Deceptively easy

[kjpod]

[hv=pc=n&s=sa6hk743dat752c85&n=sk9hq5d9863cakj74]133|200|3NT by South. IMPs. Lead: ♠Q. Plan the play. Neither the diamond ace nor club ace turn up anything unexpected.[/hv]

[mgoetze]

If I can take ♠AK ♥K ♦A ♣AK, I'm still going to need 3 more tricks. I can only get 3 more tricks in clubs if they are exactly Qxx-xxx, which is much less likely than diamonds 2-2, so I win the ♠K and run the ♦9.

[MrAce]

If I can take ♠AK ♥K ♦A ♣AK, I'm still going to need 3 more tricks. I can only get 3 more tricks in clubs if they are exactly Qxx-xxx, which is much less likely than diamonds 2-2, so I win the ♠K and run the ♦9.

 

Even with 2-2 ♦ you are looking at 2♠+4♦+2♣ tricks. So you still need another trick which can not come from ♥ suit since their spades will be all set. Excluding the squeeze possibilities, I think we need ♣ suit to provide 3 tricks anyway. So why don't we first try club finesse and see if they are 3-3 for easy 9 tricks. If clubs turn out to be 4-2, now we shift to diamonds. If diamonds are 2-2, creating a club trick or two for them won't hurt us, no?

 

Take ♠ in hand and play a ♣ to J, and then cash another. If clubs are 5-1 you know we need diamonds to be 2-2. If they follow cash 3rd ♣. If 4-2 you still need 2-2 ♦

[PhantomSac]

Nice hand, the title is very fitting. Could easily see getting this wrong at the table heh. Although it will be sad if I'm vul and end up going down like 3 or 4, definitely worth it.

 

Slight improvement to Timo's line is win in hand, club to ace, diamond to ace, club hook (to cater to stiff Q of clubs offside).

[shellsnail]

Take K♠, play the 9 diamonds and run it/duck. Take spade return, cash ace club, then cash ace diamonds. If 2-2, cash diamonds and depending on the pitches, either finesse the club or establish the heart trick when someone gets squeezed to drop spade winners.

 

In 90% of actual hands, the person with short spades will start pitching one first, to avoid pitching a heart spot card or a club.

 

Imagine East holding

 

87xxx

Axx

xx

Qxx.

 

Running the diamonds would force 3 pitches.

 

He can pitch 2 hearts, but what's he going to do for the 3rd pitch? Spot the anguish in their faces and -evil grin- If at this point west has already pitched a spade, a spade pitch from east basically gives you a safe make via hearts. Most defenders will do this. If it's an excellent defender who pitches a club, then too bad for you but you tried your chances.

 

or West holding

 

QJTxx

Ax

xx

xxxx

 

How is he going to find 3 discards? If he discards 2 clubs, you can basically drop the queen offside. So he probably discard 1 club, 1 heart and 1 spade. Again you get a safe make.

 

If diamonds break badly, take the club finesse and hope for 3-3.

 

Postponing the club finesse in this line is better as it opens up possibilities of some kind of squeeze to occur and overtricks when clubs break 4-2 for instance. There's absolutely no advantage to taking the club finesse early. You will lose 3 spade, 1 club and 1 heart for -1 anyway if it's offside. If it's onside and 3-3, you are always going to make; if it's onside and 4-2 or worse and diamonds are breaking you still make.

 

tl;dr: maintain control of diamond suit by ducking 1 round early. If 3-1, play club 3-3, Q club onside. If 2-2, run diamonds and watch discards. Fall back on club finesse if nothing interesting happens.

[PhantomSac]

There's absolutely no advantage to taking the club finesse early. You will lose 3 spade, 1 club and 1 heart for -1 anyway if it's offside. If it's onside and 3-3, you are always going to make

 

lol, not at all true. If clubs are 3-3 with the queen on you can give up a heart if you play clubs early. You do not need diamonds to break. If you duck a diamond first, you will have 8 tricks when diamonds do not split (5 clubs, 2 spades, 1 diamond).

[MrAce]

Take K♠, play the 9 diamonds and run it/duck. Take spade return, cash ace club, then cash ace diamonds. If 2-2, cash diamonds and depending on the pitches, either finesse the club or establish the heart trick when someone gets squeezed to drop spade winners.

 

In 90% of actual hands, the person with short spades will start pitching one first, to avoid pitching a heart spot card or a club.

 

Imagine East holding

 

87xxx

Axx

xx

Qxx.

 

Running the diamonds would force 3 pitches.

 

He can pitch 2 hearts, but what's he going to do for the 3rd pitch? Spot the anguish in their faces and -evil grin- If at this point west has already pitched a spade, a spade pitch from east basically gives you a safe make via hearts. Most defenders will do this. If it's an excellent defender who pitches a club, then too bad for you but you tried your chances.

 

or West holding

 

QJTxx

Ax

xx

xxxx

 

How is he going to find 3 discards? If he discards 2 clubs, you can basically drop the queen offside. So he probably discard 1 club, 1 heart and 1 spade. Again you get a safe make.

 

If diamonds break badly, take the club finesse and hope for 3-3.

 

Postponing the club finesse in this line is better as it opens up possibilities of some kind of squeeze to occur and overtricks when clubs break 4-2 for instance. There's absolutely no advantage to taking the club finesse early. You will lose 3 spade, 1 club and 1 heart for -1 anyway if it's offside. If it's onside and 3-3, you are always going to make; if it's onside and 4-2 or worse and diamonds are breaking you still make.

 

tl;dr: maintain control of diamond suit by ducking 1 round early. If 3-1, play club 3-3, Q club onside. If 2-2, run diamonds and watch discards. Fall back on club finesse if nothing interesting happens.

 

 

Count again. In general it is a good habit if you want to have any chance in the game of bridge.

 

HINT: ♥ A is still out when you duck 1st ♦ and clubs are 3-3 Q onside.