[straube]

Partner opens 2D which shows 6 diamonds and denies a 4 cd major. The bidding continues P P dbl P 3H


I lead the DJ and I'll show dummy's hand and mine....

.............................KT65
.............................9643
.............................4
.............................AKJ3
AJ43
Q82
J5
9874

Partner wins the DK and shifts to the H7. Declarer hitches before winning the HA and then leads the HJ.

I'm wondering if declarer has AJTx why he didn't play the HT instead of the ace. Could he be tricking me with AKJT?

Declarer is competent. Am I giving him too much credit though? What's my play? Is it a guess or is there a long-term winning action here?

[rogerclee]

Is xx Kx AKxxxx xxx a 2D opener to you?

[Mbodell]

I doubt partner has AK sixth and an outside Kx of hearts, although if that's all he had and is a 2♦ call for you, then declarer has 14 HCP so might well jump to 3♥ and the situation is possible.

Maybe he played high from AJTx though, because he was worried about a ruff? If you have KQx and your partner has xx and a stiff spade then maybe he's worried you'll win the first round and play ♠A and a low spade to give partner a ruff?

I can't really think of a good reason for declarer to play the AKJT suit as A and then J, but if he's tricky maybe?

[Jlall]

I play the queen all day not close to me.

[Free]

Queen seems obvious: if there was danger for a ruff, partner would've switched that suit or you would've lead it.

[gwnn]

I'm sorry what's the final contract?

[MFA]

Bizarre obviously. Some decent declarers actually reason that a trump shift is unlikely if holding the queen. I have heard that one occasionally.
I play the queen. He probably has AKJT fourth, trying to be clever. If he has AJTx, his play is absurd.

[straube]

rogerclee, on May 7 2010, 02:02 AM, said:

Is xx Kx AKxxxx xxx a 2D opener to you?

Yeah. Partner can have a nice 10 to a bad 15.

[straube]

Mbodell, on May 7 2010, 02:21 AM, said:

I doubt partner has AK sixth and an outside Kx of hearts, although if that's all he had and is a 2♦ call for you, then declarer has 14 HCP so might well jump to 3♥ and the situation is possible.

Maybe he played high from AJTx though, because he was worried about a ruff? If you have KQx and your partner has xx and a stiff spade then maybe he's worried you'll win the first round and play ♠A and a low spade to give partner a ruff?

I can't really think of a good reason for declarer to play the AKJT suit as A and then J, but if he's tricky maybe?

Declarer said afterwards that he was worried about a cross-ruff.

I thought I would pay off to AJTx because declarer would have definitely lost if pd had Qx and I had Kxx (as I would definitely duck that).

I just hate when I duck the Qxx and declarer smilingly plays the king next.

[rogerclee]

straube, on May 7 2010, 06:48 AM, said:

Partner can have a nice 10 to a bad 15.

This may have been useful information to include in the original post!

[straube]

rogerclee, on May 9 2010, 11:21 PM, said:

straube, on May 7 2010, 06:48 AM, said:

Partner can have a nice 10 to a bad 15.

This may have been useful information to include in the original post!

Sorry. So how does it affect your decision? Duck or rise with the Q?

[Jlall]

Jlall, on May 7 2010, 03:18 AM, said:

I play the queen all day not close to me.

This was wrong. I think the correct answer is if declarer has any kind of competency then I play the queen all day since they never have AJTx, and might have AKJT like .1 % of the time and be trying something/have a read/w/e.

However if declarer is like a random little old lady or a club player then it must be right to duck since they will never have AKJT, and like .1 % might have gone crazy for some reason with AJTx.

It's always hard when you have to judge which of 2 extraordinarily unlikely events happened though.