[mikeh]

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At imps, with LHO a very strong expert, multiple national titles, and rho a weak client. 2♥ was a weak jump shift, 4♣ a fatuous splinter (admitted as much after the hand, since there is no hand for S on which slam is 'good') and the 5♥ seems like another mistake. Anyway, the play's the thing...anyone can defend and collect a number or make 10 tricks.

LHO leads the club K. RHO plays an indifferent spot (yes, it should be suit preference but this is a weak client who hasn't been playing with the pro for long).

LHO takes a moment to play to trick 2, but not a huge BIT. He plays a low club, which you ruff in dummy.

Plan your play.

[nige1]

mikeh, on 2014-May-26, 17:04, said:

At imps, with LHO a very strong expert, multiple national titles, and rho a weak client. 2♥ was a weak jump shift, 4♣ a fatuous splinter (admitted as much after the hand, since there is no hand for S on which slam is 'good') and the 5♥ seems like another mistake. Anyway, the play's the thing...anyone can defend and collect a number or make 10 tricks.
LHO leads the club K. RHO plays an indifferent spot (yes, it should be suit preference but this is a weak client who hasn't been playing with the pro for long). LHO takes a moment to play to trick 2, but not a huge BIT. He plays a low club, which you ruff in dummy. Plan your play.

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Spoiler

You might try ruffing a ♠ to ruff your last ♣. Or you might try a cunning ♦Q at trick three. But the straightforward line seems OK. i.e. ♥AK. If ♥Q appears, then draw a third trump. Hopefully, run ♦9.

[Zelandakh]

I have to admit my first inclination was ♥A, ♠AK, ♠ ruff, ♣ ruff, ♠ ruff, ♥K, run ♦9 but then I saw who the OP is and realised there was a lot more to it - better to wait for Rainer .

[Fluffy]

♦A playing the 3 and low diamond from dummy

My read: LHO doesn't have a strong hand, he passed 2 hearts because he has a preemptive hand rather than a strong one. Yet he decided to sacrifice, probably with ♣KQJ10xxx, or the like, but nothing on the side. Steal the diamond trick and keep playing them, we might make 12 tricks.

[razorsharp]

Zealnd's line is straightforwad & seems clearcut to me - "PARANOIA strikes deep - into your declarer play it does creep" but c'est la bridge
razorsharp

[PhilKing]

I think West has a void heart - I just do not believe the 5♣ bid otherwise. Anyway, I survive some scenarios where he has one heart by the following:

tricks 3-5 - AK and another ♠, ruffing small.
trick 6 - run the ♦9

I expect East to win and play a third club:

7 - ruff
8 - ruff a spade with the ♥7
9 and 10 - play winning diamonds
11 to 13 - pain for East, who is caught in an almighty trump coup.

East has:

♠Jxxx
♥QTxx
♦Kx
♣AJx

or similar.

[Zelandakh]

Would you double 4♣ with that Phil?

[PhilKing]

Zelandakh, on 2014-May-27, 08:45, said:

Would you double 4♣ with that Phil?

The bad sponsor doubled. It's difficult to come up with a sensible hand for 5♣:

♠Qxx
♥-
♦xxxx
♣KQxxxx(KJxxxx)

without giving the sponsor a joke double.

[Zelandakh]

Hmmm, I think you might have found the interesting part of the hand Phil. If this is an exercise in constructing possible hands then I would like to find out if the double shows a club suit (suggesing a sacrifice) or is simply lead directing. The former is going to increase the range of hands that West can have for the 5♣ bid, no?

[PhilKing]

Zelandakh, on 2014-May-27, 08:55, said:

I would like to find out if the double shows a club suit (suggesing a sacrifice) or is simply lead directing. The former is going to increase the range of hands that West can have for the 5♣ bid, no?

The point is he is a weak client. He doubled because it was his turn and he has something in clubs.

Lefty has seen it all before and is not going to put too much faith in the double, but he is not bidding 5♣ for a laugh - he expects to get out for 300. If he has got me, it is going to be a spectacular egg-on-face extravaganza, but I have been there too many times before to be embarrassed.

[lamford]

PhilKing, on 2014-May-27, 07:58, said:

I think West has a void heart - I just do not believe the 5♣ bid otherwise. Anyway, I survive some scenarios where he has one heart by the following:

tricks 3-5 - AK and another ♠, ruffing small.
trick 6 - run the ♦9

I expect East to win and play a third club:

7 - ruff
8 - ruff a spade with the ♥7
9 and 10 - play winning diamonds
11 to 13 - pain for East, who is caught in an almighty trump coup.

East has:

♠Jxxx
♥QTxx
♦Kx
♣AJx

or similar.

I would be surprised if a client had AJx of clubs, although I very much like your idea that West has a heart void. I also think that a pro would expect more than three clubs from typical clients. I would follow your line up to trick five, but then play a diamond to the ace and ruff the last spade low. If East has Jxx QTxx Kx AJxx, which I think is more likely, he is still toast. I then play a diamond to him, ruff a club and ruff a diamond low. The pro can then berate the client for not overtaking the first club and playing back a trump, and the client can respond "if you wanted me to win the first club then lead a small one". Your line of running the nine of diamonds (when East is 3-4-2-4) fails when East wins and either returns a trump, or returns a club, and ditches a diamond on the fourth spade, so he is likely to find the defence randomly. My line makes the hand as well when West has a small singleton heart, as it does in your layout, but I will usually be beaten, as will you be, when West has three spades and a singleton heart honour. Also, when East is Hx QTxx Kx AJxxx, we will both make, but again we need to ruff the third spade and play a diamond to the ace, not run the nine.

And apologies if this reply is somewhat lame, but Stefanie tells me I am supposed to be on holiday here in USA ....

[PhilKing]

Trick 6 is probably slightly contingent on tricks 3-5 - I expect East to give count!

[lamford]

PhilKing, on 2014-May-27, 12:02, said:

Trick 6 is probably slightly contingent on tricks 3-5 - I expect East to give count!

It seems from the OP that he has been wisely told by the pro to play indifferent spot cards, and why should he give count when it is immaterial to his partner? I expect him to play upwards almost all the time. We were told he was a weak client not a novice. Also playing the ace of diamonds will still make most of the time West has the king. For example, make the king of diamonds a small diamond on your example hand.

[gszes]

The trick 2 club lead (risking a ruff/sluff) would seem scary at
least to anyone short of strong expert since to NOT give ruff/
sluff is practically rule number one in the defender's handbook.
To make such a play with such a carefree attitude is interesting
since the only reason for such machinations would be in order to
accomplish something very interesting in exchange for the possible
trick that could be lost via the ruff/sluff.

I think this points to the probability that lho (along with the
bidding) is void in hearts and the defense is looking especially
decrepit since they also have the dia king with no great length.
I strongly suspect lho has something similar to
Hxx void Kxxx Kxxxxx. This would be a reasonable hand to bid 5c with
and also a hand truly desparate for a way to defeat 5h. Leading the
second club could protect their p with KJxx hearts since declarer will
not easily play enough diamonds to shorten their trumps for a necessary
trump coupe.

trick 3 dia 8 leading toward the 9 rho will win this or it forces lho
to win it or we can finesse them for the K next round. We cannot afford
to play spades from the top early because we need entries to the dummy
order to shorten our trumps in anticipation of winning trick 12 and 13
overruffing rho. How we proceed will depend on the defense but essentially

assuming one of the opps wins the dia K (if they do not we should make the
hand easily)

trick 4 ruff the club return
trick 5 top dia
trick 6 ruff a dia
trick 7 spade to A
trick 8 ruff a dia
trick 9 spade to K
trick 10 lead a spade and make sure you overruff rho
trick 11 trump to A and enjoy seeing lho show out
trick 12 lead a card from dummy and claim

this takes some luck but given all of the information it seems
like a sound plan. expecting rho to hold something like
Hxxx QTxx (Kx or xx) AQx

[lamford]

gszes, on 2014-May-27, 16:15, said:

this takes some luck but given all of the information it seems
like a sound plan. expecting rho to hold something like
Hxxx QTxx (Kx or xx) AQx

Your line will work against that layout, but if East has, say, ♠ Hxx ♥ QTxx ♦ Kx ♣ AQxx, you will go down. East will win the diamond and return a trump or a club, and you are not able to perform the trump coup. I think it is much better to play ace, king and another spade first.