[inquiry]

Scoring: IMP

West North East South
 Pass  1♣    Pass  2♠
 Pass  3♠    Pass  4NT
 Pass  5♥    Pass  6♠
 Dbl   Pass  Pass  Pass
 
T1, H9 HT H3 HK

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You were merrily bidding your way to a sleepy slam when WEST out of the blue doubled you. You win the opening lead with the heart king. Next?

[whereagles]

Run the spade 9 at trick two is good enough for me. If trumps 5-0, I'll make up my mind later whether to return to hand with a club or ruffing a heart (prolly the former).

[luke warm]

whereagles, on Oct 1 2004, 08:31 PM, said:

Run the spade 9 at trick two is good enough for me. If trumps 5-0, I'll make up my mind later whether to return to hand with a club or ruffing a heart (prolly the former).

i guess you're basing lho's double on 5/0 split, eh? your line wins when lho has the J, regardless of the split, but loses when rho has any holding with the J

is it likely hearts are 1/6? i'd guess not, the bidding doesn't imply that... are they 2/5? probably... even that doesn't hurt when spades are no worse than 4/1... i'd like to know if rho signaled count to the first trick, and what the ♥9 showed

i'd really like to play the ♠K first... that wins anytime hearts are 4/3 but loses when 5/2 or worse (with west short)... is lho doubling *only* on the 5/0 split? there are 7 hcp out, you'd have to think he has the ♦A and is trying to find his second trick

you're losing 3 imps when wrong (i think the majority would not double in west's seat), so the choices are between playing lho for 5 spades and 2 hearts or any number of spades with 3 or more hearts...

this is wrong, most likely, but i'm playing the ♠K hoping for 4/1 OR for lho with 3+ hearts... your ♠9 is probably right (mainly cause of ben's "wake you up" line)

[whereagles]

Well, what can LHO have for his double? To double on an ace and Jxxx of trumps is a give-away, so I take it a sane LHO would have an ace plus jack-fifth of spades. I don't need Ben's cue to think like this

[luke warm]

as i said, the 9 is probably right... how would you play it without the x?

[whereagles]

With no double, I cash K and A of spades. If 4-1 on left, try for two discs on hearts.

[Fluffy]

If ♦A is offside why it wasn´t lead?, but then why double? this is upsetting kind find a logic at all.

Maybe was a psyckic double hoping you run to 6NT?

No, It has to be a 5-0 split, lets try for the overtrick and hook ♠ from start.

[luke warm]

i think you're both right, the 9 is probably the best play given the double... but the K doesn't hurt IF hearts are either 4/3 or if west has long hearts (which the lead doesn't suggest)

[pclayton]

If West doubled on J empty 5th of spades and an outside ace, he is a fool. Who is this villain on my left - do I know him? If the spade honors are split, he has just handed you unmakeable cintract. No comments about cross and double cross please.

Further, why didn't he lay down the A♦ at T1? He doesn't know you hold the K. Further, you could hold the AKQ of spades, so he doesn't know dummy has an honor.

I think a more likely layout is that he holds a club void ( areverse lightner double! ), and hopes you'll take an irrational play in trump and get his club ruff later.

I may be a bigger fool, but I'm laying down the K♠ at T2.

[whereagles]

The reason he doubled with Jxxxx xx AQx xxx is a 5-0 split is much, much harder to work around than a 4-1 one. To double on this hand is a fair gamble for an aggressive and greedy player (like most of us LOL).

But then again, you have to know the person who doubled. I know a few players against whom I wouldn't dream of taking a 1st round finesse

[luke warm]

that could be, but it still makes unless lho is short in hearts... lead the ♠K, get the bad news, finesse the ♠8, play the A, and run hearts tossing diamonds

so to be set lho needs 5 trumps and 1 or 2 hearts... i guess the ♥9 makes it more rather than less likely he has 2, who knows?... i know i'd feel worse if playing the K would have made than if playing the K is the only losing line...

3 imps is 3 imps tho