Good/bad play of 3NT:)

[mishovnbg]

xx

xx

AKX

Qxxxxx

 

Qx

AKxxx

Qxx

KJx

 

pass-pass-1NT-pass, 3NT

 

lead: small DI

 

Question: how you will play this contract and why?

 

your friend Misho 8)

[Laird]

Hello Misho

Thanks for posting the puzzle hand...

 

My simple minded approach is to win the lead with Diamond ace and then try to force out ace of Clubs whilst still retaining communication between north and south. Playing the ace of Diamonds causes some doubt regarding situation of Diamond Q and may help to influence play of opponents when they gain entry with club Ace. I think you need to encourage lead of other suits rather than spades. If they do come spades you could be 2 or 3 down.

However if they come back with diamond or heart then the contract should make ok with 2 over.

I would immagine that east west would signal somehow for a spade return and with 16 hcp between them I would consider myself exceptionally lucky to make this contract.

How the spades are split...4/5 with A K J on rhs

hearts may be split 2/4... Q J separated and clubs may be split 2/2 with ace on left hand side

The diamonds may be 5/2 with Jack on left hand side .. hence diamond lead.

 

This is probably a load of rubbish and

I will be interested to see your solution.

 

Kind regards

John :-

[luis]

xx

xx

AKX

Qxxxxx

 

Qx

AKxxx

Qxx

KJx

 

Very nice hand, I can think about two different lines:

a) Duck the diammond, take the 2nd diammond and play on clubs

:) Take the diammond and play a spade to the Q

 

I'd choose line :D Take the diammond A and then play a spade to the Q

[Laird]

Hi Lous

 

Your lines of play intrigues me, could you explain your rational for both instances.

 

Cheers

John

[luis]

Hi Lous

 

Your lines of play intrigues me, could you explain your rational for both instances.

 

Cheers

John

 

Hi John,

 

With a Qx opp xx of spades we know we are going down if they switch to spades when in with the cA, unless a miracle occurs and the suit blocks so my rational is that I must do something to make them believe that a spade switch won't work.

 

One option is to duck the diammond, concealing the dQ and sacrificing a trick in diammonds; when in with the cA they may just continue diammonds and it will be too late. This line has some merits but any defender can count 5 clubs, 2 diammonds and maybe 2 hearts for 9 tricks so they will play spades as the only way to defeat the contract, lefty is specially dangerous since without the hK he knows declarer has either hA-hK or hA-hQ and the finesse works for 9 tricks.

That's why I think while interesting that line would fail.

 

Playing a spade to the queen is a common deceptive play that I have succesfully executed sometimes, is hard for a defender to realize you are starting your weakest suit, they will probably switch to hearts and then you knock down the cA and if they play another heart you win and claim...

 

You can win the hand or go down but you have a story....

[pbleighton]

"Playing a spade to the queen is a common deceptive play that I have succesfully executed sometimes, is hard for a defender to realize you are starting your weakest suit, they will probably switch to hearts and then you knock down the cA and if they play another heart you win and claim... "

 

Very clever, Luis!

 

Would you do this at matchpoints?

[luis]

Good point pb, the play is harder at matchpoints, but yes, I'd play it in the same way.... Since I have hearts and diammonds under control the number of undertricks should be the same than the number of undertricks of those playing "normally" no extra damage for being fancy.... If spades where blocked and my play just unblocks the suit then don't call me :-) It's unlikely....

[mishovnbg]

Hi friends, i post this in section for beginners and intermediate players and had hope to receive answers and suggestions form them. For expert players or interesting hands in forum we have other section as i know B). By the way, intermediate player who play this hand made 12 tricks, lol

Misho

[mishovnbg]

Advices for beginner/intermediate players:

Remember that opp CANT see yuor cards, even experts B). To make opp defence difficulte:

1. Show as less as possible honour cards from your hand. For example in my post you must take A/K DI, not QDI!

2. When you have 2 or more H in hand put high one, not low. In my post, after A/K DI, if you play low CL from dummy, you must put K CL, NOT J CL.

 

Now i will show you Eeast hand and you can say will East can make right decision on second! trick.

East hand: Kxx, Q109x, J10xx, A10x

Note: Opp use standart marking. On lead DI p give you low DI. On club he give 8 CL and one small card missing.

Misho

[luis]

Advices for beginner/intermediate players:

Remember that opp CANT see yuor cards, even experts B). To make opp defence difficulte:

1. Show as less as possible honour cards from your hand. For example in my post you must take A/K DI, not QDI!

2. When you have 2 or more H in hand put high one, not low. In my post, after A/K DI, if you play low CL from dummy, you must put K CL, NOT J CL.

 

Now i will show you Eeast hand and you can say will East can make right decision on second! trick.

East hand: Kxx, Q109x, J10xx, A10x

Note: Opp use standart marking. On lead DI p give you low DI. On club he give 8 CL and one small card missing.

Misho

 

 

Good tips on concealing your strength but they won't work on this hand.

Your play is absolutely pointless unless you point a gun at east and threaten him not to play a spade.

 

a) East can duck twice and get an obvious switch-to-spades signal from pd

B) Even without the signal a switch to a low spade after taking the cA

is 100% automatic even declarer can have Qx, Qxx, or even Qxxx of spades and you run 6,5 or 4 spade tricks plus the cA to set the contract.

 

It's really better to play a low spade to the Q at trick two, west will play a diammond and when in with the cA east has a chance to err and play a heart.

[mishovnbg]

Hi luis, you are not intermediate/beginner i think, but will explain why you made mistake here. Bridge is not simple at BBO forum, what to say about life Bridge...

1. Even you give encourage signal on lead, on std marking is very simple to give second, not lowest card, from declarer, so you cannot understand your p signals.

2. If yor partner have second CL, he will give you also 8, std marking, so you also dont know have declarer KJx or KJ alone in CL. If he have KJ alone in CL and havent Q DI you make terrible mistake, "ducking and looking for p signals", will be too late ;D.

3. Ducking DI lead cannot help because opp ofcourse will put his/her high card in DI and change lead, you can easy answer where :D.

4. Playing SP to Q is little better but will most of time fail in this concrete hand, because you miss J1098 in SP and probably opp will put as second one of these cards and repeat he know what to return. If you put Q SP, you probably will receive continue lead in DI, but it will NOT HELP YOU. After you take Q DI and play clubs, will be easy now to duck CL enough times to receive TWO discards from p to be CLEAR where to play.

 

For beginner/intermediate players only, if opp play std marking:

Note you must give that card as declarer, which you give to lead as partner of opp. Example in 1 - you give from Q63 -> 6, because you like opp to continue play DI

Misho

[luis]

Never mind. I've tried to explain why you can't win the hand without a deceptive measure.

If you go down you go down the same number of tricks playing either way I'm just maximizing the chances of a defensive mistake.

There's no chance of a defensive problem, no matter what kind of carding you or they are using east will take the cA and shift to a low spade ctaering to Qxxx in declarer's hand.