[eagles123]

I thought this was quite a good hand for beginners, I don't think it will be too much of a problem for intermediate and above but please feel free to comment

---

South leads a low spade which you ruff in dummy. A trump produces North's Ace and a low one from South and North returns the Jack of clubs. Plan the play


Eagles

[Cyberyeti]

The only hint I can offer without spoiling it is to do the card placing exercise with reference to the auction and lead.

[billw55]

Spoiler

I have 20 points, leaving 20 also for them. South made a takeout double. North has already produced the ♣AJ, and seems to have the ♠A as well based on the opening lead. Therefore south has everything else, and probably four hearts. So I take 11 tricks via five trump in dummy, the ♦K, four hearts finessing the ten and pitching a diamond from hand, then ruff a diamond in hand.

I wouldn't call it beginner level. Maybe 'advanced novice' or intermediate.

[Vampyr]

It seems to me that you just have to

Spoiler

Eliminate spades and play three rounds of hearts, finessing. Of course in the extremely unlikely event that South started with fewer than three hearts, you will have to rely on his holding the ♦A. But the auction and earlier play make it very likely that South has that card, so in fact the elimination is not actually necessary. If this weren't the case it would be a nice beginner problem.

So I guess I am missing something.

EDIT: Did miss that you have already lost a trick so there is no 100% line. So the problem may be instructive.

[eagles123]

Vampyr, on 2013-November-04, 11:14, said:

It seems to me that you just have to

Spoiler

Eliminate spades and play three rounds of hearts, finessing. Of course in the extremely unlikely event that South started with fewer than three hearts, you will have to rely on his holding the ♦A. But the auction and earlier play make it very likely that South has that card, so in fact the elimination is not actually necessary. If this weren't the case it would be a nice beginner problem.

So I guess I am missing something.

Hi, there is no huge trick I thought this would be a good hand for beginners because of (put in spoilers in case any beginners want to try it)

Spoiler

- importance of the opening lead (i.e. inferring North has the Ace of spades)
- importance of reading the auction in two ways:
1 - south is likely to have 4 hearts for his double so it's better to play for the finesse in Hearts rather than the drop
2 - North has shown up with 9 points, so South is marked with ace of Diamonds

I'm sorry if it's not a good hand!

[eagles123]

Vampyr, on 2013-November-04, 11:14, said:

It seems to me that you just have to

Spoiler

Eliminate spades and play three rounds of hearts, finessing. Of course in the extremely unlikely event that South started with fewer than three hearts, you will have to rely on his holding the ♦A. But the auction and earlier play make it very likely that South has that card, so in fact the elimination is not actually necessary. If this weren't the case it would be a nice beginner problem.

So I guess I am missing something.

Hi, there is no huge trick I thought this would be a good hand for beginners because of (put in spoilers in case any beginners want to try it)

Spoiler

- importance of the opening lead (i.e. inferring North has the Ace of spades)
- importance of reading the auction in two ways:
1 - south is likely to have 4 hearts for his double so it's better to play for the finesse in Hearts rather than the drop
2 - North has shown up with 9 points, so South is marked with ace of Diamonds

I'm sorry if it's not a good hand!

[Cyberyeti]

There's even more to infer than you did:

Spoiler

If the opening leader has ♠QJ he probably leads a big one, so the other hand may well have AJ. Thus the doubler must have every other card and still only has a 10 count so 4441 is a very likely shape, are you really doubling with a 4351 9 count which is what would be required for the finesse to be wrong ?

[ahydra]

Cyberyeti, on 2013-November-04, 18:32, said:

There's even more to infer than you did:

Spoiler

If the opening leader has ♠QJ he probably leads a big one, so the other hand may well have AJ. Thus the doubler must have every other card and still only has a 10 count so 4441 is a very likely shape, are you really doubling with a 4351 9 count which is what would be required for the finesse to be wrong ?

Someone once doubled against me on a 4441 8-count. I placed the missing high cards in the wrong hand and went off

On this hand it occurs to me

Spoiler

that you can't make the contract if North has the ♦A, so although the cards mark it with South, that's pretty much irrelevant. The point about the hearts is a good one though - not only that South rates to have length for his X, but rates to have the ♥J as well based on counting HCP.

ahydra

[nige1]

deleted