[helene_t]

Lead ♥5. (2nd/4th, or high from xx)

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IMPs all red. 1NT-3NT.

I have stolen this from "Card play techniques". Given that the lead is more likely to be from HH853 than from 53, it seems sensible to take the ace immediately, in order to block the suit (on the second heart trick N can overtake his partner's honour but if he then cashes his other honour he will promote our ♥9.

But what then? The book doesn't adress it further than just that you need to take the ace of hearts at trick 1. Presumably we want to test the diamonds first but I can't decide whether to give them a diamond trick first. Mostly it won't matter but I would like to keep the option open of endplaying South at the point when he has only spades left.

Any thoughts?

[SteveMoe]

I'd feel pretty foolish if I duck a ♦ and they are 4-1. Better I suspect to cash ♦AK and if 3-2 pay a 3rd. That gets 10 tricks immediately. If not then we tightrope to 3-3 ♣ and finish with the ♠ finesse. I make the line to be 67.8% + .18(32.2%)= 73.6 or so.

Returning a ♥ immediately might work to squeeze N in the minors, but then I can't test ♦s. It does produce 9 tricks whenever North holds Hx AND south cashes out - If south doesn't we have work to do...

[gszes]

helene_t, on 2012-December-20, 08:55, said:

Lead ♥5. (2nd/4th, or high from xx)

---

IMPs all red. 1NT-3NT.

I have stolen this from "Card play techniques". Given that the lead is more likely to be from HH853 than from 53, it seems sensible to take the ace immediately, in order to block the suit (on the second heart trick N can overtake his partner's honour but if he then cashes his other honour he will promote our ♥9.

But what then? The book doesn't adress it further than just that you need to take the ace of hearts at trick 1. Presumably we want to test the diamonds first but I can't decide whether to give them a diamond trick first. Mostly it won't matter but I would like to keep the option open of endplaying South at the point when he has only spades left.

Any thoughts?

Duck a diamond it matters not if dia 4-1 it never hurts and it may help rectify the count for a squeeze.
East can easily pitch 1 or even 2 dia when the opps take heart tricks and all of our options are still
open. We can manuever any (2 suit) squeeze that might be available and we can keep the throwin of N
in reserve or even take a spade finesse as last resort if no good squeezes show up (unlikely) or even
use the three spades for a compound squeeze if the distribution warrants it.

This lop leaves the opps with little recourse and if they do not take their 2 heart tricks immediately after
taking the dia they risk getting squeezed into us making 5

[SteveMoe]

gszes, on 2012-December-20, 16:21, said:

<snip>
This lop leaves the opps with little recourse and if they do not take their 2 heart tricks immediately after
taking the dia they risk getting squeezed into us making 5

You've convinced me! Thanks for the insight.

[PhilKing]

Is no one interested in what happens when we rise with the ace at trick one? Best not play to trick two just yet.

After all, South may follow with the three. Anyway, even if South plays an honour it pays not to jump to conclusions - for instance, they may play the Q from QJ3. If we do something premature such as cashing the AK of diamonds, we made end up with egg on our face.

Just win the ♥A and duck a diamond. We are basically cold, but need to keep all our options open if South is 4342 or similar to preseve the double squeeze.

[JLOGIC]

They might also play the 8 in which case I wouldn't be ducking any diamonds lol.

[PhilKing]

JLOGIC, on 2012-December-20, 17:17, said:

They might also play the 8 in which case I wouldn't be ducking any diamonds lol.

Yep, we go back in time and duck the opening lead. North has made a modern lead from KJTxx and out.

As played, we return a heart.

[Fluffy]

SteveMoe, on 2012-December-20, 12:37, said:

I'd feel pretty foolish if I duck a ♦ and they are 4-1.

Opponents cashing a lot of hearts for down 2 next when we have 9 tricks on top is what scares me the most.