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You're fortunate to receive the lead of 5♥ (4th best). You count 12 tricks if spades aren't worse than 4-2. How do you play for the overtrick?
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Play for the overtrick
#1
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Posted 2025-April-17, 00:06
You're fortunate to receive the lead of 5♥ (4th best). You count 12 tricks if spades aren't worse than 4-2. How do you play for the overtrick?
#2
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Posted 2025-April-17, 00:45
Can't see anything better than (1) win heart, (2) cross to dummy's ♥K, (3) lead ♣Q and run it unless covered.
Option A. East has the King, but errs and does not cover. Score +1
Option B. West has the King. Score =
Option C. East covers. Capture the King with your Ace, then...
(4)-(9) run 5 spades and cash the remaining Heart winner while discarding all of dummy's clubs.
If the same player has the ♣J as well as the 4-card diamond, your trick 9 winner squeezes that player. You have secured the overtrick
Option A. East has the King, but errs and does not cover. Score +1
Option B. West has the King. Score =
Option C. East covers. Capture the King with your Ace, then...
(4)-(9) run 5 spades and cash the remaining Heart winner while discarding all of dummy's clubs.
If the same player has the ♣J as well as the 4-card diamond, your trick 9 winner squeezes that player. You have secured the overtrick
#3
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Posted 2025-April-17, 01:31
shyams, on 2025-April-17, 00:45, said:
Can't see anything better than (1) win heart, (2) cross to dummy's ♥K, (3) lead ♣Q and run it unless covered.
Option A. East has the King, but errs and does not cover. Score +1
Option B. West has the King. Score =
Option C. East covers. Capture the King with your Ace, then...
(4)-(9) run 5 spades and cash the remaining Heart winner while discarding all of dummy's clubs.
If the same player has the ♣J as well as the 4-card diamond, your trick 9 winner squeezes that player. You have secured the overtrick
Option A. East has the King, but errs and does not cover. Score +1
Option B. West has the King. Score =
Option C. East covers. Capture the King with your Ace, then...
(4)-(9) run 5 spades and cash the remaining Heart winner while discarding all of dummy's clubs.
If the same player has the ♣J as well as the 4-card diamond, your trick 9 winner squeezes that player. You have secured the overtrick
If East doesn't cover ♣Q I would assume he doesn't have it and play the A, playing for W to have KJ clubs and 4+ diamonds. Oh and I would check that the spades are coming in first.
"definitely that's what I like to play when I'm playing standard - I want to be able to bid diamonds because bidding good suits is important in bridge" - Meckstroth's opinion on weak 2 diamond
#4
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Posted 2025-April-17, 02:17
eagles123, on 2025-April-17, 01:31, said:
If East doesn't cover ♣Q I would assume he doesn't have it and play the A, playing for W to have KJ clubs and 4+ diamonds. Oh and I would check that the spades are coming in first.
Yes, agree on both points although the %s of West holding every relevant card will be much lower.
A side note:
If I were East, there is a non-trivial chance of Option A actually working for South
#5
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Posted 2025-April-20, 07:43
If I play low from dummy, which heart does E play ? I then play 3 rounds of spades ditching a club, who if anybody discards and what ?
#6
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Posted 2025-April-20, 10:55
My thinking is to test the spades, assuming they are no worse than 4-2 cash the club ace, two hearts ending in hand, cash the last two spades and watch the discards. If the king of clubs hasn't appeared cash the diamonds and hope the fourth diamond is a winner. Makes an overtrick if West has the ♣king and diamond length, East holds ♣KJ and diamond length, the ♣K is singleton or ♦JT come down under the AKQ.
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