[FrancesHinden]

From a match earlier this week.

Scoring: IMP

1♥ x 3♥ 4♦
P 5♦ all pass

---

Opponents play fairly standard methods (3♥ was pre-emptive) and standard leads and signals.

West leads the queen of hearts against 5♦
Plan the play.

[helene_t]

Trusting RHO not to have too much values outside of hearts, I play LHO for ♦K sec. So I play ♦Q (just to tempt RHO to cover) but overtake it with the ace.

If ♦K drops, I play a spade from the hand. My plan is to discard a club on a spade so I don't have to guess the clubs.

If ♦K does not drop, I will have to try to set up a spade discard on clubs before opps find the spade switch. I think I start ruffing a heart in the dummy, to pretend to create a double void. Then I concede a trump. Maybe opps will play clubs now.

[vuroth]

I'm failing spectaculary at everything today, but I'll take a run at this.

I need to hold my loses to the 2 black aces. From the bidding, I might expect the K♦ to be on my left, but the only way I can make if that's true is if it's a singleton. Generally, if I have a singleton king, it's not counting full value anyways, so maybe the bidding implies Kx or Kxx on my left. I can't see a way to beat these holdings, though, so forget the bidding.

I'll win the heart, and lead teh Q♦ towards hand, ducking if possible. If RHO has all 3 diamonds and ducks, I can lead low on the second round (I'm light on entries to the board). If it RHO covers and LHO shows out, I can lead a low club to the king (never the jack), and finesse the 10♦.

[y66]

Will play RHO for HK, DK and diamonds 2-2.

HA then Dx to jack in case LHO has Txx then Sx to king. If West plays ace then club, I will play CK, 2 spades pitching club, then try to ruff 2 hearts.

Edit: On second thought, based on the actual diamond situation, will try DQ at trick 2. If RHO ducks smoothly, I will usually finesse. May go up if RHO is not known to be a good player.

[rogerclee]

Spoiler

RHO for ♦K, which means LHO has both black aces (but I guess I can afford to lead twice up to the spades anyway in case I need to discard a heart on the spades when trumps are 3-0).

[FrancesHinden]

As catch22 (the original dummy on this hand) mentioned to me yesterday this thread hasn't received much interest.

The general vote is to take the diamond finesse, possibly trying to drop the DK if RHO plays low smoothly.

However, we could do a bit of point counting. While it's true that singleton kings are not full value, they are still a contribution towards having an opening bid.

LHO has the QJ of hearts and RHO the king, unless they are really playing strange leads.

There is no real benefit in leading towards the SK twice; if LHO has the ace he will rise and give you a club guess in due course anyway.

So why not lead the SK from the table at trick 2?
What actually happens if you do this is that RHO wins the ace of spades...

Now RHO has the SA, and the HK. If RHO had the DK as well it would not be a pre-emptive 3H bid. So after the SK forces the ace on your right, you drop the singleton DK on your left.

[of course there is one big risk with this line: that RHO has a singleton club and they get a club ruff. But LHO might have led the CA from 5 of them rather than the HQ. ]

[y66]

Lead SK as near no cost discovery play? Good idea. Thanks for the problem.

[paulg]

FrancesHinden, on Mar 17 2008, 03:26 PM, said:

As catch22 (the original dummy on this hand) ...

In what sense was he the dummy?

[vuroth]

y66, on Mar 17 2008, 11:11 AM, said:

Lead SK as near no cost discovery play? Good idea. Thanks for the problem.

I echo this sentiment. When I first looked I figured you needed both black aces on your left, but this clearly isn't the case.

I appreciate all the problems that are posted here. I'm not getting any of them yet, but each and every one is an opportunity to teach or reinforce a lesson.