[Phil]

---

So you passed what is probably a forcing call. Won't be the first time. You explain, "its matchpoints".

The opening lead is the ♥J, K, A.

A low spade is returned. You play the Q and it holds the trick. Now what?

[dake50]

I try SA now. Run diamonds. Hope 4xS East has 3+D so S10 gets overruffed.
Win 4xD +SQ +SA +SJ>S10 +S9 H-ruff +CA.

EDIT afterthought: Doesn't missing D-fit undermine confidence
on other hands even if this time 140>130?

[gnasher]

I'd cross to dummy in diamonds, then lead a low spade from dummy. That will give me 10 tricks if RHO is 35(23), and nine if he's 3514. If RHO has ♠K10xx and five hearts I will go down - he wins, plays a low heart to force dummy, and has two hearts to cash when he ruffs an early diamond.

We make only 130 in diamonds, so if I could think of a way to guarantee nine tricks I'd do that, but I can't.

I know you weren't inviting comments on the pass of 3♠, so I won't make any. But I still thought them.

[Fluffy]

can't think of anything better than dake's line

[Free]

I don't like dake's line, chances are huge that someone will ruff the 2nd or 3rd ♦, draw ♠K, and play 3 more rounds of ♥ defeating the contract immediately.

Ruffing a ♥ first reduces that chance significantly.

Why did we play ♠Q?

[Free]

~snip~ double post

[nige1]

Phil, on 2011-January-05, 22:34, said:

So you passed what is probably a forcing call. Won't be the first time. You explain, "its matchpoints". The opening lead is the ♥J, K, A. A low spade is returned. You play the Q and it holds the trick. Now what?

---

3N looks like a reasonable punt at MPs. RHO seems to hold ♠K, so Phil may have done the right thing again. In 3♠, after winning ♠Q, I guess to ignore trumps and play diamonds immediately (starting with ♦Q in case they are 4-0). If somebody ruffs early, you hope it is the long trump hand. You should be able to get rid of round losers on the diamonds. With luck, you come to 9-11 tricks.

[gnasher]

gnasher, on 2011-January-06, 04:06, said:

I'd cross to dummy in diamonds, then lead a low spade from dummy. That will give me 10 tricks if RHO is 35(23), and nine if he's 3514. If RHO has ♠K10xx and five hearts I will go down - he wins, plays a low heart to force dummy, and has two hearts to cash when he ruffs an early diamond.

Sorry, I can't count. If he's 3514 I go one down - he wins the second spade, forces dummy, ruffs the second diamond and cashes two hearts.

I think the correct line is to cross to a club and lead a low spade from dummy. Now if he wins and forces dummy I can return to hand with a diamond to draw trumps.

[whereagles]

Fluffy, on 2011-January-06, 04:15, said:

can't think of anything better than dake's line

Me neither. An indicator that it might work is that RHO might have thought of continuing hearts if he had four spades to the king. (Dunno if that made sense lol.)

[MrAce]

gnasher, on 2011-January-06, 05:02, said:

Sorry, I can't count. If he's 3514 I go one down - he wins the second spade, forces dummy, ruffs the second diamond and cashes two hearts.

I think the correct line is to cross to a club and lead a low spade from dummy. Now if he wins and forces dummy I can return to hand with a diamond to draw trumps.

If u are going to play for 3-3 ♠, why are u so obsessed with going to dummy and playing small ♠ from dummy ? Just play small ♠ to A at trick 3. Your line seems to fail when 4-2 ♠. No need for KTxx ♠ Kxxx is enough to defeat you.

If it was me at the table, i would play ♠ to Ace and another ♠ to hand. Where is ♥ J lead coming from ? JTx or Jx ? I will duck the second ♥ if RHO plays small ♥ regardless of 3-3 or 4-2 ♠. Pay him off if he found the defense to play low from QTxx(x). But u make when 3-3 ♠ and when 4-2 rho has 4 of them. This line fails when LHO has 4♠ and 3 ♦, playing on ♦s after ♠ A would work. If LHO has less than 3♦ and has 4♠ they always defeat us.

[gnasher]

I was trying to avoid losing a trick to the small trump when RHO is 3523 or 3514. Against those shapes, I make ten tricks, whereas a spade to the ace gives only nine - you lose two trumps and two hearts. However, that extra trick is unlikely to matter much.

Playing a spade to the ace doesn't work against 4513 or 4522 - he just ruffs the third diamond, cashes the spade, and plays a low heart (or queen and another). That doesn't require anything special from the defence - East isn't going to play his partner to have led the jack from Jxx.

A spade to the ace doesn't work against many 4612s either - he just ruffs the third diamond, cashes the spade, and cashes ♥Q10. It does gain when the hearts are specifically J10-AQxxxx. This seems unlikely, but maybe it's right to cater for it anyway.

This post has been edited by gnasher: 2011-January-07, 04:29

[MrAce]

gnasher, on 2011-January-07, 04:18, said:

Playing a spade to the ace doesn't work against 4513 or 4522 - he just ruffs the third diamond, cashes the spade, and plays a low heart (or queen and another). That doesn't require anything special from the defence - East isn't going to play his partner to have led the jack from Jxx.

A spade to the ace doesn't work against many 4612s either - he just ruffs the third diamond, cashes the spade, and cashes ♥Q10. It does gain when the hearts are specifically J10-AQxxxx. This seems unlikely, but maybe it's right to cater for it anyway.

Reading is required, i didnt say run ♦ after ♠ A, i said play 3rd ♠ from dummy. Him playing small ♥ doesnt matter, u simply duck it and block the ♥suit unless he played a genius low from QTxx. You make when he has 6-4 and u make % 99 of the time when he has 5-4 and fails to play low from QTxx after pd led J, u always make if the leader had JTx, u make same way when ♠ are 3-3.

You simply lose 3♥+`♠. As u said making +1 is not the goal in this deal. +140 is pretty decent as u also mentioned.

[gnasher]

MrAce, on 2011-January-07, 12:27, said:

Reading is required, i didnt say run ♦ after ♠ A, i said play 3rd ♠ from dummy. Him playing small ♥ doesnt matter, u simply duck it and block the ♥suit unless he played a genius low from QTxx. You make when he has 6-4 and u make % 99 of the time when he has 5-4 and fails to play low from QTxx after pd led J, u always make if the leader had JTx, u make same way when ♠ are 3-3.

You simply lose 3♥+`♠. As u said making +1 is not the goal in this deal. +140 is pretty decent as u also mentioned.

Sorry, I missed your second paragraph. You're right.

[MrAce]

So what happened this hand, Phil ?

[Phil]

MrAce, on 2011-January-07, 21:33, said:

So what happened this hand, Phil ?

This was the actual auction. I took an unusual line not suggested by anyone. When the ♠Q held, I tried three diamonds, ruffed by LHO who punched dummy with a heart. I ruffed, and tried a 4th diamond (pitching a heart), also ruffed by LHO who played a club. Rose ace and played the 5th diamond, ruffed high by RHO (I pitched a club) who played a trump back won in dummy. I was +140.

I have no idea about the merits of this line, but it does seem to give me some extra chances against a 4-2 spade split (unlikely I know with the trump shift). It seemed +140 was going to be really good here, and it was a tie for top against a lot of +130's and -50's in diamond contracts.

At the time, I didn't notice the relevance of the ♥9, but it does seem to provide some security against heart forces to dummy

[nige1]

Phil, on 2011-January-07, 22:38, said:

This was the actual auction. I took an unusual line not suggested by anyone.

The Urban Spaceman (Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band) said:

I never let my friends down
I've never made a boob
I'm a glossy magazine, an advert in the tube
I'm the urban spaceman, baby; here comes the twist--
I don't exist

[JLOGIC]

lollllll amazing nige1