[Phil]

Scoring: IMP

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The opening lead is the ♠5, 3, 9, 10

What is your best line for 9 tricks? Anything you can do about some bad splits?

[manudude03]

I'd call it very unlucky if I don't make 9 tricks here, but anyway...

Spoiler

Cash the ♣A, if stiff K drops, I have 9 tricks., ♥J and small heart to dummy, if they're 3-3 or 4-2 i have 9 easy tricks by exiting a spade. If they don't work out, I'll cash ♥AKQ then play a club towards hand, if the king is onside I have 9 tricks after exiting spades (or clubs if 3-2). If all the cards are wrong, I don't think we have any kind of squeeze or endplay on.

[vuroth]

manudude03, on Sep 27 2010, 11:40 AM, said:

♥J and small heart to dummy, if they're 3-3 or 4-2 i have 9 easy tricks by exiting a spade.

Careful

[vuroth]

My first thought is to test hearts for 5 tricks. If they're there, take them, exit the K♠ and claim. My second thought is to concede a club.

The second seems to fall down in that I can't really handle the diamond return. It forces me to give up on my spade trick, and now I'm reliant on 3-2 clubs with the finesse on to make.

So I think I'll try the first line. J♥, ♥ to the Ace. If someone shows out, I'll cash my hearts, then ♣ finesse. If it holds, ♠ and I'm good. If not, then I think I'm toast.

At MPs

Spoiler

I think I'll take the second line - concede a club, win the immediate diamond return (or second spade), then run as many hearts as I can, then try the club finesse. On a good day, I take 11 or 12 tricks.

[Trumpace]

What is the contract?

[vuroth]

I assumed 3NT, given that we're after 9 tricks. Maybe I'm wrong.

[manudude03]

I thought this was in interesting hands, only just noticed B/I. oops .

And yes vuroth, i meant exiting a spade after cashing the hearts .

[Phil]

3N - sorry.

[Phil]

vuroth, on Sep 27 2010, 12:34 PM, said:

My first thought is to test hearts for 5 tricks.  If they're there, take them, exit the K♠ and claim.  My second thought is to concede a club.

The second seems to fall down in that I can't really handle the diamond return.  It forces me to give up on my spade trick, and now I'm reliant on 3-2 clubs with the finesse on to make.

So I think I'll try the first line.  J♥, ♥ to the Ace.  If someone shows out, I'll cash my hearts, then ♣ finesse.  If it holds, ♠ and I'm good.  If not, then I think I'm toast.

At MPs

Spoiler

I think I'll take the second line - concede a club, win the immediate diamond return (or second spade), then run as many hearts as I can, then try the club finesse.  On a good day, I take 11 or 12 tricks.

I like this better than cashing the ♣A early. We might run into problems even if the ♣K is onside, since we don't have time to knock out the spade and play up to the ♣Q if they shift to a diamond, and clubs are 4-1.