[CSGibson]

club 7 is led

---

Beyond using 2♦ as an artificial game force, this was a completely natural auction. Comments on the auction?

How would you play this hand after the ♣7 is led in 6♥? This is matchpoints against an average open game club pair.

[Zelandakh]

CA, HK, DA, D ruff, HJ. I am clearly missing something for this to be in A/E.

[Bbradley62]

The ♦ ruff is irrelevant, because my low ♦ is going on the long ♣, unless my ♥ finess fails, in which case I can ruff later. I break the Barry Crane rule and play West for ♥Q, so I play ♣A, ♠A, ♥J and let it ride if not covered.

[CSGibson]

Zelandakh, on 2010-November-11, 01:40, said:

CA, HK, DA, D ruff, HJ. I am clearly missing something for this to be in A/E.

Mostly I wanted people's opinion on how to play the trump suit. If you read the lead as a singleton, that presents a vacant spaces argument to finesse LHO for the Q, but you can pick up Qxxx with RHO by playing naturally. There is no need to ruff a diamond either way, since you have time to establish the clubs for a diamond pitch if you guess the trump Q right.

[Fluffy]

I play low club at trick one, how do I do?

[rhm]

Fluffy, on 2010-November-11, 05:23, said:

I play low club at trick one, how do I do?

One down I guess
Rainer Herrmann

[rhm]

CSGibson, on 2010-November-11, 01:57, said:

Mostly I wanted people's opinion on how to play the trump suit. If you read the lead as a singleton, that presents a vacant spaces argument to finesse LHO for the Q, but you can pick up Qxxx with RHO by playing naturally. There is no need to ruff a diamond either way, since you have time to establish the clubs for a diamond pitch if you guess the trump Q right.

I think you should give up on playing RHO for Qxxx. If LHO has a singleton ♣ this would give him two singletons.
However, a good opponent might have tricked you by playing the ♣7 from ♣ K7 or ♣K7x.
But unless you know it is a very good player I would reject this assumption. Almost anybody will lead a ♣ singleton.

Rainer Herrmann

[CSGibson]

Fluffy, on 2010-November-11, 05:23, said:

I play low club at trick one, how do I do?

Probably 2 down.

[luke warm]

give lho stiff ♣ and 4 hearts to the Q,9 (or Q,8)... how does this make by playing ♣A, ♠A, and then ♥J? i must be missing something... it seems to me that if lho has the stiff ♣ i can only make if hearts are Qx/xxx or Qxx/xx or x/Qxxx (which i would dismiss as unlikely, as lho would then have two stiffs)... i'd play for Qxx/xx or Qx/xxx

i think i'd take the ♣A, come to hand with the spade, run the ♥J and then (if not covered) K, A♥... all lho has to do, with ♥Q,9,x,x, is cover the ♥J and i'm down one... iow, i'm playing for a 3/2 or 2/3 heart break with the Q being w/ lho

[MrAce]

I play for West to have stiff clubs, if he made a genius lead i will pay him off.

♣ Ace , ♥ Ace and ♥ Jack. East may have stiff ♥ Q, playing jack b4 A doesnt win for anything since we cant handle Q9xx Q8xx we always give a ♥ and a ♣.

I play for 3-2 ♥ west holding Qxx or Qx or 4-1 Q stiff in west or east.

My line is similar to the ones above, but i also make when East OR west has stiff Q by cashing ACE first at no cost. I really didn't get this coming to hand with ♠A and playing J. Playing J b4 ace is looking for trouble if one of the opponents have stiff Q.Am i missing something ?

[nige1]

CSGibson, on 2010-November-11, 01:25, said:

club 7 is led
Beyond using 2♦ as an artificial game force, this was a completely natural auction. Comments on the auction?
How would you play this hand after the ♣7 is led in 6♥? This is matchpoints against an average open game club pair.

---

• Bidding: 6♣ seems safer than 6♥ but not by much. Arguably, 6♥ is slightly preferrable at match-points. If you play that a jump to 2♥ over 1♣ shows 5+ ♥ and 4+ ♣, then, later, you can make an informed choice of slam.
• Play: I agree with rhm that LHO is unlikely to hold two singletons. But LHO might not lead a singleton, holding ♥Qxx; Also LHO may have led ♣7 from a doubleton or tripleton, after all. So I go with CSGibson's ♣A, ♥K, finesse ♥J. If RHO has ♥Qxxx, then you can re-enter dummy with ♠K to repeat the finesse,

[CSGibson]

nige1, on 2010-November-13, 03:14, said:

• Bidding: 6♣ seems safer than 6♥ but not by much. Arguably, 6♥ is slightly preferrable at match-points. If you play that a jump to 2♥ over 1♣ shows 5+ ♥ and 4+ ♣, then, later, you can make an informed choice of slam.
• Play: I agree with rhm that LHO is unlikely to hold two singletons. Also LHO might not lead a singleton, holding ♥Qxx; but LHO may have led ♣7 from a doubleton or tripleton. So I go with CSGibson's ♣A, ♥K, finesse ♥J. If RHO has ♥Qxxx, you can re-enter dummy with ♠K to repeat the finesse,

On this particular hand, LHO had a small doubleton heart and a stiff club. I went down one through fairly normal play (win the lead with the ♣A, ♥ to the A, run the J♥). Note: I think, since you cannot pick up Qxxx with LHO no matter how you play, that if you decide to play LHO for the Q of trump, it is important to cross with a ♥ and not a ♠, especially at matchpoints where you can avoid the extra undertrick if LHO has a stiff ♣ and a small doubleton ♥.

[dake50]

Why would LHO make such an informative lead?
He can guess likely diamond is safe, spade is safe.
Leave declarer to his own resources.
I'm guessing a desperation lead,
eg. H:Qx C:Kxx
OR H:Qxx C:Kxx
OR H:xx C:Kx
How did he guess his partner has CK to get his C-ruff?

[mtvesuvius]

dake50, on 2010-November-13, 08:29, said:

Why would LHO make such an informative lead?
He can guess likely diamond is safe, spade is safe.
Leave declarer to his own resources.
I'm guessing a desperation lead,
eg. H:Qx C:Kxx
OR H:Qxx C:Kxx
OR H:xx C:Kx
How did he guess his partner has CK to get his C-ruff?

You've never led a singleton before?

IMO, LHO is very unlikely to have two stiffs. I win the ♣A, and cross to hand with the ♠A, and play ♥A, and ♥J, running it if ducked.

[rduran1216]

I run the J first against almost any opposition. Q9x will probably cover, so if the Jack isn't covered im hopping up with the K and leading back to finesse the 10. I think this is fairly straightforward with this holding. Bad players cover Jacks with queens even more than good players, so thats that.

[pooltuna]

CSGibson, on 2010-November-11, 01:57, said:

Mostly I wanted people's opinion on how to play the trump suit. If you read the lead as a singleton, that presents a vacant spaces argument to finesse LHO for the Q, but you can pick up Qxxx with RHO by playing naturally. There is no need to ruff a diamond either way, since you have time to establish the clubs for a diamond pitch if you guess the trump Q right.

The way to play the trump suit has to be balanced by the probablity of a stiff♣. Would you really break the ♣ suit for the opps holding xxxx Qxx xxxxx x? This must be Bbradley's Barry Crane rule

[mtvesuvius]

pooltuna, on 2010-November-13, 12:11, said:

The way to play the trump suit has to be balanced by the probablity of a stiff♣. Would you really break the ♣ suit for the opps holding xxxx Qxx xxxxx x? This must be Bbradley's Barry Crane rule

Isn't there a bit of reverse psychology there as well? After all, if you lead a stiff and it is clear to the opponents that it is a stiff... Are they likely to play you for the ♥Q? I'd do it from either one, and I suspect most experts would as well...

[dake50]

"You've never led a singleton before?" -- mtvesuvius

I often lead single in opponents rebid suit
to ensure it gets established immediately.
I want declarer clued-in as best I can. (facetious -- seems that needs pointed out)
I cannot sense diamond is unclaimed,
nor spade is non-tenaced on this auction, can you? (again facetious)
Can anyone see those are both likely safe?
Would rather give no info to declarer than "Here's my single".

[MrAce]

mtvesuvius, on 2010-November-13, 08:34, said:

You've never led a singleton before?

IMO, LHO is very unlikely to have two stiffs. I win the ♣A, and cross to hand with the ♠A, and play ♥A, and ♥J, running it if ducked.

Why are u coming to hand with ♠ A, if u are going to cash ♥ A like i did ? Why not ♥A and ♥J straight forward ? Whats that about ♠A that everyone comes to hand with ?

@ those who believes ♣ is not stiff ; Then take ♣ finesse and if not work, try to find ♥, u can not play for both possibilities at 1st trick in this hand, since it extremely reduces the % lines if u do so. And if ♣ is not believed to be stiff, % line is to take [finesse], if fails play EAST for Qxxx ♥. Playing ♣ A and then playing EAST for Qxxx♥ is not as good as this line IF U believe ♣ lead was not stiff.

[CSGibson]

dake50, on 2010-November-13, 08:29, said:

How did he guess his partner has CK to get his C-ruff?

Possibly guessed through the cue-bidding sequence, since 1. South was willing to sign off over the 5♦ cue and 2. South failed to cue 6♣ over 5♠