[Helmer]

♠

---

East West
1♦    2♣
2NT  3NT

I (YOU) led 2 of ♠, your partner wins the trick with the king,
now he returns Jack of ♠ - queen and your ace.

What now?

Please vote.

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What is your next move, and why?

I played with the expert from another poll I just made.
I was now blamed for cashing the ♠ 10.
If I should do something else it would be the small spade, as I think I know that partner only has 3 card ♠, and hope that it is the 9 that is there.

Why don't you play a ♣, you establish a ♠ trick by cashing your 10,
that I couldn't agree on - declarer had Q976, it was already done.

I thought I could see 5♣ tricks and some red tricks as well.
But declarer had 4-3-5-1.
After a little mistake (maybe misclick, cashed ♥ ace before solving ♦-problem) by declarer we got 3♠, 1♥ and 1♦ trick.

Why I cashed 10, I was afraid for being squizzed, 5 rounds of clubs, followed by 3 rounds of hearts..... what then....



Helmer

[FrancesHinden]

We aren't told the form of scoring.
at matchpoints I would certainly consider cashing the S10

[kenberg]

It seems highly unlikely that cashing the spade ten will lead to setting the hand. It's impossible that there can be two more tricks readily available, so if the hand can be beaten, the most likely route is by waiting on your spade trick. If declarer has the 97 of spades he can then establish a spade, but he needs to use some entries to do that. If he holds the 96 of spades, he needs to decide to try, and he needs to decide which spade to do it with. If he has other options, they may appear to be better.

So, given that this is a contract I am trying to set rather than cash out, I am going to hold off on the spade.

I lead the J of clubs. It's been known for players to bid 2N after 1D-2C on 4-4-4-1, and the stiff could be the ten. He might let a small club ride since a club duck is needed to esatblish the suit and will be delighted to win with his ten. If he has two clubs, your choice of club lead doesn't matter.


It's possibly, actually probable, that this hand is making. But if he has a stiff club and you now remove this from his hand, he may have to make some right choices to bring it in. If it goes, as it might if he has a stiff and needs the club suit, club Jack, small, small, ten(or spot), then I will have to think again but I now have three tricks and another ready to cash. I think I'll lead another club and let him decide what to pitch and where to get his tricks. On the actual hand, where he has five diamonds and one club, he probably will settle for his three club tricks and try to get his tricks in the red suits. It can be done but he may go wrong.

At matchpoints it's less clear, but probably it is still right to switch to the club although it might go wrong.

I decided on the club Jack before reading your description of declarer's shape, but of course it's a posted hand so that could be considerd a clue.

Ken

[jdeegan]

At matchpoints, cash the spade before it goes away after declarer drops your doubleton ♥ Q while in the process of cashing out. At IMPs, play back the J of clubs and pray for a miracle.