[paulg]

I was watching the Scottish trials this weekend and the following suit combination came up:

♣A Q 6 3 2

♣J 9 7

It was a grand slam and there was no meaningful information from the auction or lead. In isolation, how do you play this trump suit for no losers?

SuitPlay will answer this question for you, but I think it is an interesting combination.

Of course this was not really the trump suit as Scottish players can use keycard, it was actually the side suit in a grand slam. So the real question was how to play this suit for three winners and no losers. Suitplay will not help you with this.

I don't think this is difficult, but it caused a lot of discussion especially when people were told the line for five winners in the suit.

Quite interesting (as Stephen Fry's elves might say).

[Free]

To make 5 tricks, we need the K onside. So I would think to start small to the Q. When that holds, I'd run the J hoping to drop RHO's T. If LHO plays the K however, I think you should continue with small to J9 planning to finesse.

[rhm]

3 winners, no losers:

These suit combinations are tricky:

Playing low to the queen followed by the ace unless East drops the ten on the first round, where you will run the jack next, wins against a doubleton king, singleton king on your left or a singleton ten on your right.

Starting with the jack (covered) followed by the queen wins only against a singleton or doubleton ten on your right except KT on your right, but also wins against KT on your left.

Starting with the jack (covered) followed by the 9 wins only against a singleton ten or 8 or doubleton 8 right, except T8 and K8 on your right.

So it seems playing low to the queen should be best, unless I am missing something.

Overall chances are 19.22%

Rainer Herrmann

[paulg]

Free, on 2011-November-01, 02:11, said:

To make 5 tricks, we need the K onside. So I would think to start small to the Q. When that holds, I'd run the J hoping to drop RHO's T. If LHO plays the K however, I think you should continue with small to J9 planning to finesse.

Playing small to the queen seemed right to me when asked, so I was a little surprised to find that it was not the best line. However I did know that if you play small towards the queen and the king appears, you should play to drop K10 as that is more likely than singleton king.

Quite a tricky little combination.

[paulg]

rhm, on 2011-November-01, 05:00, said:

3 winners, no losers:

These suit combinations are tricky:

Playing low to the queen followed by the ace unless East drops the ten on the first round, where you will run the jack next, wins against a doubleton king, singleton king on your left or a singleton ten on your right.

Starting with the jack (covered) followed by the queen wins only against a singleton or doubleton ten on your right except KT on your right, but also wins against KT on your left.

Starting with the jack (covered) followed by the 9 wins only against a singleton ten or 8 or doubleton 8 right, except T8 and K8 on your right.

So it seems playing low to the queen should be best, unless I am missing something.

Overall chances are 19.22%

Rainer Herrmann

I think this is right. By which I mean that I agree

[cloa513]

You are in the grand slam (which one?). Aren't you cashing a few outside winners to give you some guidance on the play?

[paulg]

cloa513, on 2011-November-01, 07:40, said:

You are in the grand slam (which one?). Aren't you cashing a few outside winners to give you some guidance on the play?

i do not have the hand but I was told that cashing outside winners did not give any material help. I think there may have been a long trump suit and cashing this would have wrecked the entry situation. Sorry I don't have any more information.

[Free]

paulg, on 2011-November-01, 05:15, said:

Playing small to the queen seemed right to me when asked, so I was a little surprised to find that it was not the best line. However I did know that if you play small towards the queen and the king appears, you should play to drop K10 as that is more likely than singleton king.

Quite a tricky little combination.

Why is KT more likely than K singleton? Doesn't this contain some restricted choice flavor?

[phil_20686]

paulg, on 2011-November-01, 10:39, said:

i do not have the hand but I was told that cashing outside winners did not give any material help. I think there may have been a long trump suit and cashing this would have wrecked the entry situation. Sorry I don't have any more information.

I have seen the hand,

---

There is no initial pass - I put the dealer in wrong, and 1D was 4+ in a strong nt system. 2H was a weak two. The lead was a top heart declarer drew trumps which were 1-1 and played three rounds of spades to which both followed.

so LHO seems to be 4-6-1-2 or 3-6-1-3.

DD I thoguht the best line was to run the J, and if the T or 8 appears on your right when the J is covered, you should run the nine next.

If you play low to the Q and then the ace you pick up KT, K8, Kx, Kx K, Kxxx.

If you play the J and then if its covered you play the Q that is clearly worse, but if you run the 9 next regardless you pick up:
KTx, KTx, KTxx, K8xx,

If you play the J and if its covered you play the Q except if the 8 or ten has appeared, you pick yo
K8x, K8x, KTxx, K8xx, KT,

On the hand west must have 2 or 3 clubs, so low to the Q and then the ace is surely the right play?

[phil_20686]

Oh and I didnt mention any of the possible errors that defenders might make - like "randomising" from 8x/Tx.

Or failing to cover the J in a GS from Kxx. All of which seem to suggest that running the J is better than it looks on paper.