Play 6H

[MickyB]

[hv=pc=n&s=sak4hakjt8d987ck6&n=s87hq76daj642caj5&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=p1d3c3hp4hp4np5sp6hppp]266|200|C2 lead, consistent with a low doubleton[/hv]

[gszes]

win the club k draw trumps in 3 or 4 rounds (i hope) ending in hand and lead dia

9 intending to play lho for HonorTx (x) in diamonds

[bluecalm]

I win in hand and win Ah to see if both follow. If so I ruff a spade with Qh and draw rest of the trumps hopefully making RHO distribution clear at this point (i play him for 7 clubs for vul overcall). I then guess diamonds accordingly. This loses to QJTxxxx on the left but in such case the diamond split would make the contract unmakeble anyway.

[wank]

the winning line is absurd on the bidding imo

[Fluffy]

RHO is 2146?

[rhm]

I would play similarly to bluecalm

 

T1: ♣K

T2: ♥A (If East shows out, you change your plan and try to establish diamonds without ruffing spades).

T3,4: ♠AK

T5: ♠ruff with ♥Q

T6: ♦A (This should be safe since no Lightner double)

 

Draw trumps, discarding diamonds from dummy, and play a diamond to the jack and try to end-play East, unless he unblocked, in which case you should loose only one diamond.

 

This requires East to have a singleton or doubleton diamond with at least one honor and 2 or 3 cards in spades, all pretty likely on the bidding.

Since West passed, he is unlikely to have seven spades.

It also wins if West has KQ tight in diamonds.

 

The alternative is to play West for both diamond honors. But even if diamonds are 4-1 the chance that East has a diamond honor is 40%. So this looks as worse odds.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[gnasher]

I would play similarly to bluecalm

 

T1: ♣K

T2: ♥A (If East shows out, you change your plan and try to establish diamonds without ruffing spades).

T3,4: ♠AK

T5: ♠ruff with ♥Q

T6: ♦A (This should be safe since no Lightner double)

 

Draw trumps, discarding diamonds from dummy, and play a diamond to the jack and try to end-play East, unless he unblocked, in which case you should loose only one diamond.

I agree with that line, except that we may as well lead the first diamond from hand at trick three. If LHO has H10 he may incorrectly play his honour.

 

Also, if RHO shows out on the third spade and the second heart, we can be fairly sure that he has three diamonds. Hence we should play him for ♦KQx, by cashing all the trumps to strip-squeeze him.

[lamford]

It looks normal to win in South and run the nine of diamonds at trick two. If that loses to the ten, we might still have a diamond-club squeeze on East after ruffing a spade in North. This seems to work when East is a boring 2-2-3-6 or similar. I guess from wank's comment that this is not the winning line.

[wank]

i wouldn't call that a boring shape on this occasion. if east has only 6 clubs without a side 4 card suit he's been pretty aggressive to overcall at the 3 level vul missing the akj of his suit.

[lamford]

i wouldn't call that a boring shape on this occasion. if east has only 6 clubs without a side 4 card suit he's been pretty aggressive to overcall at the 3 level vul missing the akj of his suit.

I agree, and now think it is better to play ace, king and another spade, ruffing high and then draw trumps and run the nine of diamonds. That works when East is 3-1-3-6, 2-1-4-6 and 2-2-3-6 I think, as well as some layouts with West having ♦ HTx. It fails on East 1-3-3-6 or 1-2-4-6 of course.

[gnasher]

I agree, and now think it is better to play ace, king and another spade, ruffing high and then draw trumps and run the nine of diamonds. That works when East is 3-1-3-6, 2-1-4-6 and 2-2-3-6 I think, as well as some layouts with West having ♦ HTx.

Against those shapes, West puts in his honour and you can't get back to hand to play your squeeze card.

[lamford]

Against those shapes, West puts in his honour and you can't get back to hand to play your squeeze card.

Good point. So I am back to playing a diamond at trick two, when even if East is 2-1-4-6 he may not know to give his partner a diamond ruff, as presumably they play reverse count. And the other shapes are still OK.

[phil_20686]

I don't understand, it is surely virtually 100% that rho has 7 clubs. Game all and he preempted with QT98xx? Even in a 6-4 hand I wouldn't touch it. I would try to count out RHO. If he looks to have two diamonds you can play ace and another. Works against any Hx with rho. If he unblocks you can lead up to the J.

 

If rho looks to have three diamonds, you have no choice but to play for Ht onside, and that is what I would do.

 

SO I am imagining cashing AK of spades, ruffing a spade high, and drawing trumps. If rho has four major suit cards, I will play Ace of diamonds, if an honour appears under it I will ruff the club back and play another diamond up towards the J. (fails if the trumps are 41 obviously).

 

This seems to win whenever rho has two or three spades, and one or two diamonds including an honour, and trumps are not 4-1. So: rho can be 3316 2317 3217 3226 2326 2227

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PhilKing]

Good point. So I am back to playing a diamond at trick two, when even if East is 2-1-4-6 he may not know to give his partner a diamond ruff, as presumably they play reverse count. And the other shapes are still OK.

 

Once upon a time, a player overcalled 3♣ on a seven-card suit.

 

Playing a diamond early works on the actual deal, but it seems crazy to me.

[lamford]

Once upon a time, a player overcalled 3♣ on a seven-card suit.

 

Playing a diamond early works on the actual deal, but it seems crazy to me.

Well ... is East able to work out that his partner does not have ♣62 and South stiff ♣K and an extra spade say?Then an attempt to give partner a club ruff will not succeed. So you may make it when East is 2-1-3-7. If West led high from a doubleton, this would never work.

[PhilKing]

Well ... is East able to work out that his partner does not have ♣62 and South stiff ♣K and an extra spade say?Then an attempt to give partner a club ruff will not succeed. So you may make it when East is 2-1-3-7. If West led high from a doubleton, this would never work.

 

If you run the ♦7 to East's Kx of diamonds, he can see you have 12 tricks.

 

Only an absolute drooler would fail to give partner a ruff.

[lamford]

If you run the ♦7 to East's Kx of diamonds, he can see you have 12 tricks.

 

Only an absolute drooler would fail to give partner a ruff.

I agree. I am not sure if I am allowed another go, but I will win with the king, play ace, king and ruff a spade high, cross in trumps and play a diamond to the ace, and now run the trumps. If East has K10x, Q10x, Qx or Kx of diamonds I can exit in diamonds on the penultimate trump and I am home. If West can win the second diamond and exit with a spade, then this squeezes East, while South ruffs, discarding the last diamond from North. However if West has two clubs, I need to play a diamond earlier and run it. Most of these lines seem to be suggested by others, and I agree with wank that the winning line is against the odds.

[gnasher]

I agree. I am not sure if I am allowed another go, but I will win with the king, play ace, king and ruff a spade high, cross in trumps and play a diamond to the ace, and now run the trumps. If East has K10x, Q10x, Qx or Kx of diamonds I can exit in diamonds on the penultimate trump and I am home. If West can win the second diamond and exit with a spade, then this squeezes East, while South ruffs, discarding the last diamond from North. However if West has two clubs, I need to play a diamond earlier and run it. Most of these lines seem to be suggested by others, and I agree with wank that the winning line is against the odds.

I don't think anyone else had mentioned the fratricide squeeze.

 

That won't work if West plays his honour from Hx. Hence I think you should play a diamond at trick two, before he knows what's going on in the majors.

Edited September 25, 2012 by gnasher

[phil_20686]

So I gather Rhi is 36 in the minors?

I cannot imagine lho's routinely being good enough to foresee the fracticide squeeze. For all lho's knows it is dec who has ktx and has counted Rho for three diamonds. You would look foolish unblocking then lol

[gnasher]

So I gather Rhi is 36 in the minors?

I cannot imagine lho's routinely being good enough to foresee the fracticide squeeze. For all lho's knows it is dec who has ktx and has counted Rho for three diamonds. You would look foolish unblocking then lol

If you, as Lamford suggested, win in hand, ruff a spade high, play a heart to hand, and play a diamond to dummy, West ought to know that there is no loser outside diamonds - it would be a very strange way to play with AKx KJ10xx K10x Kx - so he certainly has the information he needs to work out that unblocking is correct. I agree that it's rather easier to do this on an internet forum though.

[lamford]

If you, as Lamford suggested, win in hand, ruff a spade high, play a heart to hand, and play a diamond to dummy, West ought to know that there is no loser outside diamonds - it would be a very strange way to play with AKx KJ10xx K10x Kx - so he certainly has the information he needs to work out that unblocking is correct. I agree that it's rather easier to do this on an internet forum though.

I don't think it helps West to insert an honour if South still has a trump in North. Declarer can even cash the ace of diamonds when in dummy before drawing trumps, and the squeeze operates as long as East has at least one diamond honour and seven clubs. If West has two clubs then cashing the ace of diamonds will generally fail, and one needs to play a diamond towards dummy early. It still does not help West to put in the H from Hx, as you then revert to the strip squeeze on East. In all cases, as far as I can see, you have to guess whether West has one or two clubs. The answer is to ask West what the probability is of the partnership (and East in particular) overcalling 3C on Jxx x KTx Q1098xx or similar, and then you can judge. You are entitled to this information.