[gnasher]

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They lead ♣5. Plan the play.

[Fluffy]

We won't be able to ruff much tricks with this great lead, need to develop spades, and also a diamond trick. In other words, I feel like kinda desperate.

I would start with a spade to the queen. If it holds, ruff a spade in dummy and try a diamond to hand (winning the king). Ruffing 2 spades in dummy should make the spades high, and if clubs break a simple 3-2 break in trumps is al that is needed.

Needing too much things, there has to be something better involving just ♦Q onside.

[gnasher]

Fluffy, on 2013-May-05, 03:22, said:

I would start with a spade to the queen. If it holds, ruff a spade in dummy and try a diamond to hand (winning the king). Ruffing 2 spades in dummy should make the spades high, and if clubs break a simple 3-2 break in trumps is al that is needed.

After a spade to the queen, I think it's better to cash the ace of spades before ruffing the third round. If ♠K comes down in three, you may be able to cope with a 4-1 trump break.

Anyway, your spade finesse loses and LHO plays back a heart. Now what?

[gszes]

Not leading a heart while declarer has a spade suit that might
run providing discards is hugely speculative. I would not be a
bit surprised if LHO was holding the spade K (maybe even
some length). Well if lho has the spade K they have very little
room left for much of anything else since rho opened the bidding.

I can survive even KTxx of spades with LHO if the dia Q is onside
and since i pretty much need 32 trumps noone has a lot of diamonds
so winning trick 1 in dummy and trying to run the dia J at trick 2 for me.
I am using the dia J because I may need the dia 9 later as an entry.
Even is this loses I am not done as I can fall back on the spade T falling
3rd and a ruffing finesse against lho for the spade K.

[PhilKing]

.

[PhilKing]

Slightly off topic - how would you play 4♥ as South on a trump lead?

Auction:

P P P 1♥
P 2♣ P 4♥
AP

[Lord Molyb]

PhilKing, on 2013-May-06, 13:02, said:

Slightly off topic - how would you play 4♥ as South on a trump lead?

Auction:

P P P 1♥
P 2♣ P 4♥
AP

By improving my bidding.

[rhm]

gnasher, on 2013-May-06, 04:23, said:

After a spade to the queen, I think it's better to cash the ace of spades before ruffing the third round. If ♠K comes down in three, you may be able to cope with a 4-1 trump break.

Anyway, your spade finesse loses and LHO plays back a heart. Now what?

Not a good start, but the one I would have chosen. (Maybe finessing against the ♦Q at trick 2 is better)
East probably has now both diamond honors and all the remaining trumps.
You can not ruff spades since defenders can force you in hand.
Play East for the ♠T, probably ♠Tx, ♥KQxxx,♦AQ, ♣9xxx or possibly ♠Txx ♥KQJx, ♦AQ, ♣9xxx

Win the heart and play a diamond from dummy.
If East plays the ♦Q, play back a diamond and unblock in dummy to make sure the ♦9 is an entry to hand.
If this layout exists I expect to make 5 trump tricks, 3 spades, 2 diamonds and a heart.

Rainer Herrmann

[gwnn]

PhilKing, on 2013-May-06, 13:02, said:

Slightly off topic - how would you play 4♥ as South on a trump lead?

Auction:

P P P 1♥
P 2♣ P 4♥
AP

ace of hearts, low diamond to the k, ace of spades, spade ruff, king of clubs, spade ruff, queen of clubs, spade ruff? This is down two assuming they only make two misdefences?

[PhilKing]

Lord Molyb, on 2013-May-06, 18:36, said:

By improving my bidding.

Sorry - mis-typed. The auction bidding WAS better:
Auction:

P P P 1♠
P 2♣ P 4♥
AP

[Fluffy]

lol phil, you need 3 posts for this?

I am with Rainer, I am playing ♦ from dummy as quick as possible, lets see what RHO has to offer.