Declare this vulnerable game

[Alik1974]

[hv=pc=n&s=skt976h3daj953ca9&n=sq42hakqjt74dct65&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=p1hp1s2c2h3cdp4cp4dp4sppp]266|200[/hv]

 

Opening lead is ♣K

 

MPs, opponents' bidding most likely is sensible.

 

I butchered the play by failing to plan it in the first place. What is your plan.

[JLOGIC]

 

 

I butchered the play by failing to plan it in the first place. What is your plan.

 

At least you had a good auction

[benlessard]

Not sure I agree with Justin sarcasm.

 

Bidding 2H is a mistake but is it a terrible one i dont think so.

North should of course bid 4H but i see some layout where 4S is going to be better than 4H at MP.

[gnasher]

If I play a spade to the queen, RHO may win and play a heart, leaving me poorly placed.

 

I can't see a safe way to cater for trumps 4-1, so I'll just win ♣A and lead ♠K. That works if trumps are 3-2, and I may survive a singleton honour on my left too, by leading hearts through RHO.

 

For example, LHO wins the ace and plays a heart. I win and cash ♠Q, finding them 1=4. Now I lead hearts, and if RHO has to follow three times I'm OK.

[Fluffy]

North made 4 mistakes, that is, 4 times he failed to bid 4♥. And the 4 of them it was the right bid, not just resulting.

 

You only made 1 card mistake :P. I think Andy is right, ♠K is the best you can play

[Mbodell]

I think I win the ♣A, play the ♦A pitching a spade, and now play another club. If they win and play on hearts I'm going to lose 2 clubs and a spade. If they don't play on hearts, I'll be able to ruff a club in the dummy. I risk a 4-1 spade break and a ruff, but they could have found that earlier. I also go down on a 6=2 club split, but I think the support of clubs on a presumed best Jx is unlikely.

 

Edit: Nevermind, I thought we were in 4♥.

[Codo]

What about the alternative and play two hearts at once discarding the club?

 

So. I would try ace of diamond, (heart discard) diamond ruff, two heart tricks. If both survive, you are home by ruffing 2 clubs and two more diamonds, the last with the Queen of spades. If the second heart does not survive, there are still some chances... And why should heart 3-2 be less likely then spades 3-2?

[gnasher]

What about the alternative and play two hearts at once discarding the club?

 

So. I would try ace of diamond, (heart discard) diamond ruff, two heart tricks. If both survive, you are home by ruffing 2 clubs and two more diamonds, the last with the Queen of spades. If the second heart does not survive, there are still some chances... And why should heart 3-2 be less likely then spades 3-2?

That's an attractive line, but I don't think you should play ♦A so early.

 

Suppose that LHO has Axx x K10xx KQJxx. With your line, he will ruff the second heart, cash ♠A and then force dummy with a diamond. If you still had ♦A, that wouldn't work - if he cashes ♠A and plays a diamond, you win and draw twumps; if he plays a diamond without cashing ♠A you have three aces and seven trump tricks.

[Codo]

Yes much better...

 

 

[Alik1974]

At least you had a good auction

 

I was South. There other 3 players are computers (Funbridge software). They wouldn't psyche, so the 2♣ bidder must have his values. It's the plan of the play I'm most concerned about.

[rhm]

What about the alternative and play two hearts at once discarding the club?

 

So. I would try ace of diamond, (heart discard) diamond ruff, two heart tricks. If both survive, you are home by ruffing 2 clubs and two more diamonds, the last with the Queen of spades. If the second heart does not survive, there are still some chances... And why should heart 3-2 be less likely then spades 3-2?

This probably is a good line, but why you are home I do not get even if you do not cash the ace of diamonds prematurely.

 

You made

 

2 heart tricks (assuming they stand up)

2 minor suit aces

4 minor suit ruffs

and remain with KT9 and 2 more diamonds opposite hearts and a low trump in dummy

 

Why should the remainder be good for 2 tricks when opponents still have all their trumps?

For example West might ruff the next heart low and cash a high diamond, before playing a club.

 

I suggest to continue with a third round of hearts when the second one stands up.

 

If East ruffs, you over-ruff and lay down the ♠K.

If that holds, ruff 2 diamonds before discarding another diamond on the hearts. Opponents get at most 2 trumps and a diamond.

If the spade king is taken, win a minor suit return in hand and go to the queen of spades and play hearts. You are in control

 

If East follows you discard a diamond.

If West returns a minor you win in hand ruff 2 diamonds low and a club in hand before playing another heart form the table to discard your last diamond.

Opponents will get just 3 trump tricks.

If West returns a trump let it ride to your hand and continue with a high trump from hand.

If this holds ruff a diamond and discard another one on another heart. The defense gets 2 trumps and a diamond at most.

If the defense takes the second trump round the queen of spades is your entry to your hearts

 

Rainer Herrmann

[PhilKing]

This probably is a good line, but why you are home I do not get even if you do not cash the ace of diamonds prematurely.

 

You made

 

2 heart tricks (assuming they stand up)

2 minor suit aces

4 minor suit ruffs

and remain with KT9 and 2 more diamonds opposite hearts and a low trump in dummy

 

Why should the remainder be good for 2 tricks when opponents still have all their trumps?

For example West might ruff the next heart low and cash a high diamond, before playing a club.

 

Rainer Herrmann

 

His line involved ruffing THREE diamonds in dummy and two club ruffs in hand. The ♠J onside is for 11 tricks. With the AB modification, it's gone:

 

Trick 1 - win

2 - ♦ruff

3 & 4 - ♥AK

5 - ♣ruff

6 - ♦A

7 - ♦ruff

8 - ♣ruff

9 - ♦ruff

[Phil]

Yes, this is one of those hands where you want them to take their trump Ace ASAP. I like the ♠K.

 

No one has mentioned it, but ducking the club leads to a red suit continuation. I don't think I would like either one.

[rhm]

His line involved ruffing THREE diamonds in dummy and two club ruffs in hand. The ♠J onside is for 11 tricks. With the AB modification, it's gone:

 

Trick 1 - win

2 - ♦ruff

3 & 4 - ♥AK

5 - ♣ruff

6 - ♦A

7 - ♦ruff

8 - ♣ruff

9 - ♦ruff

Thanks I overlooked trick 2

 

Rainer Herrmann

[rhm]

That's an attractive line, but I don't think you should play ♦A so early.

 

Suppose that LHO has Axx x K10xx KQJxx. With your line, he will ruff the second heart, cash ♠A and then force dummy with a diamond. If you still had ♦A, that wouldn't work - if he cashes ♠A and plays a diamond, you win and draw twumps; if he plays a diamond without cashing ♠A you have three aces and seven trump tricks.

Agreed, but you still need to guess the trump layout in the ending for 7 trump tricks.

For example LHO might have Jxx x K10xx KQJxx or similar instead

 

Rainer Herrmann

[PhilKing]

Thanks I overlooked trick 2

 

Rainer Herrmann

 

The hand gets a bit weird if West ruffs the second heart. We are "cold" if we assume he is 3145, but only if we don't misjudge the exact spade position.

 

I'm really not sure about this one - the ♠K line loses big time when East has AJxx, when playing on hearts is almost bound to succeed (East being 4243).

[rhm]

The hand gets a bit weird if West ruffs the second heart. We are "cold" if we assume he is 3145, but only if we don't misjudge the exact spade position.

Unless I have overlooked something, I think my line is superior to Codo, because if 2 hearts stand up, both lines will make. My line has a much better chances to survive a 4-1 split in hearts.

 

T1: ♣A

T2,3: ♥AK discarding ♣9

 

If this stands up

 

T4: ♥Q

 

If East ruffs, over-ruff

 

T5: ♠K (or ♠T if East ruffed with ♠J)

 

If this is taken you win any return in hand and go to the ♠Q to play hearts. (This wins unless East ruffed with a singleton spade)

 

If T5 wins:

 

T6: ♦A

T7: ♦ruff

T8: ♣ ruff

T9: ♦ruff

 

T10: ♥. You remain with ♠Tx but opponents have also only 2 trumps left so you must make another trick

 

Back to trick 4, If East follows (or discards)

 

T4: ♥Q, diamond discard , West ruffs

If West returns a minor, cash diamond ace and cross ruff minors and eventually discard your last diamond on a heart.

If West returns a trump let it ride to your hand and continue with a high trump from hand.

If this holds ruff a diamond and discard another one on another heart. The defense gets 2 trumps and a diamond at most.

If the defense takes the second trump round the queen of spades is your entry to your hearts.

 

Back to trick 2

 

If the second heart is ruffed by East you overruff, play ace of diamonds ruff diamonds and feed East further hearts.

If the second heart is ruffed by West, the play gets complex.

 

If West switches to a diamond honor ruff in dummy and continue hearts

Otherwise win in hand and lay down the ♠K

This looses to some very specific layouts like West having ♠AJxx,♥x,♦xxx,♣KQJxx, and West switches to diamonds (with no diamond honor), but I see no line winning against this layout.

 

Rainer Herrmann