KJx : play K or J

[kgr]

I saw this mistake on BBO and couldn't resist to post it. Sorry if this is to obvious.

I hope 1 beginner will have sometime from this post:

 

[hv=d=s&n=skjxhxxdkqxxcaxxx&s=sxxxhaxxdaxxxxckx]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

You play 3NT. From the bidding you know that West has a 5-card H. He starts with K, Q and J. You take the 3rd H (to block communication in ♥ between opps).

You need one ♠ trick to make your contract. When you play a small spade to the KJx of North, West plays small...

You have to put the J here. If West had the Ace he would have taken it to cash his Hearts. So the best chance is ♠ J.

 

...and the other case (this was the mistake seen on BBO):

 

You play again 3NT, West leading a H. But now you know from the bidding that East has 5 card H. You take the 3rd ♥ and again you will need a ♠ trick.

You play a low ♠ to KJx in North.

- if you play the J then you go down if East has the Q or the A. (loosing four ♥'s and one or two ♠'s)

- if you play the K then you only go down if East has the A.

In this case the best chance is to play the K.

[Guest Jlall]

good post. There are alot of instances like this where you assume one defender MUST have a certain card since if he doesn't you will go down.

[kgr]

[hv=n=skjxhxxdkqxxcaxxx&w=saxxxhxxxdxxcqjxx&e=sqxxhaqjxxdxxcxxx&s=sxxxhkxxdajxxxckx]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

This was the actual hand I saw.

South playing 3NT after East made an overcall of 2♥.

West did start a small ♥. East did play the J and South did play small (good). Then East did play ♥ A and a small.

- This was the first mistake. East should play ♥Q in the second trick to have communication with his partner after the ♥'s are free.

After East did play ♥ A and a small ♥; South did at some point play small ♠ to KJx in North and did put the J in North.

- This is the second mistake as was explained above.

.... However: After East playing ♥ A and x it looks like he has an entry of his own. Otherwise he would have played ♥Q in the second trick? So it looks like East has ♠A.

But still in IMP's you have to play ♠K and not the J... Probably also in MP's. (In MP's you could consider to play the ♠J if you think that everybody will be in 3NT. You could get a top then by going -1).

[Walddk]

The straightforward way to sum it up could be:

 

One wish comes true

more often than two.

 

And now it's even a rhyme. Maybe I should have been a poet!? :)

 

Roland

[Double !]

Chapter 1: Playing on an Assumption

 

All 52 Cards, by Marshall Miles

one of the best card play books ever written

ps: I think it's chapter 1