Play 3 NT

[MrAce]

[hv=pc=n&s=sqj7haq98dj94caj9&n=sa52h543dat76cq87&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=p1s1np3nppp]266|200[/hv]

 

Imp pairs.

 

Lead ♠T, small, K, small

 

T2= ♥J, Q, K small

 

T3=Small ♥, small, T,A

 

Plan the continuation. Simple but cute hand imo.

 

Please in spoilers.

[Hanoi5]

 

2 spades+3 hearts+2 aces=7

 

I just need to hook the diamonds twice and the clubs once and that'll get me two tricks I need. I have no idea how to win if the club king is with West. But that shouldn't be, as East opened the bidding.

 

[DavidChinn]

 

low ♦ to East honor; win ♠ return in dummy; ♣Q (covered); ♦ to A; finesse in ♣; win next 4 tricks, losing a ♦ at end

Assumes remaining HCP with East and ♣T on side

 

[Stephen Tu]

 

play spade to the ace. Then run hearts pitching a diamond. If East pitches down to one spade, cash last spade and run DJ to endplay East.

 

If East retains 2 spades, can only retain 5 minor cards. Play diamond to ace, if honor falls, play another diamond. Get 3H+2S+2D+2C. If diamond honor doesn't fall, then CK is doubleton at most, take 3 club tricks.

 

If East retains all his spades, play diamond to ace. If this fells an honor, just play another diamond, you make 4. Otherwise the CK has been stiffed and you just take 3 club tricks.

 

[mikeh]

This is a solid example of an I/A post. I am not going to post the line to take, but am going to suggest that declarer work out where the missing high cards are. For example, in a vacuum hooking diamonds twice find one or both honours onside 75% of the time, but the attentive declarer will think about what the opps have told him in the auction and play so far, and may conclude that the odds aren't that good on this hand.

 

The point of the hand reminds me of the approach attributed to Hamman: don't ask: what should I do now? Ask: what's going on? The answer to that second question will inform the answer to the first.

[MrAce]

Hanoi and Stephen gets their 9 trick. It is almost impossible to go down. I misplayed the hand. I know it is IMP pairs but we have ways to increase our chances of overtrick without risking 9 tricks.

 

I cashed 3rd ♥ everyone followed. After that, due to auction as other posters stated, all relevant cards were held by E and those were ♦KQ and ♣K. We know E started with 5-6 card spades (lets assume 5 because if he has 6 it only makes our line better) and exactly 3 hearts. He has 5 cards minors.

 

His possible minor suit combinations are 2♣3♦, 3♣2♦, 1♣4♦. He can not have stiff ♦ due to holding KQ. unless he is a maniac opener on 2nd seat with a bad suit, 10 hcp which consist of stiff ♦K. GIB is maniac sometimes but not on opening hands like that.

 

Among these combinations one line gives us the extra trick. To play ♦ to A and another dia (or duck one and cash A later) after 3rd ♥. This line at worst gets your 9 tricks, but if KQ♦ is doubleton, you can score 2♠+3♥+3♦+2♣=10

 

Note that ♣ K stiff or doubleton will not help you to make an overtrick. And ♦ A and another diamond will not risk your 9 tricks in any way.

 

How I misplayed? After 3rd ♥ I foolishly cashed 4th ♥. And as soon as I did that I was frustrated with myself and made a 2nd mistake due to frustration. Instead of recovering from my mistake by simply discarding a small ♣ , I discarded a small ♦ ending up with 9 tricks.

 

Now I played ♦ A and another. If A did not drop any honor, I was insured by Kx or K ♣ for 9th trick as long as E started with 13 cards.

 

E held

 

Kxxxx

JTx

KQ

Kxx

[masonbarge]

[hv=pc=n&s=sqj7haq98dj94caj9&n=sa52h543dat76cq87&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=p1s1np3nppp]266|200[/hv]

 

Imp pairs.

 

Lead ♠T, small, K, small

 

T2= ♥J, Q, K small

 

T3=Small ♥, small, T,A

 

Plan the continuation. Simple but cute hand imo.

 

Please in spoilers.

 

 

Without too much thought, spade to the board, club to the J, heart winners. He can't have 2 spades, 2 clubs and 3 diamonds. If he keeps 2 spades, since this is IMPs I'd play Ace and a small diamond to ensure 9 tricks with the hope he has bare KQ.