Play this hand better than I did (not hard!)
Jordan
With both red, the auction went as follows:
LHO Partner RHO You
-- -- 1NT* P
P 2C** P 2S
P P P
* = 14-16
** = majors
You hold KQ32 / Q6 / 98 / J7654.
Dummy comes down with J876 / KJ82 / AJT2 / 3.
The opening lead is the ST.
What's your plan?
If you play low from dummy, RHO follows low; if you play the jack, RHO wins
the ace and leads back another.
David W.
both red
J876
KJ82
AJT2
3
KQ32
Q6
98
J7654
West North East South
-------------------------------------
1NT Pass
Pass 2C Pass 2S all pass
Derek Broughton
Can we have a lead?
--
derek
Lone Locust of the Apocalypse
It's in the original post as the ST, along with RHO's actions.
(David W. merely rewrote it in a more conventional format for play
problems, but omitted to transcribe those details.)
patri...@gmail.com
Well, I'll play the jack and win the second spade in hand, then run
the nine of diamonds. After it loses, will I get a spade back? Are
trumps 3-2?
If the diamond honors are split, spades are 3-2, and East plays a
third trump back, then I can make eight tricks by taking another
diamond finesse, then cashing the ace of diamonds. Four spades, two
diamonds, two hearts. Bonus overtrick if West has fewer diamonds than
East.
If East wins the diamond and plays two rounds of clubs, then I have to
knock out the AH before drawing the last trump. If trumps are 4-1,
then I don't see much hope.
Jordan
wrote:
> Well, I'll play the jack and win the second spade in hand, then run
> the nine of diamonds. After it loses, will I get a spade back? Are
> trumps 3-2?
-----> Yes, it loses; yes, you'll get a spade back; and yes, trumps
are 3-2. Proceed.
Derek Broughton
Sorry - I hadn't realized David's post wasn't the original.
--
derek
Charles Brenner
If trumps break, which is heavily favored on the lead, then there are
eventually two diamonds, two hearts, and four trump tricks with a ruff
-- eight tricks. The danger that concerns me is that the timing allow
the opponents to play clubs forcing the dummy's last trump, then cash
a club -- down 1 via two major aces, two diamonds, and two clubs.
Namely, suppose the play goes: Two rounds of spades, lose a diamond,
third round of spades, lose a diamond, two rounds of clubs forcing the
dummy's last trump. Then the opponents have a heart entry and a club
to cash.
Reducing their entries by one solves the problem -- i.e. it behooves
us to guess the diamonds on the second round of that suit, repeating
the finesse if the diamond honors are split or ruffing out RHO's
second diamond honor if that is the position. Therefore I'd aim to
play hearts first as a discovery move. Duck in dummy at trick one,
and
1) if RHO wins the spade ace and plays another, win in dummy, play a
low heart.
1a) If RHO has the ace, I'll win the Q, then double finesse in
diamonds.
1b) If LHO has the ace I expect the Q to lose. In that case unless the
subsequent play indicates that RHO has both top clubs it will be
almost a certainty to ruff out the second diamond honor.
2) if RHO ducks the spade ace, win and finesse a diamond. RHO
presumably wins and plays two more trumps. Win in dummy and try a
heart toward the queen as above.
There are a variety of combinations of defensive choice and of lie of
the cards to consider, and even knowing the heart ace position doesn't
make the diamond position certain. However, it does seem to me that
the general idea illustrated by 1a,1b above arises in all variations.
Charles
OldPalooka
Win the SK and play the D9. Why not give lefty a chance to cover, and
there is room for him to hold both. Win the SJ and lead a heart to
the Q. If lefty has no problem, play him for a diamond honor - if
righty has both major aces, the rest of their cards are roughly split,
and few are good enough not to lead a club from AK.
-- Bill Shutts