[inquiry]

I may have shown this hand before (it is from my hand collection), but if I did it had a different auction. I am not overly interested in the auction, this isn't how it went at the table, that auction was even WORSE.

Let's say whatever the method of scoring used, you feel that you must make this contract.

Trick one is ♣K you find they lead king from AK unless it is a doubleton. East plays tthe club seven (attitude or doubleton or singleton).

I am interested in thoughts on best line of play. The play may need to be interactive, but I will give you a few early clues as to how the play went if you explain your line(s). I think, but am not 100% positive, that the winning can be found at the table.

---

[jonottawa]

I'll play for W to be A Kx AQJxxx AKxx

He should have led his pard's suit.

Ruff the club and spade up.

Edit: changed my mind I'll play for W to be Ax - AQJxxxx AKxx, seems more consistent with auction (and arguably, with the forum.)

[rhm]

There are winning lines, but as usual they depend on the opponents distribution.
It seems clear from the bidding that West must have all the top cards except for the ♥K. To account for the final double I expect West to have at most a singleton in ♥ and therefor at least 7 cards in ♦ and 3 to 4 cards in ♣.

How to play depends on whether West has a trump or not.

West could have

♠A,♥x,♦AQJxxxx,♣AKxx or ♠Ax,♥-,♦AQJxxxx,♣AKxx for example.

The winning lines are not compatible if West goes in on the first ♠ and shoots back a small ♣.

At some stage you will have to extract West trump, but this is fatal if he has none.

Rainer Herrmann

[nige1]

inquiry wrote..
I may have shown this hand before (it is from my hand collection), but if I did it had a different auction. I am not overly interested in the auction, this isn't how it went at the table, that auction was even WORSE.
Let's say whatever the method of scoring used, you feel that you must make this contract.
Trick one is ♣K you find they lead king from AK unless it is a doubleton. East plays tthe club seven (attitude or doubleton or singleton).
I am interested in thoughts on best line of play. The play may need to be interactive, but I will give you a few early clues as to how the play went if you explain your line(s). I think, but am not 100% positive, that the winning can be found at the table.

IMO....
I agree wtih Jonottawa You hope LHO has ♠A and hand-shape 1084 or 1075 or 2074 (or an unlikely 2065)..
Ruff ♣K, Attempt to cross to ♠Q, Lead ♣Q, discarding a ♦ unless RHO ruffs.

---

[inquiry]

So far we have ruff the opening lead and a spade up from jonottawa.

Rainer, who is by far the most accurate poster on hands like this credited all the hcp (including spade Ace) except the heart king with West. He did not give a line.

So i am beginning to think perhaps there is not a way to find the "winning line". However, let's start with the simple stipulation that you have four diamond losers (not to mention a potential heart). So is it unreasonable to start ruff heart, ruff diamond, lead a club and when East follows pitch a diamond loser (loser on loser as you can never ruff four diamonds anyway).

If you start that way, West wins as east completes an "echo" in clubs. Thoughts on this line? Is this start inferior to small spade at trick two?

[rhm]

inquiry, on 2011-June-16, 14:40, said:

So far we have ruff the opening lead and a spade up from jonottawa.

Rainer, who is by far the most accurate poster on hands like this credited all the hcp (including spade Ace) except the heart king with West. He did not give a line.

So i am beginning to think perhaps there is not a way to find the "winning line". However, let's start with the simple stipulation that you have four diamond losers (not to mention a potential heart). So is it unreasonable to start ruff heart, ruff diamond, lead a club and when East follows pitch a diamond loser (loser on loser as you can never ruff four diamonds anyway).

If you start that way, West wins as east completes an "echo" in clubs. Thoughts on this line? Is this start inferior to small spade at trick two?

I have no problem finding winning lines.
In my previous post I have given example hands for West, which fit in my opinion the bidding and for which I claimed there are winning lines. One of them was ♠Ax,♥-,♦AQJxxxx,♣AKxx

If West holds this hand you are down if you do not play a ♠ at trick 2. Below I will give another example hand where you need to play the ♥A at trick 2.

Your line looses against West holding ♠Ax,♥-,♦AQJxxxx,♣AKxx.
West, when in with the ♣A, returns say ♦A. I guess you ruff in dummy and play a high ♣.
East ruffs and I guess you over-ruff.
Now I guess you will lead a ♠, which West must duck to the queen.
But then the last entry to dummy is gone, because you used your ♦ ruffs as entry to dummy too early.
If you play a high ♣ from the table East will ruff and West will play a diamond when he comes in with the ♠A.
On a ♦ return East will over-ruff dummy or ruff and return a trump. Either way you have to give the defense a ♠ loser, 2 black aces and a trump.

The general plan is of course correct. You need to establish ♣ to feed them as surrogate trumps through East and use dummy's trumps to ruff ♦ and a ♠ and at the same time as entries to the ♣.
But you have to manage these entries with care. If East has all trumps you have to start with a ♠.

I think I found a play which works against most adverse distributions:

T1: ♣A ruffed with ♥2
T2: low ♠ to dummy

If West ducks, play ♣Q and discard a ♦.
If West wins T2 with the ♠A and plays the ♣A himself, best is to discard again a ♦ from hand to keep control.

This is important to guard against most distributions West may hold, because it will allow you to play eventually a trump from dummy to avoid a ruff by West should he have started with a singleton trump.
You want to play exactly one round of trumps so that West can not ruff a ♠ and then feed high clubs through East.

However if West has ♠A,♥x,♦AQJxxxxx,♣AKx then the only way making this hand is to cash the ace of trumps at trick 2 before playing a ♠, because West will play high ♦ at every opportunity he gets in, and if you do not draw his trump immediately he will get a ♠ ruff.

Admittedly this last hand requires West to hold an 8 card ♦ suit, which is not so likely.

Rainer Herrmann