[pclayton]

Scoring: MP

---

Here's a hand my pard played last week. I think its a good exercise in planning.

Your pard opens 1♣, you respond 1♥ and LHO overcalls 1♠. Pard makes a support x and RHO raises to 2 and you have an easy game bid of 4♥. LHO leads a low spade, small J, Q. Nice start.

How do you continue?

[plaur]

My first thought is ♥A, ♠A, ruff ♠, ♥J, later play small club towards QJ.
Ohh its MP, still thinking ....

[jtfanclub]

plaur, on Sep 9 2008, 11:29 AM, said:

My first thought is ♥A, ♠A, ruff ♠, ♥J, later play small club towards QJ.
Ohh its MP, still thinking ....

Don't see how that makes a difference. Unless one of those club X's ends up being useful, you'll always have a club loser against good defense.

Looks like the main question is if one player has 4 hearts to the king and a doubleton in a minor, and ducks the jack of hearts. If RHO has the 4 hearts, I'll lead the A and another diamond next. If LHO has the 4 hearts, I'll run the Q♣.

[matmat]

what game did I bid? :') I guess 3n, as p didn't support double

[pclayton]

matmat, on Sep 9 2008, 09:22 AM, said:

what game did I bid? :') I guess 3n, as p didn't support double

4♥. Op edited (was in a hurry this morning I guess).

[Mbodell]

So this is MP and overtricks are important. It seems like if RHO has the K of clubs I might be able to pitch my diamond loser on a club and lose just a club and probably a heart. If RHO has the Kx of hearts I can pick up that suit for no loser either. LHO did overcall 1♠ and is likely to have more of the points, although he already has shown up with the ♠K.

The trick is going to be entries to the south hand. I have entries in A♠, A♣ and also want to ruff the third ♠. Clubs are likely to split 4-3 but I should watch for 5-2 as well, but I don't think I need guard for stiff K so I don't need to cash the ♣A.

Maybe start with ♥ to the J, ♠A, ♠ruff, ♥A, A♣, ♣ to the Q. I'm still an entry late but maybe I shouldn't hope to finesse the hearts for Kx onside when I can not finesse hearts and pick up a trick if the clubs are Kx or Kxx or Kxxx onside. Seems like playing for the club finesse would be better than the hearts.

[pclayton]

At the table, my pard (not that good) cashed the spade, and took the ruff immediately.

Now, seemingly aware of overtricks, she now worked on her club tricks and led the Q (!) off the board, losing to the King. A club back she won in hand to take a trump finesse losing. Now a club ruf and a diamond and she's marooned on the board and has to lose a diamond for -1.

Perhaps its not totally clear what to do at T2, but I don't see a lot of problem with a trump finesse. If it wins, perhaps a low club is now best. Either way, 4 looks certain, and you keep 5 and even 6 in the running.

[jtfanclub]

pclayton, on Sep 11 2008, 12:59 PM, said:

At the table, my pard (not that good) cashed the spade, and took the ruff immediately.

Now, seemingly aware of overtricks, she now worked on her club tricks and led the Q (!) off the board, losing to the King. A club back she won in hand to take a trump finesse losing. Now a club ruf and a diamond and she's marooned on the board and has to lose a diamond for -1.

I think the reasoning behind never taking the heart finesse is sound: it's fairly low percentage (if you don't drop the K doubleton it doesn't do you any good) and it gives them a chance to attack clubs before you draw trump.

Give RHO say, 3 hearts to the king and a singleton club. Can you still make it if you try the heart finesse?

Or to put it another way, this is looking fairly nasty after a club lead if the suit doesn't break 3-3. Shouldn't we just count our blessings for the lead and take the highest % for 10 tricks?

[pclayton]

jtfanclub, on Sep 11 2008, 05:33 PM, said:

pclayton, on Sep 11 2008, 12:59 PM, said:

At the table, my pard (not that good) cashed the spade, and took the ruff immediately.

Now, seemingly aware of overtricks, she now worked on her club tricks and led the Q (!) off the board, losing to the King. A club back she won in hand to take a trump finesse losing. Now a club ruf and a diamond and she's marooned on the board and has to lose a diamond for -1.

I think the reasoning behind never taking the heart finesse is sound: it's fairly low percentage (if you don't drop the K doubleton it doesn't do you any good) and it gives them a chance to attack clubs before you draw trump.

Give RHO say, 3 hearts to the king and a singleton club. Can you still make it if you try the heart finesse?

Or to put it another way, this is looking fairly nasty after a club lead if the suit doesn't break 3-3. Shouldn't we just count our blessings for the lead and take the highest % for 10 tricks?

If RHO has 3 hearts, a singleton club, he'd have six diamonds along with his 3 spades. Then, RHO would have bid over 1 club, and his partner might have led his stiff diamond.

And yes I can still make it if that is his shape. Work it out for yourself.