[JSilver]

Speaking of Mike Lawrence's Complete Book of Card Combinations in the book review topic reminded me of a correspondence I had with the author not long ago. [Lest anyone think I'm implying that Lawrence is a pal of mine, I'll say that although I've had numerous opportunities to meet him at the table (since he used to live across the Bay from me in Berkeley), I'm sure he doesn't remember me and simply responded to an email from an unknown fan.] Anyway, after an appropriate bit of flattery I asked him the following:

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This is the trump suit in a small slam after a transfer sequence. Given ample entries (and no need for ruffs), what's the optimum way to play this suit for one loser?

I'll give the forumites a chance to cogitate before I post his response.

[Fluffy]

Seems like the kind of suit you start with the ace.

[JSilver]

The oracle replies

This was Lawrence's response:

My guess is to play the ace and then the eight toward the queen.

But I am not sure.

I looked it up in the Bridge Encyclopedia but it was not there.

Then I gave him the line I chose at the table:

I led the 5, and lho played the 9. I put in the queen, losing to the king. On the second round, lho played the 4 under the 8. I decided she must've started with J94 and ducked, sucessfully. I suppose the 9 was a silly play, but if she plays low, I have various options.

He responded as follows:

Your line could be right (assuming you intended to finesse the eight) Of course, that loses to K9x offside.

If you ever work it out for sure, let me know.

What I found more interesting than the technical issue involved were two observations:

--Bridge is such a difficult game that even some seemingly simple questions don't have definitive answers.

--You don't have to be an egotist to be a world champion. (Obviously the converse also applies.)

[Free]

Start with the Ace, see what happens. If they smart-falsecard, consider it as KJx was behind AQ and you had no chance...

[MickyB]

Suitplay says to lead the 8 and cover if LHO beats it, which is equivalent to your line I think. It agrees with finessing the 2nd round.

[EricK]

The 8 picks up either small singleton on your right while playing the A loses.

Eric

[Stephen Tu]

Quote

I am pretty sure suitplay is wrong, but I have been known to be wrong once or twice as well.

I don't think suitplay will ever be wrong in a purely technical sense. I'd trust it over any human, if you are considering perfect defense with the defenders knowing what you have. The only times it errs is in real world practicality in certain combinations where the optimum defense would have to use a falsecarding strategy that would be far too dangerous if declarer's hand were something else.

Taking the double hook vs. ace first wins in:
KJ9xx on
KJ9x on (2)
J9 off
Kx off (2)

It loses to:
9 off
KJ off
K9 off
K9x off (2)

So ace first wins in a net of 1 3-2 combination (3.39%), but loses to a net of 1 4-1 combos (2.83%) and 1 5-0 combo (1.96%). The double hook is better by a slim margin, 1.4%.

[pigpenz]

I WOULD PLAY ACE♥ THEN LEAD TOWARDS THE QUEEN♥