Play 4 spades

[Cyberyeti]

I made this one, but basically took a view that had it been wrong would have made me look very silly, suggestions on the best line please. This is from the national pairs regional final, so some of the other UK posters may well have seen it.

 

[hv=pc=n&s=sj6432h7dcak98654&n=sak5hj543dak65c73&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1c(4+)p1d1h1s(5+%2C%20so%205+C%20also)p2h(Good%20S%20raise)3h3sp4sppp]266|200[/hv]

 

We play X of 1♥ shows 4♠ so 1♠ shows 5, we will have 6+♣/5♠ unless we have a good hand with points outside the blacks.

 

Defence starts with 2 rounds of hearts, RHO appearing to start with AKQ10xx, what next ?

[gszes]

trick 2 ruff heart (yay me)

trick 3 club ace (not to ace)(edited) I sure hope no one ruffs this but I can still survive)

trick 4 spade to the A (assuming all follow or ouchies) if lho plays trump Q see below*

trick 5 spade K hoping trumps are 32 or if 41 need 22 clubs)

trick 6 club toward other top club

 

the main advantage of this LOP is that sometimes rho will have

3 trumps and a singleton club playing this way prevents rho from

ruffing the 2nd top club and continuing to pump us in hearts and if

rho ducks we win and ruff a club and we still have 2 trumps left

to return to hand and keep playing clubs until rho gives up.

 

If rho ruffs the 2nd club they ruff air and wed still make it even

if rho began with 4 trumps (a big defensive error)

 

*This line also manages to work if lho has the stiff spade Q and 3 clubs.

trick 5 club toward hand if rho ruffs air we ruff return spade to K and spade back winning the rest

so assuming rho ducks and we win the other top club

trick 6 ruff a club with the spade K

trick 7 play a spade back to the J

trick 8 play clubs and rho can score 2 trump tricks but that is all

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=sj6432h7dcak98654&n=sak5hj543dak65c73&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1c(4+)p1d1h1s(5+%2C%20so%205+C%20also)p2h(Good%20S%20raise)3h3sp4sppp]266|200| I made this one, but basically took a view that had it been wrong would have made me look very silly, suggestions on the best line please. This is from the national pairs regional final, so some of the other UK posters may well have seen it.

We play X of 1♥ shows 4♠ so 1♠ shows 5, we will have 6+♣/5♠ unless we have a good hand with points outside the blacks.

Defence starts with 2 rounds of hearts, RHO appearing to start with AKQ10xx, what next ? [/hv]

Guessing: Ruff at trick 2. Cash ♣A, ♠A. Lead a ♣ from dummy. If RHO follows or discards, then play ♣K.

If ♣ break, continue ♣ and hope for the best. If LHO has 3 ♣ and ♠Q has appeared then ruff a ♣ with ♠K, return to ♠J and run ♣.

Otherwise, ruff a ♣ low. If that wins then elope for ten tricks with ♦AK, ruff a ♦, ♠K, and ruff a ♦.

If ♠ are 3-2 you might lose to those who made 5♠

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Finch]

It's matchpoints, so I would play to make 11 tricks with spades 3-2 (and 10 tricks with spades 4-1 and clubs 2-2).

Ruff the second heart, SA, CA, SK, C towards the king, C ruff.

 

This line goes off on the actual layout, of course.

 

 

If you want to play RHO to be 1-1 in the blacks then ruff the heart, CA, SA, CK, C ruff low, AK of diamonds discarding clubs, D ruff in hand, C ruffed and over-ruffed, D ruff in hand for 10 tricks. But this line looks really silly when clubs are 2-2 and trumps 4-1

[Cyberyeti]

It's matchpoints, so I would play to make 11 tricks with spades 3-2 (and 10 tricks with spades 4-1 and clubs 2-2).

Ruff the second heart, SA, CA, SK, C towards the king, C ruff.

 

This line goes off on the actual layout, of course.

 

 

If you want to play RHO to be 1-1 in the blacks then ruff the heart, CA, SA, CK, C ruff low, AK of diamonds discarding clubs, D ruff in hand, C ruffed and over-ruffed, D ruff in hand for 10 tricks. But this line looks really silly when clubs are 2-2 and trumps 4-1

 

I played a different line for 1-1 in the blacks. I decided that a vul E with only 6 hearts was quite likely to have 5 diamonds and 1 club to stick his neck out at the 3 level, so ruffed the heart, ♠AK, ♦AK ruff a diamond, ♣AK, ruff a club, ruff a diamond and that was 10 tricks with both opps winning the last 2.

[rhm]

T2: ♥ruff

T3: top ♠ in dummy

T4: club from dummy.

If RHO is void and ruffs low, play him for ♠xx or ♠Qxx and ruff the ♥ return high and unless over-ruffed, continue with another spade to dummy and another club from dummy.

If both follow to the first club:

T5: top ♠ in dummy

 

If both follow to this second round of trumps, you are home. Just continue establishing clubs.

If RHO show out on the second round of trumps you can play him for either 1=6=4=2 or 1=6=5=1. If 1=6=5=1 you must play diamonds from the top and ruff diamonds and ruff the third club in dummy. You make the minor suit tops and 6 trumps.

However, if clubs are 2-2 this does not work, since LHO can ruff the third club with a middle trump. Just continue clubs instead. I think RHO is more likely 1-6-4-2 than 1-6-5-1.

 

Rainer Herrmann

[HighLow21]

I'd play for clubs no worse than 3-1 and trumps no worse than 3-2 (or 4-1 with RHO having 4 trumps and a single club OR either opponent with a stiff Q♠).

 

Ruff the heart, Ace of clubs, Ace of spades, low club to the K♣. If the club is ruffed by RHO he is ruffing a loser. If it is ruffed by LHO, then I have got to play for LHO to have exactly 3 trumps (or 2 to the queen).

 

If spades are 4-1 with RHO then I might run into control issues, especially if the 2nd round is ruffed and a heart is returned. (If it is not ruffed I can ruff the 3rd club low and probably make it home on a cross-ruff.)