[kenrexford]

Scoring: IMP

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KO. Semi-finals, bracket A.

The auction (comments?):

1♦-1♥-X-P
1NT-P-3NT-all pass

Opening lead: Heart King (edited -- oops)

You win the opening heart lead and cash four clubs. RHO ditches two hearts on the clubs. LHO ditches the diamond 10 (upside-down signals). Now what?

If you opt to cash two spades at this point, for whatever reason, LHO plays small then Queen.

Any additional info needed?

[Fluffy]

well RHO playing 3 hearts and none of them being a honnor doesn't seem consistent with the lead. Is it a typo?

[phil_20686]

If you can read the hearts to be 5-4 as seems likely i would guess that the best line is to cash one spade and play a heart, then if lho wins and cashes he is endplayed when he is 1-5-4-3, otherwise he will exit a spade in the end and you just take the diamond hook, knowing that rho has 3 or more diamonds makes the finesse better than 50% possibly, although that assumes that they play very aggressive overcalls.

Having said that, i would guess its near certain that the diamond king is offside given that rho has lacked a raise. If he has 4 hearts to the J or q and the k of diamonds. Ok i have convinced myself, assuming no typo i think that rho has kept his stif heart honour so that he can lead a diamond through, since that is the only way to set the contract. I'll cash two spades and exit a heart (and cross my fingers!).

[kenrexford]

See edit. LHO made the lead of the heart King. Oops.

[pooltuna]

kenrexford, on Jan 15 2010, 11:11 AM, said:

See edit. LHO made the lead of the heart King. Oops.

hmmm....Time to conjure up a conspiracy theory I play AK♠, hope LHO is 2533 and the ♦T was to make me feel good about taking the ♦ finesse so I lead a ♥ hopefully endplaying LHO

[Fluffy]

Endplaying west seems science fiction as any pip on east's hands should be enough.

If RHO had any ♥ honnor it would be our only chance since east filure to raise looks extremelly weak, but as it is now, he could have just 1 card.

Al the hearts are important here, but I think I will try a simple diamond finese.

[pooltuna]

Fluffy, on Jan 15 2010, 12:13 PM, said:

Endplaying west seems science fiction as any pip on east's hands should be enough.

If RHO had any ♥ honnor it would be our only chance since east filure to raise looks extremelly weak, but as it is now, he could have just 1 card.

Al the hearts are important here, but I think I will try a simple diamond finese.

but I peeked and mel gibson was holding ♥KQJT9

[kenrexford]

I'm such a dunce. Corrected another card of CRITICAL importance. Please excuse my idiotic incomplete post. Fixed now.

[Old York]

I cash ♦Ace. If I am right, then I have paid West a compliment

I am playing West for :

♠QJx ♥KQT98 ♦KT ♣xxx or ♠Qxx ♥KQT98 ♦KT ♣xxx
which is twice(?) as likely as
♠Qx ♥KQT98 ♦KTx ♣xxx but why drop the ♦10?

West has already been squeezed and has bared the ♦King, (perhaps hoping ♦Q is with East)
Predicting the endplay, He has kept 4 hearts and one spade to cash
If he had thrown a Heart, then I set up a Diamond before unguarding spades
With no heart higher than ♥7, East cannot rescue his partner, so adds to the illusion by keeping Diamonds, discarding hearts

..... or do I owe you a pint?

Tony
(Why rebid 1NT with no stop in Hearts? Allow North to play the hand?)

Edited

[FrancesHinden]

You really have to know how good the opponents are.
Weak opponents have just made your strip squeeze obvious (and Ken's carefully given us the jack of hearts).

Against anyone vaguely competent either the D finesse is right or it's now dropping.