[kgr]

I hope this is a bit interesting for beginner/intermediate.
(Certainly not too difficult)

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MATCHPOINTS
(4♥ -showing a minimum- iso 3NT -showing a bit extra- would have been a better bid)
Opps are no Experts and can make mistakes!!
LHO leads ♣9. How do you play?

[Antrax]

Well, the hand seems simple enough. I only have two losers in hearts, even on a 5-0 break. So, the only danger is that the opponents get a ruff in clubs, which seems likely as the 9 is probably high from a doubleton. So probably the line is to play T from dummy and win with an ace in hand, since we have four top clubs anyway, and when RHO plays low and we still grab the ace, it looks like an unblock or shortness, both conceal the 2 and 3 in hand and muck up the situation. Then I'd lead the Q hearts from dummy, so if LHO has the K rather than A of hearts, he's less likely to grab it, giving me an extra chance to draw trumps before the defense get a ruff.

[kgr]

Antrax, on 2011-September-17, 04:02, said:

Well, the hand seems simple enough. I only have two losers in hearts, even on a 5-0 break. So, the only danger is that the opponents get a ruff in clubs, which seems likely as the 9 is probably high from a doubleton. So probably the line is to play T from dummy and win with an ace in hand, since we have four top clubs anyway, and when RHO plays low and we still grab the ace, it looks like an unblock or shortness, both conceal the 2 and 3 in hand and muck up the situation. Then I'd lead the Q hearts from dummy, so if LHO has the K rather than A of hearts, he's less likely to grab it, giving me an extra chance to draw trumps before the defense get a ruff.

Right.
If ♥A-K are split then you want RHO to win the first ♥. If LHO has a doubleton ♣ and ♥Hxx then RHO will have no entry to give his partner a ♣-ruff.
So it is best to play a ♥ from your hand. That gives an extra chance that LHO makes the mistake of not playing his ♥-honour.
At Matchpoints it can be wrong for LHO to play his honour if his partner has the other ♥ honour singleton.
The actual hand was played at IMP's and LHO had ♥Axx and ♣9x. I played a small ♥ to dummy. LHO didn't play his ♥A (clearly a mistake a IMP's) and I made 5♥.
(I think that against weaker players it is better to play a small ♥ to dummy then to lead ♥Q?)

[Antrax]

Well, he sees QJT9x in dummy. We lead small. What are we leading small towards, exactly? it can't be the ace, since we'll always lead the Q towards that, even if we don't plan to finesse. If it's the K, then ducking doesn't make any sense. The only scenario where ducking is right when we lead small is if his partner has the bare K, or where declarer is an idiot and is ducking unnecessarily.

[kgr]

Antrax, on 2011-September-17, 04:37, said:

Well, he sees QJT9x in dummy. We lead small. What are we leading small towards, exactly? it can't be the ace, since we'll always lead the Q towards that, even if we don't plan to finesse. If it's the K, then ducking doesn't make any sense. The only scenario where ducking is right when we lead small is if his partner has the bare K, or where declarer is an idiot and is ducking unnecessarily.

He sees ♥8xx in dummy.
LHO knows you don't have ♥A or K (because 5♣ bid) and first trick taken with ♣A.

[MrAce]

Antrax, on 2011-September-17, 04:37, said:

Well, he sees QJT9x in dummy. .

How ? South is the declarer.

[VM1973]

I'll win in hand and lead ♥J. If LHO has ♥Kx he will hop with the king immediately but there's will be no danger of a ruff. If he's holding ♥Axx he will figure that partner must surely have at least the ♥K or maybe ♥KQ and he will worry about crashing honors.

[Antrax]

Whoops, I thought S is dummy. In that case I agree leading a low heart to the 8 is likely to work.