Elopement

[nige1]

[hv=s=SAK32H98765D6C765&w=SQJT9HKJTDKQJT9CK7&n=HAQ32DA5432CA432&d=S&v=E&a=6HPPP]400|300|

In last night's Harry Smith Lockdown Teams. there was a deal something like this -- but simplified.

West led a trump but South, Mike Ash, still succeeded in his optimistic 6♥ contract.[/hv]

[mikeh]

It's always nice when one has bid the hand to a slam like this, and the cards lie perfectly. Basically, one has to commit at trick 2: play for 2-2 hearts and 4-3 diamonds or 3-1 hearts and 5-2 diamonds (actually, one can postpone the decision by winning the heart Q, playing Ace and a diamond ruff, and seeing what cards appeared, but good defenders rarely give count against slams. Note that 4-3 diamonds and 3-1 hearts fail no matter what line one takes). The auction might well provide a clue:)

 

Plus most experts would choose the sexy line if it appeared to be basically the same odds as the mundane line, and the elopement was definitely the sexier line. Well done by declarer, and well done by west for not doubling.

[pescetom]

It's always nice when one has bid the hand to a slam like this, and the cards lie perfectly. Basically, one has to commit at trick 2: play for 2-2 hearts and 4-3 diamonds or 3-1 hearts and 5-2 diamonds (actually, one can postpone the decision by winning the heart Q, playing Ace and a diamond ruff, and seeing what cards appeared, but good defenders rarely give count against slams. Note that 4-3 diamonds and 3-1 hearts fail no matter what line one takes). The auction might well provide a clue:)

 

Plus most experts would choose the sexy line if it appeared to be basically the same odds as the mundane line

 

But aren't the odds decidedly in favour of the mundane line here?

[Cyberyeti]

But aren't the odds decidedly in favour of the mundane line here?

 

Depends on the actual auction, it's entirely possible W showed 5 diamonds and 4 spades.

 

Also the lead of a small heart is vanishingly unlikely from KJ and not that likely from K10, KJ10 looks much more promising if he expects AQ with N.

[pescetom]

Depends on the actual auction, it's entirely possible W showed 5 diamonds and 4 spades.

 

Quite true, he said 'if it appeared to be'.

I was thinking in terms of the self-kibitzing auction presented in the OP, zero information.

It would be nice to know the actual auction.

[nige1]

[hv=bbo=y&lin=pn%7Cmikeri%2Cma5546%2CNige1%2Cdragic%7Cst%7C%7Cmd%7C2S3457QH5D2C239TJK%2CSTJKAH236TJD56C7A%2CS2689H79KD478JQC6%2C%7Crh%7C%7Cah%7CBoard%2012%7Csv%7Cn%7Cmb%7C1H%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C3S%21%7Can%7Csplinter%7Cmb%7Cd%7Cmb%7C4H%7Cmb%7C4S%7Cmb%7C5D%7Can%7Ccue%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C5H%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C6H%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CHJ%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CHQ%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CD7%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CS7%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CS6%7Cpc%7CC5%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CH6%7Cpc%7CDJ%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CS9%7Cpc%7CHA%7Cpc%7CSQ%7Cpc%7CDT%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cpc%7CHT%7Cpc%7CDQ%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CCK%7C]400|300| The actual deal and auction.

In my enthusiasm for the beautiful elopement possibilities, I confess that I exaggerated and oversimplified the play as well as the bidding :) [/hv]

[smerriman]

Rather unusual auction, with West doing his absolute utmost to pretend he doesn't have the club ace, then East bidding slam anyway :/

[Cyberyeti]

[hv=bbo=y&lin=pn%7Cmikeri%2Cma5546%2CNige1%2Cdragic%7Cst%7C%7Cmd%7C2S3457QH5D2C239TJK%2CSTJKAH236TJD56C7A%2CS2689H79KD478JQC6%2C%7Crh%7C%7Cah%7CBoard%2012%7Csv%7Cn%7Cmb%7C1H%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C3S%21%7Can%7Csplinter%7Cmb%7Cd%7Cmb%7C4H%7Cmb%7C4S%7Cmb%7C5D%7Can%7Ccue%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C5H%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7C6H%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cmb%7Cp%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CHJ%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CHQ%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CD7%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CS7%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CS6%7Cpc%7CC5%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CH6%7Cpc%7CDJ%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CS9%7Cpc%7CHA%7Cpc%7CSQ%7Cpc%7CDT%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cpc%7CHT%7Cpc%7CDQ%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CCK%7C]400|300| The actual deal and auction.

In my enthusiasm for the beautiful elopement possibilities, I confess that I exaggerated and oversimplified the play as well as the bidding :) [/hv]

 

I think this is even more likely that the lead is from Kxx than Kx, but here you can simply lead up to the 109♦ twice once they don't lead a club.