[Fluffy]

MPs, All vul

♠Q9x
♥Q7xx
♦xxx
♣108x


♠AKJxx
♥Ax
♦KQx
♣AKx


2♣-2♦
2♠-4♠

LHO leads ♥8


EDIT: Silly typo, might an admin change the topic title to unhelpful?

[JLOGIC]

I would not do anything fancy, I'd try the queen. If it went K I would win the ace, ace of spades spade to the queen, and see if the ten dropped (so I could try 2 diamond finesses). If it didn't but trumps were 3-2 I'd play a diamond to the king. I'd go from there.

[billw55]

I would bid 2NT over 2♦ and thus only need 9 tricks. And if I get 10 anyway, even better.

[aguahombre]

disregard. Bit my tongue a minute too late

[Cyberyeti]

billw55, on 2011-November-22, 07:50, said:

I would bid 2NT over 2♦ and thus only need 9 tricks. And if I get 10 anyway, even better.

+1, this is a balanced hand not a big hand with spades. (2♣-2♦-2♥(Kokish, we play 2N good 19-21 so 2♣-2♦-2N is 22-23)-2♠-2N-3♣-3♠-3N for us)

[Fluffy]

thx Justin for trying the hand.

RHO had 4612. My partner played low heart*, got to dummy with ♠Q and tried a diamond to the king, when RHO failed to ruff ♦J return, cashing winners stripping RHO out of anything but hearts and ducking one would had brought 10 tricks, but he failed the easy part.

*: this might be some kind of club thing, lols never underlead kings to a suit contract, it is forbidden in their religion.

[JLOGIC]

Definitely possible that is the right line, I'd feel dumb if they had KJ98x of hearts or something though.

[gnasher]

Fluffy, on 2011-November-23, 02:16, said:

RHO had 4612. My partner played low heart*, got to dummy with ♠Q and tried a diamond to the king, when RHO failed to ruff ♦J return, cashing winners stripping RHO out of anything but hearts and ducking one would had brought 10 tricks, but he failed the easy part.

He was 2=6=1=4? Why can't he pitch down to ♥K plus all four clubs?

[Fluffy]

no, he was 4612, ♠108xx ♥KJ109xx ♦x ♣Jx

[gnasher]

Sorry. When you said he didn't ruff the diamond I assumed you meant he couldn't. Also, it didn't seem very likely that LHO had passed over a 2♣ opening with x x AJ10xxx Q9xxx. But I should just have believed what you actually said.

[quiddity]

Fluffy, on 2011-November-23, 02:16, said:

*: this might be some kind of club thing, lols never underlead kings to a suit contract, it is forbidden in their religion.

I usually wouldn't underlead a king into a 2♣ opener at matchpoints either.

[JLOGIC]

What if your hand was T KJ98x Axxx Q9x? or T KJ98x ATxxx Jx? I am all for I usually wouldn't do such and such, but really 8x seems like an unlikely lead, and stiff 8 seems unlikely with RHO passing over 2C p 2D with potentially KJT9xx, especially if they had more values like the DA. Sometimes people have a tough hand to lead from, we know we will see a tangible gain by playing the queen if LHO has led from the king, and it is unlikely we are going to gain by ducking even when RHO has the holding we are hoping for.