[Left2Right]

Try downloading SuitPlay from http://home.planet.n...cis45/suitplay/

You'll see that even when you tell SP about the one ruffing possibility, he will tell you that the correct play is to win a top honor on the first round, then finesse the jack on the second round (72% to make 3 tricks).

SuitPlay even shows you all of the choices of distributions that you are up against.

[Dinarius]

 Left2Right, on 2020-February-03, 17:04, said:

Try downloading SuitPlay from http://home.planet.n...cis45/suitplay/

You'll see that even when you tell SP about the one ruffing possibility, he will tell you that the correct play is to win a top honor on the first round, then finesse the jack on the second round (72% to make 3 tricks).

SuitPlay even shows you all of the choices of distributions that you are up against.

SuitPlay is new to me.

Many thanks!

D.

[smerriman]

 Left2Right, on 2020-February-03, 17:04, said:

You'll see that even when you tell SP about the one ruffing possibility

How do you do this, incidentally? Have never been able to figure it out. You can check the 'ruffs/discards' option, but that lets you eliminate some of your own cards which is something unrelated.

[msjennifer]

 mikeh, on 2020-February-02, 14:07, said:

Well, without the rest of the hand,, I truly have no clue. We're in spades, and this is our club suit. Do I have the trumps and the entries to play AK and ruff one? If so, then I win on all 3-3 breaks and all doubleton or stiff queens. The finesse, on the other hand, wins on only half of the 3-3 breaks, all of the stiff queens (assuming I make the correct play of cashing a high club first) and half the doubletons. Of course, the hook wins against Qxxx(x) onside, but it is still the inferior play.

And if I can ruff two clubs, then that is overwhelming best.

However, if I cannot ruff any clubs, playing for the drop is very much inferior. It wins only against Qx offside and loses to Qxx(x)(x) onside. The Qxx onside is itself more likely than Qx offside. It's not even close.

This is so basic that I suspect the Qx was offside and declarer was wrongly criticized for finessing.

SIR, Me too likewise.

[pigpenz]

this question seems weird without seeing a lead and the declarers hand and dummy....bridge just doesnt work this way!

[Dinarius]

Still waiting for Suitplay download email.

D.

[Stephen Tu]

I don't think suitplay was designed to cover concept of ruffing to establish long tricks in a suit. I would use a card combination analyzer like pavlicek's where you just tick off for yourself which combos work for each line and let the page do the arithmetic for you.