[pclayton]

Scoring: IMP

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Here's a hand I played a few weeks ago. I haven't posted it, because I gave it to a few players IRL 1st. Only one of my regular partners got it right, and several ex-world champions got it wrong.

You play in 3N. RHO opened 1♥ in 3rd and LHO made a weak 3 card raise over your double.

LHO leads the ♥7.

There are at least two tests to get right if you are going to make 9 tricks.

Plan the play, and try to cater to several eventualities.

[Poky]

If East ducks, I take the ♥K and cash ♦AKQ. If diamonds are 4-2, I play a heart to the ♥J intending to endplay east.

If East takes the ♥A, I deblock the king, playing East for ♠KJ and a major strip squeeze.

[TimG]

Isn't the first test to play the Jack from dummy at trick one to block the suit when LHO has led from QT7?

[Echognome]

TimG, on Jul 14 2007, 12:50 PM, said:

Isn't the first test to play the Jack from dummy at trick one to block the suit when LHO has led from QT7?

So we're supposed to base our play on the fact that opponents have made a clear mistake on the lead? There's no way if partner opened 1♥ and I held QTx would I risk blocking the suit. Partner is likely to hold an outside entry, so that's crazy.

P.S. I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying that if this is part of the test, I think the test is wrong.

[Halo]

First question - what does East play to trick one (I have not put upthe Jack)?

Sometimes I may win the King and return the suit.

[Echognome]

Jlall, on Jul 14 2007, 02:01 PM, said:

So you shouldn't make the right play because for it to gain requires the opps to have made a mistake? That doesn't make sense to me. I think bridge is all about capitalizing on your opponents mistakes and minimizing your own. In this case you have a no cost way of doing so, so why not try it? Anyways its not even clear to me its wrong to lead low from QTx.

When it's a no cost play, it's a no cost play. What can I say?

[ceeb]

Jlall, on Jul 14 2007, 05:01 PM, said:

In this case you have a no cost way of doing so, so why not try it? Anyways its not even clear to me its wrong to lead low from QTx.

I'm thinking West might have ♥Q87, ♦xxx.

Low from dummy leads to 9 easy tricks: Play ♥K. If it wins, run diamonds, exit ♥, wait for 9th trick. If ♥K is unblock, then cert dummy entry coming and happiness.

Play the ♥J though and E can safely play the ♥A. The ♥J can cost.

Charles

[ceeb]

ceeb, on Jul 15 2007, 12:16 AM, said:

Jlall, on Jul 14 2007, 05:01 PM, said:

In this case you have a no cost way of doing so, so why not try it? Anyways its not even clear to me its wrong to lead low from QTx.

I'm thinking West might have ♥Q87, ♦xxx.

Charles

Ok, bad example. I fell for a trap.

But cannot East hold ♠K, ♥AQ1098, ♦xx, ♣Kxxxx?

Charles

[mikeh]

Echognome, on Jul 14 2007, 03:59 PM, said:

TimG, on Jul 14 2007, 12:50 PM, said:

Isn't the first test to play the Jack from dummy at trick one to block the suit when LHO has led from QT7?

So we're supposed to base our play on the fact that opponents have made a clear mistake on the lead? There's no way if partner opened 1♥ and I held QTx would I risk blocking the suit. Partner is likely to hold an outside entry, so that's crazy.

P.S. I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying that if this is part of the test, I think the test is wrong.

I'm intrigued by this: which card would you lead from Q107?

The Queen rates to be spectacularly wrong on some layouts and the 10 will confuse everybody at the table.

[mikeh]

If I play West for Q10x, then playing the J from dummy gives me a great chance to make the contract.

If RHO ducks, I run the club Q and J and then the spade hook.

If RHO wins the A and returns the suit, I win... I try the diamond suit.

If RHO holds 4 diamonds, I am in trouble since West can unblock the hearts... I think I am reduced to playing East for the stiff club K.... don't pitch a club on the 3rd diamond.

If RHO holds 2 diamonds, I throw West on lead on the 4th round... he can cash a heart on which I pitch a club, not a spade, but must then lead a spade. I have to play West for Jxxx or J98 in spades...so rise the spade 10, to force East to play the King. I win the A, cash the Q (hoping West does not have an unblock available) and cash my last diamond and exit a spade. Note that the 10 of spades establishes an extra trick for west when he holds Jxxx...but it's not the setting trick... I still get 4 diamonds, 1 heart, 2 in each black, and the 10 is essential if LHO holds J98. Also note that I had to pitch a club, not a spade, on 3rd round of hearts.

If diamonds are 3-3, I do not cash the 4th and 5th diamonds because West will unblock the hearts. Instead I play A and a club...btw, I will by now know if West held 765 or Qxx in hearts, by his play to trick 2. If he held 765, then I do cash my diamonds and if east holds both black kings, he must either stiff one of themor pitch a heart

The alternative line of playing low from dummy will work anytime West has the Q of hearts AND East plays the A at trick 1...but that is a huge gamble... most easts will be able to play a 10 equivalent without much trouble. And then we need diamonds to run. If they do, then East is under a lot of pressure. In order to keep 4 heart winners, he has to stiff one of his black Kings. All we need do is guess which one.

BTW, if East has the AQ of ♥, he will play the 10 equivalent at trick one if we duck and will win the A if we play the J (LHO holding 765)

In the first case, we have to win and hope diamonds split and we guess a stiff K at the end... but I don't like our chances, because now West rates to hold a black King.

In the second case, again we need diamonds to run and then we have to hole East has both black Kings and we have to guess the end-position... if he keeps all his hearts, we drop the stiff K (if he has both Kings) and if he pitches a ♥, we play A and a club.

So while I fear that playing West fro the Q107 is a longshot, the alternative requires East to make a poor play at trick one, or to find West with no more than 2 jacks in his hand. So I go for the ♥ J at trick 1. Is the second test the spade 10 when West exits in spades? Or the not playing the 4th round of diamonds if the suit breaks 3-3?

[ceeb]

mikeh, on Jul 15 2007, 11:23 AM, said:

East is under a lot of pressure. In order to keep 4 heart winners, he has to stiff one of his black Kings. All we need do is guess which one.

If East doesn't throw a heart on the diamonds, just cash both aces.

Charles

[mikeh]

ceeb, on Jul 15 2007, 12:47 PM, said:

mikeh, on Jul 15 2007, 11:23 AM, said:

East is under a lot of pressure. In order to keep 4 heart winners, he has to stiff one of his black Kings. All we need do is guess which one.

If East doesn't throw a heart on the diamonds, just cash both aces.

Charles

sometimes I get so tangled up that I miss the obvious: I cannot guess wrong, as you point out.

[Echognome]

mikeh, on Jul 15 2007, 07:45 AM, said:

I'm intrigued by this: which card would you lead from Q107?

The Queen rates to be spectacularly wrong on some layouts and the 10 will confuse everybody at the table.

Q or T. Neither card is goin to be read correctly. But neither will block the suit.

[pclayton]

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The first test as several have pointed out is to play the J from dummy at T1. This looks obvious looking at all 4 hands, but the play has been missed by many that I gave the problem too. The play also works if LHO led from ATx, although the subsequent block doesnt exist, since East can duck and preserve comm.

The spotlight shifts to East. If he ducks, you are in dummy for 2 club finesses, and but then what? If you take the spade hook, you are down, losing 2 spades, 2 hearts and a diamond, but if you clear diamonds, you are home, which is the 2nd test. If you are playing playing hearts to be blocked, you don't care who wins the 4th diamond, although LHO unblocking on the 3rd diamond creates a problem. The annoying singleton King means the heart suit stays blocked in the actual layout.

I suppose you would win the BOLS Brilliancy award if the play started 1. J♥, 2-3, ♣'s from dummy, 4. ♦ DUCK!

Say East wins the heart and locks you in hand with another heart. You attack clubs while the heart blockage is still there. If RHO lays off twice, you switch your attention back to diamonds, and make your 9th trick that way (note the spade trap is still present). The ♦ duck is still an option if you think RHO could have 4♦'s.

If RHO wins the club and clears hearts, LHO wins and exits a diamond, and you'll make an overtrick as LHO is endplayed on the 4th diamond, after the clubs are stripped.

I love this hand, and I wish I would have found the right play at T1.

[nige1]

pclayton, on Jul 17 2007, 10:50 AM, said:

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The first test as several have pointed out is to play the J from dummy at T1. This looks obvious looking at all 4 hands, but the play has been missed by many that I gave the problem too. The play also works if LHO led from ATx, although the subsequent block doesnt exist, since East can duck and preserve comm.

The spotlight shifts to East. If he ducks, you are in dummy for 2 club finesses, and but then what? If you take the spade hook, you are down, losing 2 spades, 2 hearts and a diamond, but if you clear diamonds, you are home, which is the 2nd test. If you are playing playing hearts to be blocked, you don't care who wins the 4th diamond, although LHO unblocking on the 3rd diamond creates a problem. The annoying singleton King means the heart suit stays blocked in the actual layout.

I suppose you would win the BOLS Brilliancy award if the play started 1. J♥, 2-3, ♣'s from dummy, 4. ♦ DUCK!

Say East wins the heart and locks you in hand with another heart. You attack clubs while the heart blockage is still there. If RHO lays off twice, you switch your attention back to diamonds, and make your 9th trick that way (note the spade trap is still present). The ♦ duck is still an option if you think RHO could have 4♦'s.

If RHO wins the club and clears hearts, LHO wins and exits a diamond, and you'll make an overtrick as LHO is endplayed on the 4th diamond, after the clubs are stripped.

I love this hand, and I wish I would have found the right play at T1.

Great deal pclayton Thank you I would have got it wrong