interesting ideas, BunnyGo. I must admit it did not occur to me to duck the first club.

 

A low spade to the Queen at trick two will win. Spades are 3-2, hearts are not 5-1, and the club honors are split, if that matters.

 

Why is honors being split is relevant ?

 

I also wonder how u make this when 3-2 and are 4-2 if u cant guess . Lets say you took finesse and lost and u ruffed continuation. Cleared trumps which leaves u with 1 trump left, misguessed and ruffed their 3rd with no trump left and only 9 tricks. If u dont clear trumps and start working on , as i said after a misguess they may ruff 3rd .

 

This hand has much more to it than u think i am afraid, and thats why i gave you a +1 for bringing this hand. Its a good one.

 

Even if your finesse wins, the chances of not losing a trick is apprx. % 24

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Interesting ideas, BunnyGo. I must admit it did not occur to me to duck the first club.

Spades are 3-2, hearts are not 5-1, and the club honors are split, if that matters.

 

I think my suggestion at a start of a line will work then, or at least it'll safely get you to either a diamond guess or red suit squeeze for the 10th trick.

 

Why is honors being split is relevant ?

 

I also wonder how u make this when 3-2 and are 4-2 if u cant guess . Lets say you took finesse and lost and u ruffed continuation. Cleared trumps which leaves u with 1 trump left, misguessed and ruffed their 3rd with no trump left and only 9 tricks. If u dont clear trumps and start working on , as i said after a misguess they may ruff 3rd .

 

This hand has much more to it than u think i am afraid, and thats why i gave you a +1 for bringing this hand. Its a good one.

 

That's also why I gave a +1, it's a great hand. I'm very much looking forward to some deeper analysis.

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So the greatest danger is that we'll go off in a "cold" contract (take a spade finesse, cash A, and ruff a heart in dummy).

 

By that definition, isn't that the greatest danger of every contract where one reasonable percentage line would work?

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So the greatest danger is that we'll go off in a "cold" contract (take a spade finesse, cash A, and ruff a heart in dummy).

Well actually I think this is the winning line. RHO has Kxx Tx AJxx Hxxx (not sure if he had the king or queen of clubs).

 

If the play goes

A

Q winning

A

A

K

Q - if RHO ruffs in you ruff the return, ruff the last in dummy and run the 10.

So RHO discards on the Q. When you lead the 9 and LHO produces the jack, you ruff and now RHO has some decisions to make. Does he overruff and tap you with a club, or does he discard?

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Well actually I think this is the winning line. RHO has Kxx Tx AJxx Hxxx (not sure if he had the king or queen of clubs).

 

If the play goes

A

Q winning

A

A

K

Q - if RHO ruffs in you ruff the return, ruff the last in dummy and run the 10.

So RHO discards on the Q. When you lead the 9 and LHO produces the jack, you ruff and now RHO has some decisions to make. Does he overruff and tap you with a club, or does he discard?

It doesn't matter what he does - we have four spades, three hearts, one heart ruff, one club and one diamond.

 

That was what I meant by the contract being "cold" on this layout and this line. The problems are:

- What to do if Q loses.

- Whether we can cope with a 4-1 spade break.

- Whether we can cater better for these layouts by doing something different at trick 2.

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