Second time this has happened

[AL78]

[hv=pc=n&s=s43hj76532d984ct3&w=saqjt7h9dqj65ca95&n=sk2h84dt73ckqj872&e=s9865hakqtdak2c64&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=p1s3c4sppp&p=ckc4ctcah9h8hah5hkh2c5h4hqh3c9s2cqc6c3s7]399|300[/hv]

 

For the second time in two occasions declarer takes an inspired view to drop my stiff king rather than taking a finesse. 4♠+2 was a bottom for us. I thought it might have been because I didn't play a diamond to put declarer in dummy, but after enquiring why he played the ace instead of crossing to dummy for a finesse, given my partner was most likely to have an unguarded king, his answer was "I can afford to lose a spade". This example can be added to that thread that was about sources of randomness. Needless to say three out of four pairs are only making 11 tricks, one pair couldn't get past 2♠.

[pescetom]

I think they are just randoms, as the unenterprising 4♠ bid (with 3 losers outside trumps) already suggested.

If 4♠+2 was a bottom then it looks like they were not the only ones.

[akwoo]

There's a certain art to playing in bad fields. If you exit a diamond instead of a club, then declarer is more likely to win in dummy and then try to finesse.

 

Often the "best" play is the one most likely to get the opponents to do something dumb, rather than the one that works on more lies of the cards.

 

I don't really find this art worth learning, but...