Awkward hand

[gnasher]

[hv=pc=n&s=sqt9864hq83dj32c5&n=sk7hakj62dakck862&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=pp1c(Clubs%20or%2012-14%20bal)d1d2sp3np4sppp]266|200[/hv]

Sorry about the uncultured auction.

 

They open 1♣ on any weak notrump that doesn't have a five-card suit somewhere else.

 

LHO leads ♦10. RHO shows an even number.

 

Plan the play.

 

Edit: IMPs

Edited February 17, 2012 by gnasher

[paulg]

First thought is to lead the king of clubs aiming to ruff a diamond with the king of spades and planning to lose two spades and a club. Leaving the top diamond honour in dummy means that they cannot profitably switch to spades. Hope hearts are not 4-1.

[hrothgar]

[hv=pc=n&s=sqt9864hq83dj32c5&n=sk7hakj62dakck862&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=pp1c(Clubs%20or%2012-14%20bal)d1d2sp3np4sppp]266|200[/hv]

Sorry about the uncultured auction.

 

They open 1♣ on any weak notrump that doesn't have a five-card suit somewhere else.

 

LHO leads ♦10. RHO shows an even number.

 

Plan the play.

 

I am a simple man.

 

Win the Diamond, cross with a heart, lead a Club to the King

If the club holds, ruff a club to hand and lead a spade

 

If they pop the Ace life might get ugly

[bigbenvic]

Imps or Pairs?

 

If Imps I'm just winning and drawing trumps, playing K♠ and if necessary ♠ to the T. I'll probably lose 2 ♠ and the Ace of ♣.

 

There's not a lot of points left for an opener and a response that isn't destructive so they East probably has a lot of shape to go with his bid. Maybe there's a ruff on the horizon that I don't see (stiff ♥) and using the Q as an entry to hook ♠ could be fatal, so could giving W a 2nd chance to lead ♥ before he wins the A♠, give east something like xx x Q9xxxx JTxx.

[Fluffy]

a club from dummy or run spade 7 both look fine. paulg already said why a club is good.

 

Running ♠7 might lose to ♠J, then opponents must play a diamond back or else dummy will soon be high. Then we come to hand by ♥Q and ruff a diamond, we are in better control now and might exit ♣K.

 

running ♠7 loses to some 4-1 heart breaks and also when LHO has ♠J and ♠A is doubleton with 3 hearts. I suspect it wins over a club from dummy at least on the overtrick at MPs.

[bluecalm]

Nice hand.

I see the point of both proposed lines but I can't see the way to estimate which is better.

[gnasher]

[deleted]

[CSGibson]

Let's see if I can figure out the danger hand scenerios:

 

When LHO is AJx xxxx Tx AQJx, I can go down if I play on richard's line, a heart to the Q and a club up, because they just take the ace, give their partner a heart ruff, and wait for me to misguess trump (which I will invariably do). I'm going to reject that line for now, and all lines that have me play on hearts before pulling all of the trump.

 

You know, on the bidding and play I strongly suspect diamonds are 6-2 (RHO has no 4 card major, no values, and could have passed 1♣ with 4-4 or 4-3 in the minors, since he has no reason to believe 1D will improve the contract). If that's the case, I think I have a solid line as long as the club ace is onsides - which it rates to be even for a 3rd hand 1♣ call. I'm more certain of that than the location of the spade ace for sure. I'm going to play the K of spades from dummy. If either righty or lefty take the A and return a diamond, I'm going to run the 7 of spades next, overtaking with the 8 in hand. If they duck the king, I'll run the 7 anyway (overtaking again). RHO can't get in to cash his diamond...unless he has Axx of spades and makes two clever ducks...hmmm

 

I think I'll pay off to a clever RHO with that holding in spades. That's my line: King of spades, 7 of spades overtaking, win something in hand & pull the rest of the trump, use the 5th heart to pitch a diamond and a club if they don't take them.

[bluecalm]

Nvm

[MrAce]

First thought is to lead the king of clubs aiming to ruff a diamond with the king of spades and planning to lose two spades and a club. Leaving the top diamond honour in dummy means that they cannot profitably switch to spades. Hope hearts are not 4-1.

 

There are 2 things that i got confused with this line..

 

1- Why ♣ K but not small ♣ ? What advantage do we gain by giving this trick to LHO ?

 

2-Whey ruff with ♠K but not 7 ? Didn't RHO bid 1♦ ?

[r_prah]

I would play a spade to the queen at trick 2.

 

- If West ducks, I have the much needed entry to lead a club towards the king.

- If West plays back a spade, and they are 4-1, I will play a heart to the queen and lead a club.

- If West plays back a diamond, win perforce, play a heart to hand, ruff a diamond, and exit with the ♣K. As long as the defense cannot engineer a heart ruff now in addition to scoring the ♠J, I am home.

- If West plays back a heart, I will win in dummy, cash the ♠K - I am cold if spades are 3-2 now; if they are 4-1, I will play a heart to hand, and lead a club up. As long as West does not have the stiff ♠A, and four small hearts, or a stiff heart and AJxx of spades (unlikely, since he didn't lead a heart, but not impossible), I am ok.