Winstonm Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 [hv=d=s&v=n&n=sakh73dk8742caj42&s=sq9742hkq1085dqcq10]133|200|Scoring: IMPYou are in contention at the Tulsa Regional Flight A Swiss. Next to last round you reach a vulnerable 4S on the hand shown. LHO leads the 3 of diamonds to East's Ace. East switches to the A of hearts and then a low heart. How do you plan on making 4S?[/hv] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeh Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 Winning the ♥ and cashing the top ♠ leaves you badly placed if both majors are 4-2 (assuming the ♥J did not appear on the second round of the suit). In a vacuum, the play in trumps works if either major is 3-3 (ignore the 5-1's: you ain't making then anyway), and that seems to offer a better shot than the 50% ♣ hook. However, the ♥ switch suggests, but does not prove, that ♥ are 4-2, and the ♣ play still preserves some chances even if it loses: if ♠ are 3-3 and it is RHO who is short in ♥, you may still score 2♣, 1♦, 2♥ and 5♠ (you will not be able to enjoy 3♣ if the hook loses, since you cannot pull trump and get to dummy. If east ducks the 1st ♣, I am hooking again.... even though I may now lose a cold game when trump are 3-3 and ♣ are 2-5... which would be the case if west were 3=4=4=2: certainly consistent with the 1st three rounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winstonm Posted August 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 Winning the ♥ and cashing the top ♠ leaves you badly placed if both majors are 4-2 (assuming the ♥J did not appear on the second round of the suit). In a vacuum, the play in trumps works if either major is 3-3 (ignore the 5-1's: you ain't making then anyway), and that seems to offer a better shot than the 50% ♣ hook. However, the ♥ switch suggests, but does not prove, that ♥ are 4-2, and the ♣ play still preserves some chances even if it loses: if ♠ are 3-3 and it is RHO who is short in ♥, you may still score 2♣, 1♦, 2♥ and 5♠ (you will not be able to enjoy 3♣ if the hook loses, since you cannot pull trump and get to dummy. If east ducks the 1st ♣, I am hooking again.... even though I may now lose a cold game when trump are 3-3 and ♣ are 2-5... which would be the case if west were 3=4=4=2: certainly consistent with the 1st three rounds.What an awkward hand. If you lead a club and it's covered by the King, you can win and cross to the club 10 but now you have to hope RHO can't ruff either the third club or the third diamond from Jx or 10x or LHO doesn't overruff the third diamond and give his partner a heart ruff while all the time the spades were 3/3. I'm not so sure that the best play isn't to try to score 3 spade tricks in hand, 3 clubs, 1 heart, 1 diamond, and 2 spades in dummy. (Probably because this is what I tried, LoL) At trick 4, take the club finesse - if it wins, repeat it and cash the Ace, then cash the diamond King, pitching a heart, and ruff a diamond. Now, all you have to manage to do is score your 9 of spades in a semi-crossruff. Ruff a heart and lead another diamond - if RHO follows, you have to ruff high and play RHO for J10x(x) of spades. If he pitches, the game is home. If he ruffs with an honor, you can ruff the last heart and lead a club. If LHO started: 2443, you have to guess whether to ruff with the 7 or 9. And that's why we were second instead of first. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMetsch Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 At trick 4, take the club finesse - if it wins, repeat it and cash the Ace, then cash the diamond King, pitching a heart, and ruff a diamond. Now, all you have to manage to do is score your 9 of spades in a semi-crossruff. I think you don't need the cross-ruff. If the club finesse wins, you have 1♦, 3♣ and 1♥ already. You can draw 2 rounds of trumps, pitch hearts on both the ♦K and 3rd♣, then back to the hand with a ♦ruff, ♠Q. Now play a high ♥, if it is ruffed you make 5♠ tricks, if it holds you make 2♥ tricks (and 4♠ tricks). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pclayton Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 I think this is a neat hand, but before I try to tackle it, I'd like to know if the diamond lead is 3/5th or 4th best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winstonm Posted August 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 I think this is a neat hand, but before I try to tackle it, I'd like to know if the diamond lead is 3/5th or 4th best.Standard leads. 4th best if from 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffy Posted August 20, 2005 Report Share Posted August 20, 2005 I can think of some weird lines, but none seems better than ♥K+♠AK+♦ ruff adn ♠Q Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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