[wank]

Writing on phone so no diagram...

Match points

Dummy
A83
Jxx
Xxx
108xx

Declarer
Qt9654
X
Xxx
Akx

Adverse vul 2s, rightly or wrongly, double, passed out.

Lho cashes akq of diamonds (rho discouraging) then ak of hearts (rho discouraging). Plan the play.

[MrAce]

wank, on 2017-June-22, 05:21, said:

Writing on phone so no diagram...

Match points

Dummy
A83
Jxx
Xxx
108xx

Declarer
Qt9654
X
Xxx
Akx

Adverse vul 2s, rightly or wrongly, double, passed out.

Lho cashes akq of diamonds (rho discouraging) then ak of hearts (rho discouraging). Plan the play.

For E to pass this double he should have all the remaining spades and not more than 4 hearts. I'd ruff ♥K and cash AK of clubs to prevent E from his safe exit when he is in with spade K. Now play a spade to dummy's A (probably W is void) win the ♠A and play 8 of spade, which is the key play to force E to win it. (otherwise he will duck the spade and we go down an extra trick) He will have to exit with another ♥ which will allow me to shorten my trumps and I will exit will 3rd ♣ endplaying them for down 1. How did I do?

[wank]

Not well enough. East has kj72 xxx xxx qj9. You need to cross to dummy and ruff the last heart, unblocking the 9 or 10 at some point. Now 3 rounds of clubs leaves him on play with kj7 of spades. He exits on the 7 at t11 but as you've unblocked you can run it to the 8 and lead towards the queen at t12.

The beauty is getting out for 200 is effectively a top and 500 effectively a bottom.

[MrAce]

wank, on 2017-June-22, 13:25, said:

Not well enough. East has kj72 xxx xxx qj9. You need to cross to dummy and ruff the last heart, unblocking the 9 or 10 at some point. Now 3 rounds of clubs leaves him on play with kj7 of spades. He exits on the 7 at t11 but as you've unblocked you can run it to the 8 and lead towards the queen at t12.

The beauty is getting out for 200 is effectively a top and 500 effectively a bottom.

Well the problem is, your suggested line goes down 2 when E has doubleton club and mine goes down 1.

---

Mine is better percentage because I do not need any specific club honors and/or spots holding when E has doubleton club. Which is also more likely due to DBL although I am aware W will start DBL regardless of his shape with that many hcps. Your suggested line does not work even when E has 3 card clubs, you need E to hold both ♣ Q and J.

No need to mention, by cashing ♣ AK early, I can still shift my line and make 7 tricks, if I can figure E has QJx ♣. You, however, can not go down less than 2 once you commit yourself to going to dummy with ♠A and ruffing a ♥.

So Alex, please enlighten us, what made you think it is a "textbook" position about figuring out East holding ♣ QJx that we can not see, especially in intermediate forum?

[The_Badger]

MrAce, on 2017-June-22, 21:08, said:

So Alex, please enlighten us, what made you think it is a "textbook" position about figuring out East holding ♣ QJx that we can not see, especially in intermediate forum?

+1 for analysis. -1 for disclosing (partially) who the 'anonymous' expert poster is. (I already knew anyway.) Respect to both of you as you are both far, far better players than me, but I come from an era when bridge was a more genteel pastime as opposed the cut and thrust of today's game

[nige1]

wank, on 2017-June-22, 13:25, said:

Not well enough. East has kj72 xxx xxx qj9. You need to cross to dummy and ruff the last heart, unblocking the 9 or 10 at some point. Now 3 rounds of clubs leaves him on play with kj7 of spades. He exits on the 7 at t11 but as you've unblocked you can run it to the 8 and lead towards the queen at t12. The beauty is getting out for 200 is effectively a top and 500 effectively a bottom.

---

MrAce, on 2017-June-22, 21:08, said:

Well the problem is, your suggested line goes down 2 when E has doubleton club and mine goes down 1. Mine is better percentage because I do not need any specific club honors and/or spots holding when E has doubleton club. Which is also more likely due to DBL although I am aware W will start DBL regardless of his shape with that many hcps. Your suggested line does not work even when E has 3 card clubs, you need E to hold both ♣ Q and J.No need to mention, by cashing ♣ AK early, I can still shift my line and make 7 tricks, if I can figure E has QJx ♣. You, however, can not go down less than 2 once you commit yourself to going to dummy with ♠A and ruffing a ♥. So Alex, please enlighten us, what made you think it is a "textbook" position about figuring out East holding ♣ QJx that we can not see, especially in intermediate forum?

---

If you cash ♣AK, as suggested by Mr Ace, then these NS cards remain.
Now you have to decide between
- The line recommended by Wank (whcih works on this EW layout) and
- Mr Ace's line (which works when East was dealt a doubleton ♣).

IMO, Mr Ace makes the better case.
Although you might choose Wank's line if you trusted your card-reading judgement

---

[wank]

Yes you don't need to commit. You can cash ak of clubs and see what happens.

Fwiw the opps are east Europeans. East Europeans are religious reverse counters in my experience.

[MrAce]

wank, on 2017-June-24, 01:55, said:

Fwiw the opps are east Europeans. East Europeans are religious reverse counters in my experience.

Indeed, very true.

[neilkaz]

MrAce, on 2017-June-24, 03:00, said:

Indeed, very true.

Yeah I see the same online with them. As long as the self rate at least Advanced and list some semblance of a profile so I expect that they can signal and do a bit more than follow suit I just type UDCA and whether the respond or not I play UDCA with them.