An interesting suit combination

[lamford]

How do you play

North: ♠ QJ32

South: ♠ A865

with North as dummy and plenty of entries to both hands?

For four tricks (sorry to leave that out) and the opponents know you need four.

a) against top defenders

b) against poor defenders

c) against Suitplay which cheats and makes you enter the pips

[Phil]

How do you play

North: ♠ QJ32

South: ♠ A865

with North as dummy and plenty of entries to both hands?

a) against top defenders

b) against poor defenders

c) against Suitplay which cheats and makes you enter the pips

 

How many tricks?

[Finch]

If we need to assess what 'false' cards or mandatory cards the opponents might play, we need to know what the defence knows about our combined holding in the suit and/or our trick target.

[Finch]

How many tricks?

 

Two tricks isn't very challenging and I can only see one possible line for 4.

 

For three, my initial thoughts are

- against anyone decent, it seems hard to beat the simple ace and another, which picks up all 3-2s, all 4-1s with length on the left, and singleton king on the right.

 

- on reflection, there's no harm in starting with low towards the QJ without cashing the ace first. That still picks up all the same holdings except singleton king on the right, and is also picks up singleton 10 or 9 on the left (twice as likely). So I'll do that.

 

I may only make 3 tricks when there are 4 available, but I am guaranteeing 3 when they are available.

[lamford]

Two tricks isn't very challenging and I can only see one possible line for 4.

 

For three, my initial thoughts are

- against anyone decent, it seems hard to beat the simple ace and another, which picks up all 3-2s, all 4-1s with length on the left, and singleton king on the right.

 

- on reflection, there's no harm in starting with low towards the QJ without cashing the ace first. That still picks up all the same holdings except singleton king on the right, and is also picks up singleton 10 or 9 on the left (twice as likely). So I'll do that.

 

I may only make 3 tricks when there are 4 available, but I am guaranteeing 3 when they are available.

Yes, your line seems best for three. But I was remiss in posing the question and you need four, and the opponents know you need four. The good news is that there is a good chance the king is with East. The main question is what to do when it goes Q, small, small, ten or nine.

[Fluffy]

Yes, your line seems best for three. But I was remiss in posing the question and you need four, and the opponents know you need four. The good news is that there is a good chance the king is with East. The main question is what to do when it goes Q, small, small, ten or nine.

 

define small

[Phil]

So it seems like the only real variant is working out

 

T9 opp K74

 

Vs

 

T97/T94 opp Kx.

 

With Kx, RHO needs to protect against partners T9x (4 cases) by covering.

 

With Txx (10 cases) we would like to give declarer a guess.

 

With T9x, LHO needs to drop the T/9 part of the time when partner doesn't cover with an assumed Kx.

[lamford]

define small

Not the 9 or 10.

[lamford]

So it seems like the only real variant is working out

 

T9 opp K74

 

Vs

 

T97/T94 opp Kx.

 

With Kx, RHO needs to protect against partners T9x (4 cases) by covering.

 

With Txx (10 cases) we would like to give declarer a guess.

 

With T9x, LHO needs to drop the T/9 part of the time when partner doesn't cover with an assumed Kx.

Yes, but it is complicated by the fact that East does not know what South's pips are. If they are A98x, he must play low a high percentage of the time. If they are A8xx, he needs a slightly different strategy.

 

My view is that weak players will cover with Kx but maybe not with Kxx. Weak players will not falsecard from T9x. Strong players will find both, although only the superstrong will know perfect strategy for all king doubletons. Suitplay will defend perfectly of course, but not if you tell it South has Axxx. It will say, "hey, I always get to see your exes".

[Fluffy]

With T9x, LHO needs to drop the T/9 part of the time when partner doesn't cover with an assumed Kx.

I can't see any reason not to drop

[wanoff]

Yes, but it is complicated by the fact that East does not know what South's pips are. If they are A98x, he must play low a high percentage of the time. If they are A8xx, he needs a slightly different strategy.

 

My view is that weak players will cover with Kx but maybe not with Kxx. Weak players will not falsecard from T9x. Strong players will find both, although only the superstrong will know perfect strategy for all king doubletons. Suitplay will defend perfectly of course, but not if you tell it South has Axxx. It will say, "hey, I always get to see your exes".

 

Sorry, weak and strong players will cover most of the time.

I suspect with all k8, k9 and k10 and when he does duck with kx, will be offering a Grosvener whenever partner has 109x or 108x (more likely than 10xx). Looking very silly when partner has 1098.

[lamford]

Sorry, weak and strong players will cover most of the time.

I suspect with all k8, k9 and k10 and when he does duck with kx, will be offering a Grosvener whenever partner has 109x or 108x (more likely than 10xx). Looking very silly when partner has 1098.

The only decisions are with Kx with the x lower than the nine. If South has the ten it is irrelevant. If South has A98x you must duck, if South has A9xx you must cover and South will only win if the ten is doubleton. If South has weaker hands then you should cover, so when dummy's low pips are 32 I think it is right to cover. IF dummy has the eight I think it is always right to duck. If dummy has the seven it could be as well, at least some of the time. Of course you always cover with KT and K9 doubleton.

[rhm]

deleted

[PhantomSac]

Even against good opps it depends what they think of you, if they don't think you are a high level declarer then I think good opps are always covering with Kx looking at QJ32, there is too much chance against a random opp/someone they don't know that the declarer plays for Kx not realizing they can pin T9 doubleton.

 

You need a lot of conditions for it to be right to duck with Kx here. Your partner must falsecard routinely with T9x, the declarer must be smart enough to realize the situation and try to pin Tx/T9 doubleton when they have A9xx or A8xx, and even then you are losing when your partner has T98 third. Given that partner must have the T for this to matter, A98x is twice as likely as Axxx so you are gaining on 1 combo if you duck with Kx and all of those conditions are met.

 

IRL I think I always cover with Kx looking at QJ32, and as declarer I never play them for Kx if they duck so I am your ideal opp to exploit :P

[rhm]

Even against good opps it depends what they think of you, if they don't think you are a high level declarer then I think good opps are always covering with Kx looking at QJ32, there is too much chance against a random opp/someone they don't know that the declarer plays for Kx not realizing they can pin T9 doubleton.

 

You need a lot of conditions for it to be right to duck with Kx here. Your partner must falsecard routinely with T9x, the declarer must be smart enough to realize the situation and try to pin Tx/T9 doubleton when they have A9xx or A8xx, and even then you are losing when your partner has T98 third. Given that partner must have the T for this to matter, A98x is twice as likely as Axxx so you are gaining on 1 combo if you duck with Kx and all of those conditions are met.

 

IRL I think I always cover with Kx looking at QJ32, and as declarer I never play them for Kx if they duck so I am your ideal opp to exploit :P

I agree.

Many Bridge problems posed work only on paper, not at the table.

Many fears are unrealistic, even against world-class player.

Of course everything can happen at the table, but some incidents are so remote that they do not happen due to brilliant genius but rather by accident.

Most do not happen anyway, but are afterthoughts.

 

Rainer Herrmann