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Slam Hand


dboxley

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[hv=pc=n&s=sa74hqj96543d4ct6&n=sqj8hkt2dakjtcak4&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=2hp2np3sp4np5dp6hppp]266|200[/hv]

 

The bidding is not important aside from the opponents passing throughout. Opening lead C7 which you win in dummy, E playing small. What is your plan?

 

When you lead a trump, W, who seems reasonable, wins and returns the D9. Does this affect your plan?

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At the table I played a heart at trick two but I just now saw a much better play. Cash the DA and CA, ruff a club with the J and lead a small heart toward the dummy. If W has the stiff ace you can claim and if he has the Ax he must rise and return a heart. Anyway, assuming you played it as poorly as I, what was your plan?
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Your new line does gain when West has the stiff A, but if East has that card, they will win and return a spade putting you to a guess in that suit before you've had a chance to test the diamonds.

 

To put it in perspective, LHO has the stiff A 13% of the time and the Q comes down tripleton 22% (although you only actually lose on 1/2 of these because sometimes the spade is onside).

 

If you think there is a chance that your LHO will duck holding Ax of hearts (you can make it hardest by ruffing with the J and then 'running' the 9) then that line does look best.

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At the table I played a heart at trick two but I just now saw a much better play. Cash the DA and CA, ruff a club with the J and lead a small heart toward the dummy. If W has the stiff ace you can claim and if he has the Ax he must rise and return a heart. Anyway, assuming you played it as poorly as I, what was your plan?

 

This suggested line doesn't work out that well when someone has Axx of hearts and a 4th club. Now they can hold up the A to the 3rd round and if you pull trump fully play the club leaving you trapped in the S hand with no way to N. If you see the 3-0 split on trick 1 and end up in dummy I think you now have to take a finesse and play for E to have either the spade K or diamond Q. It might be better, rather than eliminating clubs, to play diamond A then ruff a diamond then attack hearts. You still get put to the guess if E wins A and plays spade, but you set yourself up to try for Q-third of diamond before falling back on spade finesse if that doesn't happen. There are some unlikely squeeze lines as well, but I don't think they are going to be as good as a finesse.

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This suggested line doesn't work out that well when someone has Axx of hearts and a 4th club. Now they can hold up the A to the 3rd round and if you pull trump fully play the club leaving you trapped in the S hand with no way to N.

 

You'd probably be OK if West had three trumps: win the first trump in dummy, ruff a diamond high, and play a second trump. That retains both chances of Qxx and the spade finesse.

 

If East had three trumps you'd have to give up the diamond chance and just take a spade finesse.

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