Easy 4H

[gnasher]

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IMPs

After an artificial auction you rather feebly stop in game. LHO leads ♦Q and RHO plays the 7, which is either standard count or suit preference (they weren't sure which). Plan the play.

[Hanoi5]

♠A, ♠ ruff, ♣AK, diamond to the table and spade ruffed. If I have won everything till this moment I'll ruff a club on the table and if this wins a spade ruffed with the 10 for the overtricks.

 

Edit: That's probably better for 6. If I'm playing 4 I'll win the diamond, ♥A, ♥K and let the ♠J ride unless covered if hearts behave. If hearts are 4-1 I just need a ruff in each hand after cashing my winners.

[mikeh]

There are a lot of things that could go wrong.

 

I win the diamond and cash the heart A.

 

I will rethink if someone shows out, but I can't take the time nor would anyone want to read an effort to cater to 5-0 and 0-5 trump at this stage.

 

I play a club to my hand and a spade up. I ruff a spade low....overruffing rho is he shows out and ruffs in.

 

I reserve the right to rethink of LHO overruffs.

 

Assuming the spade ruff wins, I play a diamond to dummy.

 

I think I am fine if LHO ruffs: I don't think he can beat me now. If RHO ruffs, again I reserve the right to rethink: for one thing, what does he play back?

 

So long as everything has stood up so far, I play a second club towards my hand. RHO can't hurt me should he ruff in....even if he then lays down a high spade, I'm ok I think. I can ruff with the 10 and if it gets overruffed, trump were breaking and I can eventually just concede a spade, losing 2 ruffs and a spade.

 

If LHO ruffs, again I get a rethink.

 

If all stands up to this point, I have 1 trump, 1 spade and a ruff and 4 minor tops, for 7 winners. I cash the heart K for my 8th trick. If hearts have behaved, I simply draw the last trump, making my small heart in dummy good.

 

If hearts are 4-1, then I am cold anyway.

 

If LHO had the length, I lead a minor: if I ruff low, I now have 10 tricks, and may be able to score 11 if I can ruff a spade without being overruffed. If he ruffs the minor, I overruff and ruff a spade...and again make 10 or 11 tricks.

 

If RHO had the length, I ruff a minor with the Q and lead a spade, guaranteeing the 10 of trump will score a trick.

 

All of this is a bit convoluted and it wouldn't surprise me to find there is a safer line. I do think that one should always try to lead towards an AKx(x) holding rather than laying down the AK, just in case a ruff is looming in front of our honours. I also think that one should generally cash a high trump, even when not intending to play a second. Not only will we have a chance to rethink should trump be 5-0/0-5, but we eliminate the always annoying ruff with a stiff trump. Not likely, of course, but where's the cost in catering to it?