lamford Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) [hv=pc=n&s=st73ha8432dj83c98&w=sq5hj76dt972ckj53]266|200[/hv]Dealer North, EW vul, MPs. There was usually a simple auction, (Pass)-2NT-(Pass)-3NT-All Pass at a local club this week. The players are intermediate. You lead the three of hearts (fourth best), to the king and ten, and Partner returns the nine of hearts on which declarer plays the queen. Plan the defence, as they say. Assume 2NT is 20-22. Dealer corrected as a result of the eagle-eye of RMB1 Edited July 17, 2014 by lamford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMB1 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Dealer East, EW vul, MPs. There was usually a simple auction, (Pass)-2NT-(Pass)-3NT-All Pass Did North deal and pass or did East deal and open (with no preceding Pass)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyberyeti Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 I think I take this at face value and assume partner does indeed have K95 so I duck, being prepared to apologise if partner actually had K9 and declarer false carded, or he can now cash 12 although that probably needs AKxxx, Q10, AKx, AQx or similar which might be an upgrade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billw55 Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 With no apparent entry, ducking seems the best shot. I am not too worried about declarer running 12 tricks: partner has a value or two left and I doubt declarer will take the risk of finessing into my hand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanoff Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 I'll win and clear hearts signalling for a diamond hoping that declarer may not risk a diamond finesse.I don't think partner will have ♥K9x.Obviously at imp you'd duck although even with ♥Q10 doubleton declarer is still favorite to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamford Posted July 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Did North deal and pass or did East deal and open (with no preceding Pass)?No, there was a Pass out of turn by North, condoned by East who opened 2NT ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamford Posted July 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 My partner did duck the second round, playing her fifth heart rather woodenly, but declarer now crossed to the queen of spades, and led the 10♦ ducking (and insulting me in the process) when I played the queen. 10 tricks was a poor score for us. I, of course, being of a benign nature, did not indicate to my partner that she might have won and played a third heart on which I would have pitched the queen of diamonds, beating the contract, as this was the full deal:[hv=pc=n&s=st73ha8432dj83c98&w=sq5hj76dt972ckj53&n=s98642hk9dqcqt762&e=sakjhqt5dak654ca4&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=p2np3nppp]399|300[/hv] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilKing Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 North would (or rather should) play the 9 from K9x, K then 9 is doubleton. Obviously, declarer fluffed his lines by not putting up the jack at trick one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamford Posted July 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 North would (or rather should) play the 9 from K9x, K then 9 is doubleton. Obviously, declarer fluffed his lines by not putting up the jack at trick one.Would that not have made it "obvious" to South to win the second heart and play a third one? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilKing Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Would that not have made it "obvious" to South to win the second heart and play a third one? My brain switches off at 90 degrees. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomSac Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 Ducking is a very bad play at MP since partner 100 % has K9 doubleton to win the king at trick 1 and you will sometimes cost an overtrick since you might never get that trick back. Ofc the ace being required to beat it is an unlikely layout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanoff Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 My partner did duck the second round, playing her fifth heart rather woodenly, but declarer now crossed to the queen of spades, and led the 10♦ ducking (and insulting me in the process) when I played the queen. 10 tricks was a poor score for us. I, of course, being of a benign nature, did not indicate to my partner that she might have won and played a third heart on which I would have pitched the queen of diamonds, beating the contract, as this was the full deal:[hv=pc=n&s=st73ha8432dj83c98&w=sq5hj76dt972ckj53&n=s98642hk9dqcqt762&e=sakjhqt5dak654ca4&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=p2np3nppp]399|300[/hv] Has my brain packed up as well and ducking the ♦Q is insulting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgr Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 I'm not sure if it is clear to play H9 with K95:....K95J76......AT2....Q843 H3-6-9-Tand declarer ducks 2nd round H3-6-K-Aand South ducks the 2nd round But better duck,if:....K95J76......AQ2....T843 Maybe the 9 is better anyway with K9x to help partner reading the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomSac Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 How about partner having QTxx(x) and declarer having A8(x) lol? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyberyeti Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 How about partner having QTxx(x) and declarer having A8(x) lol?How about partner having AQxx(x) and you losing to declarer's 10x(x). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilKing Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 How about partner having AQxx(x) and you losing to declarer's 10x(x). AQxxx is the only downside, since AQxx is not really possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomSac Posted July 17, 2014 Report Share Posted July 17, 2014 How about partner having AQxx(x) and you losing to declarer's 10x(x). It has happened before! Are people really suggesting they do not play the 9 almost 100 % of the time with K9x? Sure if it's some hand where your only chance to beat it is running 5 tricks as you know they have 9 tops at imps you would play the K, and if it's some hand where they are going to make a lot so your goal is to set up 1 trick (or cash out 2 tricks), you might play the K at MP, but other than that I have never played the K from K9x and have never seen anyone good ever play the king. It is just the percentage play to play the 9 from K9x on a normal hand like this. I am not going to play my partner to have made some bizarre play randomly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antrax Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Since this isn't the expert forum, I'll bite: why is ducking the ♦Q insulting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamford Posted July 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Since this isn't the expert forum, I'll bite: why is ducking the ♦Q insulting?It assumes North cannot find the queen from Qx or the duck from QJx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyberyeti Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 It assumes North cannot find the queen from Qx or the duck from QJx. Half of the QJx's are QJ8 where the cover is normal and the duck fine tbf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antrax Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 I really really don't follow, maybe seeing all hands biases me. You want to duck a diamond as a safety play, since you really only need three diamond tricks.If N has another heart to lead, S has a four-card suit and declarer loses three hearts and one diamond and makes.If N has no hearts to lead, then S has no entry, since declarer is looking at stoppers in both black suits, so declarer makes 4 diamonds even on a 4-0 break.So, why is ducking a diamond to north anything but a good play? It loses an overtrick when north has Qx, but isn't that normal at IMPs to prevent going off on the actual deal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanoff Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 It assumes North cannot find the queen from Qx or the duck from QJx. No need to assume anything.It's irrelevant what the defence does with QJx, you duck the Q (in case it's stiff) and win everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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