[mr1303]

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West leads the 3 of spades (nothing exciting). What's the best line?

[MrAce]

-You could play to drop Kxx ♠ or if not to play to make 4 ♦ tricks, but i think here it gets tricky, because % will depend on if RHO will split from KQx(x) or not. Basically take ♠A and play ♦ 8 and send it if not covered. If this loses to T then u are down to 3-3 ♦ ot kxx ♠. If this was covered by T or lost to K or Q u need to repeat the finesse, win return (probably trump) ruff a ♠, go to dummy with another trump and ruff 2nd ♠ to see if K drops. If not, go to dummy with ♣, cash last trump and hook ♦ (if first ♦ lost to T then ♦ A and ruff)

- You could take ♠ finesse, ruff small ♠, cash 2 trumps and ruff another ♠. This would make also if 4-1 ♥ east holding stiff J or 9 with black suits behaving. Or East holding Jxxx 9xxx ♥ with KQ of ♦ and again black suits behaving.

-Third line is A and small ruff, trump to dummy another ruff, ♣ to dummy and try to ruff 4th ♠, even if u survived, u are nowhere close to making yet due to entry problems, exitting with ♦A and another ♦ creates a trump promotion danger even when everything was friendly.

EDIT: With J9 doubleton ♥ there will be other lines but i am too lazy now to look at it

[Hanoi5]

After calling the director on the two ♠3's present at the table I figure I'd take the ace, ruff a spade, heart to dummy and ruff another spade. If the king hasn't shown yet a club to dummy and ruff with the ♥10. ♦A and another, hoping to ruff the third diamond and finish drawing trumps.

Is this better than the 50% of the first-round finesse in spades and ruffing only 2 spades? Maybe it's not 50% on a lead against a slam.

Is it better than the 37ish % of a small diamond to the 9 and then to the J?

I don't know. Can someone show the numbers for these 3?

[MrAce]

Hanoi5, on 2011-July-16, 21:15, said:

After calling the director on the two ♠3's present at the table I figure I'd take the ace, ruff a spade, heart to dummy and ruff another spade. If the king hasn't shown yet a club to dummy and ruff with the ♥10. ♦A and another, hoping to ruff the third diamond and finish drawing trumps.

Is this better than the 50% of the first-round finesse in spades and ruffing only 2 spades? Maybe it's not 50% on a lead against a slam.

Is it better than the 37ish % of a small diamond to the 9 and then to the J?

I don't know. Can someone show the numbers for these 3?

As i already explained in my 3rd line, this is probably the worst line, no need for numbers, i can tell by instinct. You need 4-4 ♠ or 5-3 ♠ 3 with the guy who has no ♥J, and even if u survive the ♦ you exit will be taken by LHO and he will play ♦ to promote his pd, or RHO will take it and play ♦ to make his pd ruff high to get a trump promotion. If ♦ were 3-3 u could easily play for it without taking the risk of overruffed on ♠. Basically u are playing for 3-3 ♦ about % 35 minus most 5-3 ♠ minus some 4-1 ♥.

[gnasher]

MrAce, on 2011-July-16, 19:24, said:

-You could play to drop Kxx ♠ or if not to play to make 4 ♦ tricks, but i think here it gets tricky, because % will depend on if RHO will split from KQx(x) or not. Basically take ♠A and play ♦ 8 and send it if not covered. If this loses to T then u are down to 3-3 ♦ ot kxx ♠. If this was covered by T or lost to K or Q u need to repeat the finesse, win return (probably trump) ruff a ♠, go to dummy with another trump and ruff 2nd ♠ to see if K drops. If not, go to dummy with ♣, cash last trump and hook ♦ (if first ♦ lost to T then ♦ A and ruff)

There are other options in this line:

- You can also play for H10xx-Hx or HHxx-10x, taking a ruffing finesse. You can delay that decision to the end, eg ♠A, ♦8 losing to West, club won in hand, ♥A, spade ruff, ♥K, spade ruff, club to dummy, draw the last trump. You're down to ♠Q ♥x ♦x ♣x opposite ♦AJ9 ♣Q.

- Alternatively, you could try to take advantage of ♥J being doubleton, eg ♠A, ♦8 to the 10, club won in dummy, ♦A, diamond, LHO showing out, ♥AK dropping the jack, club to hand, ruff the diamonds good, black suit to hand. (Which black suit you use depends on what you think LHO has got left.)

[MrAce]

gnasher, on 2011-July-17, 01:30, said:

There are other options in this line:

- You can also play for H10xx-Hx or HHxx-10x, taking a ruffing finesse. You can delay that decision to the end, eg ♠A, ♦8 losing to West, club won in hand, ♥A, spade ruff, ♥K, spade ruff, club to dummy, draw the last trump. You're down to ♠Q ♥x ♦x ♣x opposite ♦AJ9 ♣Q.

I think these situations will depend on RHO's behaviour. I am expecting ♦ 8 to be covered if RHO has Tx or Hx.

[whereagles]

After a split-second thought, I'd take the ace and play a diamond to the 9. If LHO takes this with K or Q, finesse another diamond later. If he takes with the T instead, play for 3-3 diamonds.

[mr1303]

OK, some additional information.

If you win with the ace and play a diamond to the 9 (or run the 8), LHO wins with the 10 and plays another spade. If you then cash the ace of diamonds, RHO drops the Q.

[MrAce]

mr1303, on 2011-July-17, 09:57, said:

OK, some additional information.

If you win with the ace and play a diamond to the 9 (or run the 8), LHO wins with the 10 and plays another spade. If you then cash the ace of diamonds, RHO drops the Q.

If u now playing for Qx ♦ RHO, he could have set you by playing Q on the first round (assuming u started with 8). A good defender would have played Q since he knows u dont have a guess with KJ ♦ (knows from blackwood). As i said in my first reply how good are they, can they duck first ♦ from KQx ? But i think due to restricted choice + even the best players making errors now and then, i think it is right to go for ruffing finesse now.

After ruffing the ♠, go to dummy with trump, ruff another ♠, and u are good if K of ♠ dropped. If not clear trumps and come to position Andy posted. Now ♦ A and take the ruffing finesse and congradulate your RHO if he ducked the first ♦ from KQx

[nige1]

mr1303 asks
West leads the 3 of spades (nothing exciting). What's the best line?

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Just recapping....
♠A, run ♦8, win ♥ return (say) with ♥Q, ruff a ♠, ♥K, ruff a ♠ ♣Q, ♥A leaving this five card ending.

Now, depending on what has happened and how you read the position, ...
- cash ♠Q or
- cash ♦AJ or
- finesse diamonds again or
- cash ♦A and ruff a ♦ or
- cash ♦A and trump finesse ♦

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