[ahydra]

I'm sure most of you have heard of the "old fashioned" game/slam try, which is "bid game/slam, then try to make it".

That's pretty much what I did here (low spots approximate; the club intermediates are correct)

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How would you play? The lead is a small diamond, East plays the Ace.

ahydra

[JLOGIC]

I would just pull trumps and try to slip a club through LHO. I will make on 3-3 clubs if LHO doesn't put in an honor, and otherwise will need a heart hook plus 4-2 clubs. If LHO plays low then an honor I will have the option of taking a ruffing finesse through RHO

[ahydra]

Hmm, just the one answer on this? Ah well.

I ruffed and ducked a club. This went 9, J, small, Q. A heart (?!) was returned which I won with dummy's Q and then I cashed the SJ.

Next I played the CA, trying to ruff the suit good and RHO showed out! Ugh. But at least he didn't ruff!

No panic - just cash ALL the trumps, and LHO is squeezed in the rounded suits (discarding from ♥Kx ♣K). Bingo.

I wonder if cashing the SJ is a mistake. If clubs are the likely 4-2, we need to ruff two clubs and so the SJ is a valuable entry. Still, it seems to be the only winning line on the actual layout!

ahydra

[CamHenry]

It seems to me that, when RHO returns a heart, putting the J in can't cost. Also, if he's overtaking the CJ, he's either holding Q stiff, or KQ tight. LHO shouldn't put the J in without another honour, so I think you can read the club position.

Isn't it better to play a club up, playing high on an honour from W? That way, you guarantee only one club loser; when E drops the Q you cash the SJ, ruff a diamond back to hand, pull trumps then lose a club. You then have the good T7 to pitch hearts from hand. Also note that this is a safe line: if trumps are 3-1 or better you can ruff the diamond high to avoid an overruff, and if trumps are 4-0 then either RHO shows out (so you can lose the club early) or LHO shows out (so you can safely ruff the diamond low).

[WellSpyder]

CamHenry, on 2013-March-11, 05:32, said:

It seems to me that, when RHO returns a heart, putting the J in can't cost.

Doesn't ahydra's aqueeze show exactly how putting the ♥J in can cost? This line would not have been possible after ♥J, K and A since RHO would also be guarding the suit. I'm also not clear how it can gain to put in the J....

[CamHenry]

WellSpyder, on 2013-March-11, 11:09, said:

Doesn't ahydra's aqueeze show exactly how putting the ♥J in can cost? This line would not have been possible after ♥J, K and A since RHO would also be guarding the suit. I'm also not clear how it can gain to put in the J....

Well, it could gain if he's underlead Kx in hearts

But yes, good point. I still maintain I prefer covering LHO's club honour.