Expert Quiz #001

[pclayton]

Well Ben - what are your thoughts on this??

[the hog]

Cross to CA, hook S, if this wins play AS ditching a H, AK of H and ruff a S. Now hook the C.

[inquiry]

Well Ben - what are your thoughts on this??

Ok, my thoughts.. .I have basicallly three thoughts.

 

1) If the diamond 9 is from singleton or doubleton, odds will switch to hooking WEST for club queen instead of playing for 2-2 or singleton jack, but also

 

2) What ever line you choose you should keep EAST with the diamond Queen (squeeze, endplay) as a useful option, and

 

3) The heart suit has an extra chance no one mentioned, not only is a 3-3 fit a possible choice for an extra trick... doubleton JT, QT, or QJ will provide possible extra trick in heart even if hearts are not 4-2.

 

The problem with playing WEST for the club queen (say three long) is that you will have tranportation problems if you are wrong... For example.. club to ACE, club jack losing to the QUEEN on your right... then you will be locked in dummy on a heart return and can't take advantage of spade king on side.

 

So the two lines I consider reasonable..are....

 

Club to ace, if no queen shows, hook spade, spade ace, spade ruff, and then club hook... If you lose a club, you still ahve diamond-heart potential squeeze on EAST. If spade hook loses, you still have heart pitch on spade ace, and play for hearts to split (or East to have Jxxx, Qxxx, or Txxx and you get ot ruff finessee to ake care of the diamond loser. But spade hook might go south when diamond was singelton and clubs were 2-2.. after all. So I would play club king and club to ACE... both lines work, the club hook line actually makes an overtrick....

 

The hand was....

[hv=d=n&v=e&n=saq4hak75dakjck63&w=skjt9862hjtd9cq72&e=s73hq643dqt6532c4&s=s5h982d874cajt985]399|300|Scoring: IMP

West North East South

 

 -     2NT   Pass  3♠

 Pass  4♠    Pass  5♣

 Pass  6♣    Pass  Pass

 Pass  

[/hv]

 

So I thought this was going to be play club KA taking spade hook and playing on hearts if club queen is out, versus, play club to ACE, and immediately take spade hook and then eventually take club hook through the guy leading the diamond 9. I wondered what logic people would use to choose one.

 

Ben