[inquiry]

Scoring: IMP


West North East South

    -     -       -    1♠
Pass 3♠ Pass 4NT
Pass 5♦ Pass 5♠
Pass 6♠ Pass Pass
Pass

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Imagine Bridge Comes to TV.. .and this is a game show called Bridge Jeapody!!! They give YOU the hand, and you tell us what the problem is and why the hand is remotely interesting. And since this is on TV, all players are at least as good as you.

Opening lead heart Ten...

[luke warm]

alec, what is "how do you play the clubs to make this slam?"

[Chamaco]

I'll give this a try, pls do not crucifix me if I got that wrong (it will happen again ).

Main problem occurs when RHO has Jxxx.

I think it is still right to draw trumps and start with AQ of clubs.
When LHO shows out at 2nd round, I play off all my winners, discarding diamond in dummy, and finally play a diamond hoping that RHO's 3rd card (besides ♦Jx) is Diamond Ace and the throw in succeeds:
diamonds honors are probably split, or RHO has both (maybe he did not double 5D for the lead becauise he has not enough length in D) otherwise LHO is likely to lead A of diamonds;
Also, there are a little more chances for RHO to hold Ace than K since many players, of all levels, like to lead an Ace vs a slam (not only beginners- see Easley Blackwood book on opening leads where he states, with many examples from international play, that many more slam are made for NOT leading an unsupported A rather than those which are made because of an A lead).

So there is a little more than 50% chance that RHO's last 3 cards are Jx in clubs and A of diamonds, in which case the squeeze succeeds.
Combining this chance with the probability of clubs breaking 3-2 or west holding Jxxx, it seems to me a reasonable line ?

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Uh-oh, just noticed RHO can unblock discvartding Diamond Ace...
I'll have to think more...

[Fluffy]

The biggest problem arises when on the ♣Ace the 9 drops at the LEFT, no doubt you will probably try now a ♣ to the K and finee back if neccesay, but if WEST is a good player he will play the ♣9 from ♣J9xx.


Also you can always try the small extra chance of a bare ♦ honnor for the endplay .

[inquiry]

Fluffy is close, let's give this answer a solid B... maybe a B+ for the part about diamond endplay.

what is right.. With J9xx a good WEST will drop the nine. It is automatic. But let's continue from this point... To make it easy.. you win Heart Ten opening lead and bang down two trumps. Both follow. Now you play a top club from your hand and WEST plays the club nine. Now what are your thoughts?

Ben

[cherdano]

Assuming ♦ honors are distributed, the contract is cold after ♣9 drops if LHO has longer hearts. Is this an extra chance worth bothering with? (I.e. might LHO lead ♥10 from ♥J10xx?)

[inquiry]

cherdano, on Sep 27 2004, 03:10 PM, said:

Assuming ♦ honors are distributed, the contract is cold after ♣9 drops if LHO has longer hearts. Is this an extra chance worth bothering with? (I.e. might LHO lead ♥10 from ♥J10xx?)

Extra chances are always worth bothering with... end of story... .

For an exxample. look at the remarkable extra chance that comes hom on BBO makable slam 14 (click on the number 14).

So in planning the play, include how you might seek out extra chances, how ever small, before falling back on main chance. Look under every stone is a good motto when hunting that elusive slam going (or whatever contract) trick.

Ben

[Fluffy]

I am in trouble Ben, those A,B,D... califications are used only in America as far as I know, and we europeans have no clue of what they mean, I always get pissed when I see them on movies or TV series, I never understand what is going on .

[inquiry]

Fluffy, on Sep 27 2004, 07:27 PM, said:

I am in trouble Ben, those A,B,D... califications are used only in America as far as I know, and we europeans have no clue of what they mean, I always get pissed when I see them on movies or TV series, I never understand what is going on .

Ok... let me crystallize this... you pull trumps, cash the club ace, and west drops the nine.. happy days you say, you lead small club to dummy so you can hook east on the way back...but then west follows with a low club.... gulp.. what do you do.

NINE is stanadard from J9xx but also from 9x or 9xx... You are back into a guess. See the problem now? See a potential solution?

Ben

[pclayton]

I think I see where this is going. Win the K♥ (the 10 is an unusual lead, don't you think....hmmm). Draw all the trump; are they 4-0? Now the A♣; we really don't have any issues unless the club 9 pops up in the West. Lets run all our trumps and one of the hearts. Imagine a two 6 card endings (on the last trump we pitch the 10♣ from dummy):

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RHO has to pitch a ♥ and the A♥ finishes him off. And how about this?

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Similarly, LHO has to pitch a heart. Now the A♥ finishes him off; either pitching a top diamond or a club (giving up the ghost). Yes its odd LHO didn't lead the A from AK, so I don't have much faith that this is the layout.

Note: The reason the ♥ is cashed last is in case the opponent pitches a high diamond to keep the long heart.

The 1st example is VERY plausible though.

This post has been edited by pclayton: 2004-September-27, 22:07

[cherdano]

pclayton, on Sep 28 2004, 12:40 AM, said:

Imagine a two 6 card endings (on the last trump we pitch the 10♣ from dummy): 

Dealer: ????? Vul: ???? Scoring: Unknown

♠   ♥ A ♦ Jx ♣ KTx ♠   ♥ x ♦ xxxxx ♣   ♠   ♥ x ♦ AK ♣ Jxx ♠ A ♥ x ♦ Q ♣ Q8x

(...)
The 1st example is VERY plausible though.

I disagree. With ♦AK..., RHO would double 5♦.

[inquiry]

Yes the heart ten was an interesting lead. In fact, as you willl discover it was from a doubleton.

On the real hand, trumps were 2-2. you bang the club ACE, WEST drops the nine. If you then lead another low club, west follows suit.. ARGHHHHH.. Is west J9xx or 9x or 9xx... if you hook, you will have a lot of explaining to do if it is wrong, if you go up with the King, and west had four the the J9xx you REALLY will have a lot of explaining to do (partner, don't you know to take the AQ and then when East shows out hook the club JACK).

So West gave you fits with the club nine play if he follows suit when you lead low towards dummy (before taking your queen).. and if you take your queen what if WEST shows out on second round).

The solution is, simply don't play clubs yet. Instead try to get a count on the hand.. three rounds of hearts would have uncovered that WEST had only two hearts, and you know about the doubleton trump. You may end up having to have a play like phil suggested if you guess clubs badly. But at least it is a chance.. especially if the hand with the long club also had the 13th heart. Consider the following holding...

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You lead the last spade, WEST has to throw his heart (i think), and assume you think WEST had a stiff club if anyone despite your hunt for more info. So you trhow club Ten from dummy, and lead a low club to the king - EAST show out.. NP, you exit a diamond. If east ducks, west is endplayed in clubs. If East jumps up iwth the ACE, he is a steppingstone back to dummy.. when he lead a diamond, you throw a club and win a diamond and club.

But the correct answer is to NOT lead a second diamond until you discover as much as you can on the hand first.

Ben