Pushy 4 Spades

[cherdano]

[hv=d=n&v=b&n=sk43haq65dkqj73ct&s=sqjt982h3dtcj9654]133|200|Scoring: IMP

1♦-(1♥)-2♠-(P)-

4♠-AP[/hv]

How do you play on the lead of ♥4 (4th best)? (Comments on the bidding welcome for extra credit.)

 

Arend

[inquiry]

Comments on bidding first.

 

On the surface this seems to be a good ZAR hand on count. North hand corrects to a whooping 34 in support of spades, and south with 5-5 has a reasonable 20. However, south really should subtract some points for shortness in his partners suit. How many is up for speculation. But I don't blame north one bit for bidding 4♠. So with the south hand, I would initially count as 20 ZAR points, i get 1 more of the diamond ten (to 21), but now I have to subtract 6 points of only one diamon. This reduces the count to 15. Probably not enough to bid 2♠, and note 15 and 34 is a little shy of what is traditionally needed for game. North might also devalue the heart queen, putting you a lot short. But, no matter now, you have to win ten tricks.

 

Second, Comment on lead. The ♥4 is probably not 4th best if they are playing five card majors. If they do play 4 card majors, I want to know what they open with 1444 versus 1435 versus 2434, and what their 1NT range opening would be (since they seem to have 20 hcp. If WEST has three spades, I rate to make. If East has 3 spades and 4 hearts, guesing his minor distribution could be important...I assume with 4 hearts and 5 in a minor he would open minor.

 

Third, comment on play.

You will win 1♥ and 5♠ easy enough. If you could set up and run diamonds, you will win plenty of tricks. The defense will hold off on the ace of spades until third round, so that is not going to happen (unless spades are 2-2, and even then, they will force you to ruff a club, so you will lack entry). A second line of play is to play to ruff three clubs in dummy and to score 1 ♦ tricks or to ruff two clubs in dummy and score 2♦ tricks. The defense can stop three club ruffs by playing spade ace and spade, but that will allow you to enjoy long diamonds. So the next defensive strategy might be to win club and duck a spade to you (now you can only ruff two clubs, so you will need two diamonds, or a lucky catch of AK, AQ, or KQ doubleton of clubs.. where one ♣ ruff and then use ♣J9 combination to set up a club trick, for 5♠ 1♥ 1♦ 2♣ ruff and 1♣ or 5♠ 1♥ 2♦ 1♣ruff and 1♣).

 

The defense might also hold up on the first round of diamonds (giving you one trick there), but try to deny you two reentries to dummy to set up second diamond trick, while eventually playing a round of spades to stop you from ruffing three clubs in dummy.

 

This seems the kind of hand where you try to force the defense to commit to one line or the other to stop you, and in so committing, allwo the other line to work. This type of either-or line of play, forcing the defense to commit, is covered nicely in Adventures in Card Play.

 

Ok. I win heart ACE, else I could lsoe ♥K, and three side aces. Then I lead a low diamond to my ten. If the Ten wins, I duck a club (now losing 2C and 1S becomes an added possibility, in that i might set up a long club after ruffing one or two). If I am assured of winning this in dummy, I do so, and play diamonds.

 

I guess the line will have to wait until we see waht the do on low ♦ from dummy (or if htey duck, after I give a club).

 

Ben

[cherdano]

Ben, opponents never had the chance to open, but RHO overcalled 1♥. I'll give you for certain that this is at least a 5card suit. So certainly ♥ 4 is not 4th highest, but it shows an honor (would lead top of nothing), and denies a doubleton unless 42.

 

So did I understand rightly that you wouldn't make the WJO of 2♠ in this situation?

 

I don't quite understand how you think you can make if one opponent has ♠Axx. In your line, assume they duck the ♦10, win the club and play ♠A and another spade. As far as I can see, you get only one diamond trick, and only one club ruff, for 2 down?

 

Arend

[inquiry]

Ben, opponents never had the chance to open, but RHO overcalled 1♥. I'll give you for certain that this is at least a 5card suit. So certainly ♥ 4 is not 4th highest, but it shows an honor (would lead top of nothing), and denies a doubleton unless 42.

 

So did I understand rightly that you wouldn't make the WJO of 2♠ in this situation?

 

I don't quite understand how you think you can make if one opponent has ♠Axx. In your line, assume they duck the ♦10, win the club and play ♠A and another spade. As far as I can see, you get only one diamond trick, and only one club ruff, for 2 down?

 

Arend

I can make with one having Axx, in fact I play for that. I don't assume they duck, in fact, they probably should win the diamond ACE, and return a low spade when the suit is 3-1. You just have to tell me what defense they choose. Let me give you one hand, just for grins,

 

[hv=d=n&v=b&n=sk43haq65dkqj73ct&w=s

5hj84d9842ca8732&e=sa76hkt972da65ckq&s=s

qjt982h3dtcj9654]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

Win ACE, low diamond, EAST wins ACE (or WEST if you switch them). Now what? Say EAST leads low spade, win ace in dummy and run diamonds. Evenrually EAST ruffs, you overruff, give a club. See it will make against this distribution. So you don't have to play for 2-2 spades.

[Rebound]

I think I'll win the heart ace and play a club. I may get lucky and get another heart lead. Then I can cross-ruff hearts and clubs. More likely, if they return the spade A and another spade, I win in hand and lead the 10 of diamonds.

 

One quick comment, if I may, regarding the bidding. This is just my own opinion, of course, but I really dislike weak jump responses. What I'm wondering is this: when did they become standard bidding practice? Several times now, playing in individuals where we're all supposed to be playing SAYC, I've run into weak jump shifts. As I've said many times, I have a pretty old-fashioned style, nevertheless, I thought strong jump shifts were still the norm. Apparently that has changed somewhere along the line, and I'd be curious to know when :-)

[inquiry]

I think I'll win the heart ace and play a club. I may get lucky and get another heart lead. Then I can cross-ruff hearts and clubs. More likely, if they return the spade A and another spade, I win in hand and lead the 10 of diamonds.

Welll ... counting tricks... heart ACE, three club ruffs in dummy, and 5 spades in your hand is only nine tricks. So the line you suggest (ruff heart, ruff club, ruff heart, ruff club, ruff heart) leaves you a trick short.

 

Back to the drawing board.

[luis]

Well...

I think the beginning of the play is almost automatic win the hA and play a low diamond. But now we need to know if the diamond ten wins the trick or if they take the dA and if so what do they play.

If the diamond ten wins the trick then a club is played.

One way to ten tricks is 5 trumps in hand, heart ace one diamond and three club ruffs (two low one with the sK). If you can only ruff one club then you should aim to take two diamond tricks.

[cherdano]

Ok, for Ben and luis: Assume the ♦10 is ducked. If you play a club, they play ♠A and another. What now?

Arend

[luis]

Then:

Are spades 2-2 or 3-1? Who has Axx ?

[cherdano]

Then:

Are spades 2-2 or 3-1? Who has Axx ?

In the real world, spades are 2-2. So you win with the ♠K and start leading diamonds, and you have made (5 spades, 3 diamonds, one heart, one club ruff).

 

What do you do if RHO has ♠Axx?

 

Anyway, I think this hand is less interesting than I thought, I assumed playing a club at trick two is a reasonable alternative, but I don't see anymore how I got to that assumption. (This is what I did at the table; spades were 2-2 and led twide immediately after I led a club, but then LHO went wrong by taking my ♦10 with the A...)

 

Arend