Ever seen this?

[Mkgnao]

[hv=pc=n&s=sakjt932hadaj4c72&n=s86hkqj95dt982ct6&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=1s3cpp4sppp]266|200[/hv]

 

MPs Arena Challenge.

 

Lead: ♣K, East produces ♣9. West continues with ♣A, East ♣Q and then switches to ♥4-5-2-A.

 

How do you tackle this hand?

[Tramticket]

Lead a low spade towards dummy hoping to force an entry. The problem is to guess whether to play the 8 or 6 if West plays low (8 gains if west holds the Q, 6 gains if west holds the 7 and not the Q). But if 3♣ is weak promising 9 or fewer points I think that east is favourite to hold the Q♠ and will play the 6.

 

Once in dummy I discard twi diamonds on the king and queen of hearts.

[Cyberyeti]

Range for 3♣ ?

[manudude03]

I'll play East for KQ of diamonds. Lead the jack of spades from hand. If they win, you have your entry to pitch 2 diamonds, and if not they have lost a spade trick unless they were 4-0. If they go for that option, draw the remaining trumps and exit the jack of diamonds.

[Tramticket]

I'll play East for KQ of diamonds. Lead the jack of spades from hand. If they win, you have your entry to pitch 2 diamonds, and if not they have lost a spade trick unless they were 4-0. If they go for that option, draw the remaining trumps and exit the jack of diamonds.

 

If they duck, you have avoided a spade loser, but might still have two diamond losers if forced to play diamonds from your hand (if East has one more club as a safe exit).

 

[Edit: but East probably has a seven-card suit for the VUL three-level call].

[MrAce]

I'd play as Manu did.

[A2003]

Play J♠and hope they win Q!S and !S divides 7222. Use 8!S entry to pitch your losers.

[dtlq1]

+1for Manu here too

[PhilG007]

[hv=pc=n&s=sakjt932hadaj4c72&n=s86hkqj95dt982ct6&d=s&v=e&b=3&a=1s3cpp4sppp]266|200[/hv]

 

MPs Arena Challenge.

 

Lead: ♣K, East produces ♣9. West continues with ♣A, East ♣Q and then switches to ♥4-5-2-A.

 

How do you tackle this hand?

 

The only chance is if the Q♠is a singleton so I'd cash a top spade at trick 4. and hope the queen drops. If it does then

dummy's 8 is an entry to cash the KQ♥and pitch Souths two losing diamonds. If trumps split 2-2 or Qxx in either hand

the contract cannot be made. That blockage in hearts is both annoying and unfortunatehttp://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif

[Cyberyeti]

The only chance is if the Q♠is a singleton so I'd cash a top spade at trick 4. and hope the queen drops. If it does then

dummy's 8 is an entry to cash the KQ♥and pitch Souths two losing diamonds. If trumps split 2-2 or Qxx in either hand

the contract cannot be made. That blockage in hearts is both annoying and unfortunatehttp://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif

 

Absolute garbage as has been pointed out many times above.

 

If singleton Q is present, you will win (12% of the time) by making an overtrick, most of the rest of it you will lose. Although if you spot that after trumps are 2-2 you can play the endplay below, then you get away with it in that circumstance.

 

If spades are 2-2 or 3-1 with a non singleton Q, leading the ♠J will require a duck to avoid making the 8 an entry. Now draw trumps for no loser and exit ♦J. Assuming 3♣ was weak, it is unlikely W has a diamond honour to go with his ♣AKJxxxx so E will be endplayed into playing a second diamond and allowing you to finesse to avoid the second diamond loser.

 

So basically spades from the top wins in the 3-1s where Q is stiff, playing the J wins most of the time when it isn't

[jbradley]

I would play low trump from both hands hoping Q takes giving me an entry to dummy.

[RD350LC]

Absolute garbage as has been pointed out many times above.

 

If singleton Q is present, you will win (12% of the time) by making an overtrick, most of the rest of it you will lose. Although if you spot that after trumps are 2-2 you can play the endplay below, then you get away with it in that circumstance.

 

If spades are 2-2 or 3-1 with a non singleton Q, leading the ♠J will require a duck to avoid making the 8 an entry. Now draw trumps for no loser and exit ♦J. Assuming 3♣ was weak, it is unlikely W has a diamond honour to go with his ♣AKJxxxx so E will be endplayed into playing a second diamond and allowing you to finesse to avoid the second diamond loser.

 

So basically spades from the top wins in the 3-1s where Q is stiff, playing the J wins most of the time when it isn't

Obvious once you see it. I agree 100%.

[case_no_6]

I play the Jack of spades next. If either opponent wins the Queen - I win any return and lead to the 8 of spades which now is an entry to the hearts for diamond discards.

 

If the Jack wins and both have followed suit, I will be impressed by the opponents for their excellent defensive card reading. All I can do now is to draw trump without losing a spade and lead the Jack of diamonds. I will hope to get lucky with the diamond situation.

 

If spades are 4-0, there is nothing that can be done to make this.