[rduran1216]

Scoring: MP

---

Playin 3NT from south's side, opening lead is a small club (opps playing 4th best vs. NT)

[OleBerg]

No. I'm not playing a heart to the Ace.

[rduran1216]

OleBerg, on Aug 13 2010, 01:43 AM, said:

No. I'm not playing a heart to the Ace.

who would do that?

[OleBerg]

rduran1216, on Aug 13 2010, 08:47 AM, said:

OleBerg, on Aug 13 2010, 01:43 AM, said:

No. I'm not playing a heart to the Ace.

who would do that?

No idée. But it is the only, somewhat reasonable, alternative I can see, to taking the first club in hand, and the run the ♥Q.

[Cyberyeti]

OleBerg, on Aug 13 2010, 02:42 AM, said:

rduran1216, on Aug 13 2010, 08:47 AM, said:

OleBerg, on Aug 13 2010, 01:43 AM, said:

No. I'm not playing a heart to the Ace.

who would do that?

No idée. But it is the only, somewhat reasonable, alternative I can see, to taking the first club in hand, and the run the ♥Q.

Well you could play a small heart to the 10 in case of stiff K onside, but that can really mess you up if E ducks.

You also have an issue if the defence win a heart not on the first round and lead a diamond, as it's not clear how you get at the A♠.

[OleBerg]

Cyberyeti, on Aug 13 2010, 09:52 AM, said:

OleBerg, on Aug 13 2010, 02:42 AM, said:

rduran1216, on Aug 13 2010, 08:47 AM, said:

OleBerg, on Aug 13 2010, 01:43 AM, said:

No. I'm not playing a heart to the Ace.

who would do that?

No idée. But it is the only, somewhat reasonable, alternative I can see, to taking the first club in hand, and the run the ♥Q.

Well you could play a small heart to the 10 in case of stiff K onside, but that can really mess you up if E ducks.

Yes. In my opinion slightly less reasonable than a heart to the ace. And under any circumstances no way near anything I'd do.

Quote

You also have an issue if the defence win a heart not on the first round and lead a diamond, as it's not clear how you get at the A♠.

That didn't escape my attention, but it doesn't change may plan.

If opponents are real bad, there might be a case for ducking the first club, but I'd have to be rather sure of that.

[rduran1216]

lets say you take the A of clubs at trick one and lead the Q of hearts.

Now LHO covers.

[mikeh]

If you want expert advice, give us more information. I suspect that you don't yet realize just how much information experts process when considering a line of play...if you did, you wouldn't leave out this amount of detail.

Just an initial read left me wondering about:

1. what clubs were played at trick one? This will often help decide whether to play clubs to be 4-2 or 5-1, and may also cast light on possible club blackages (rho playing the 9 would suggest he holds J9 tight as one example)

2. How did the bidding go? Did I open 1♣? If so, that would seem to make the club lead from HH9x or HHxx unattractive....which may influence my view of other alternate holdings

As it is, I assume that I infer that clubs are 4-2, else ducking the heart is inconceivable.

Not that it really matters.....I'd need to be playing against bad players (or get very lucky in diamonds) before ducking makes sense. If hearts are 4-2 I am down unless rho has the KQ of diamonds....and if he does, I may be making on a squeeze anyway.

So I win the heart A, and I assume hearts are 4-2, else there is no problem.

I drive out the heart.

What happens next?

BTW, I pitch a spade and a club on the hearts.....if the opps are kind enough to cash the clubs I pitch a small diamond on the last club and hope, after winning the diamond shift (if they switch to spades, I have 9 winners) and cross in spades, cash the last heart and hope to squeeze rho in the pointed suits.

A strong rho winning the 4th heart will switch to diamonds...but I hope it is LHO who wins the heart because I need rho to have diamond KQ and long spades for the squeeze, and he's have to be 5=4=2=2 with KQ tight in diamonds for that to work....I'm rooting for xxxxx xx KQxx Hx.

[rduran1216]

Auction was

1NT 2D
2H 3NT


no interference.

3 of clubs led, 5 from dummy, K from RHO, and you hold A842