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Ruff high or low?

#1 User is offline   ahydra 

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Posted 2014-June-15, 11:59



IMPs. Opps are vulnerable, both of them good players.

Opening lead is 10, ducked all around (South plays the 3). Now 9 continuation, you cover, South wins the Q. He continues with A, you play K, North discourages. Then South plays A. Ruff high or low?

ahydra
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#2 User is offline   PhilKing 

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Posted 2014-June-15, 13:50

I would have to ask a few questions about their opening lead style - for instance, I would lead low from T9x here.

Anyway, I am certain the correct answer is not "ruff low". Ruff with the six perhaps, which pays off when South is 5125 with the T9. But against myself, I would judge to ruff high.
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#3 User is offline   manudude03 

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Posted 2014-June-15, 14:29

I don't think we can make this if trumps are 4-0, so I'm going to ruff high, draw trumps in 3 rounds, cash AK of diamonds and cross back in clubs to throw the last diamond crossruffing the last 2.
Wayne Somerville
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Posted 2014-June-15, 16:30

Do they routinely open 1 with 5-5 in the black suits? Would 3 over 1 by north have been preemptive (he would have seven diamonds QJ9xxxx)? North will not have a singleton club and choose to lead a club. So the most South can have is 5-6.

If north can't have seven diamonds, South's most likely distribution is 5=1=1=6 or 5=0=2=6 so a possible 4-0 heart split is in the mix.

Let's start by stating the obvious. You have lost two spades, and a club, and assuming North has only two spades (that is south did not bid 2 on a strong AKQx of spades for a spade lead), you can not survive north being 2=4=any, since the third spade gives them a certain trump promotion. You can easily survive any 3-1 heart split by ruffing high. So your goal is to guess if South had five spades for his 2 bid or only four.

So let's imagine some hands for him. AKQx void ??? ATxxxx, would you bid 2 for lead, or double 2 (we don't know what three diamonds he could hold)?
AKQx x xx ATxxxx
AKQx xx x ATxxxx
AKQx xxx void ATxxxx

Not sure any of this helps, but the only hand where ruffing low helps is if south is 4=0=3=6. That is just too long a shot (and he might have doubled instead of bidding 2 because of the three diamonds. So I guess I have little choice but to ruff high. If south only had four spades at these colors, he got me.
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#5 User is offline   TWO4BRIDGE 

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Posted 2014-June-15, 17:07

Ben ... if South had 6 cards , then his partner would have 2 cards.... but OP said he "discouraged " on the lead of South's Ace . Wouldn't North start a hi-lo with 2 cards ??

So, if South only has 5 cards , then he only has 4 cards ... and you can safely ruff low .
Don Stenmark
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#6 User is offline   nige1 

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Posted 2014-June-15, 18:47

View Postahydra, on 2014-June-15, 11:59, said:


IMPs. Opps are vulnerable, both of them good players. Opening lead is 10, ducked all around (South plays the 3). Now 9 continuation, you cover, South wins the Q. He continues with A, you play K, North discourages. Then South plays A. Ruff high or low?
I like mandude03's line -- If North has 4, then you need a miracle in to make;
Hence you might as well ruff high, as a virtually cost-free safety-play, in case South has 5 and one or more e.g.
  • A K Q x x x x x - A T x x x
  • A K Q x x x x x A T x x x
  • A K Q x x x x x A T x x x
  • A K Q x x x x - A T x x x x
  • A K Q x x x x A T x x x x
  • A K Q x x x - A T x x x x x

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Posted 2014-June-15, 20:16

View PostTWO4BRIDGE, on 2014-June-15, 17:07, said:

Ben ... if South had 6 cards , then his partner would have 2 cards.... but OP said he "discouraged " on the lead of South's Ace . Wouldn't North start a hi-lo with 2 cards ??

So, if South only has 5 cards , then he only has 4 cards ... and you can safely ruff low .



With AK-sixth, South would lead the king to make it clear. The lead of the Ace here should deny the club king. If South had 4=x=y=5 he is doing a lot bidding at unfavorable with only AKQx x QJx ATxxx at most, and with that double seems more appropriate than 2 (although 2 has marked lead directing advantage).
--Ben--

#8 User is offline   whereagles 

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Posted 2014-June-16, 14:45

I'm not going to cookup this one too much. Just ruff low, 'coz 5-4 is much more likely than 5-5 or 6-5.
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#9 User is offline   ahydra 

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Posted 2014-June-17, 06:49

Thanks all. At the table I ruffed high and was one off when South held AKQ3 - Q974 AT864.

I was playing South for 5-6, being vulnerable and all that, but I hadn't noticed at the time that making this is very hard if that is the case and trumps are 4-0. Trying to discard a diamond from dummy on the clubs won't work because North will be short and can ruff the third round. As it happens, keeping it simple à la whereagles was the winning line - but I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thought ruffing high was right!

ahydra
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#10 User is offline   gszes 

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Posted 2014-June-17, 07:39

I am late but I was somewhat surprised to see so many thinking about
opener having AKQxx and considering opening 1c. The defense alone should
make everyone think twice--why did lho lead a spade instead of a club
if they were short(in clubs). Surely rho would not choose to open 1c vs 1s
with AKQxx x xx Axxxx it might be barely plausible with AKQxx x x Axxxxx but
still seems very unlikely any more clubs than that and lho had a singleton
or a void and would have led a singleton and showed out on club A with a
void. It is right to ruff low anytime rho has any holding but AKQxx Axxxxx
in the black suits and that is an awfully small target to place a bet on.
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#11 User is offline   manudude03 

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Posted 2014-June-17, 08:05

I must confess I am rather confused as to why south cashed the ace of clubs if he was 4045, just leading a third spade immediately would leave declarer with no hope. Only reason I can think of is if he is afraid declarer has 5 diamonds. Otherwise as far as I can tell, you are down no matter what otherwise if trumps are 4-0 (can't get rid of the diamond loser).
Wayne Somerville
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#12 User is offline   whereagles 

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Posted 2014-June-17, 10:30

South's A was probably just checking whether pard could encourage in clubs with the king.
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