[eagles123]

---

so on this deal from last night me and partner overbid to reach this terrible slam. Luckily they didn't lead a club (leading a spade instead) and when I played the Ace of hearts and the queen dropped I knew it was my lucky day - a heart to the 8 a spade back to hand a heart to the ten another heart and a claim for an undeserved 12 tricks.

However I looked at the traveller afterwards - these were the results in heart contracts:

4H - 1 by South 1 time
4H = by South 2 times
4H + 1 by South 3 times
4H + 1 by North 5 times
5H = by South 1 times
6H - 5 by South 1 time
6H = by South 1 time

I just cant believe that there was a club lead on all those tables (and played by north you can just run the lead round anyway if you're brave enough ) but no-one is making 12 tricks which seems kinda strange

Eagles

[helene_t]

Strange things happen at clubs. Maybe someone played ♥K first, or played E for ♥QJ, or miscounted the trumps, or maybe even wanted to ruff a club in dummy before drawing trumps lol. I have done things like that myself.

That less than half the field make 12 tricks wouldn't surprise me at my local club. But yes, it is disapointing that nobody else made 12 tricks.

[manudude03]

I had this board last week.

---

Everyone played it in 4S after East opened 1H. The 4 times it was played by south, it was always a heart lead. The 3 times it was played by North, there was a heart lead, a club lead and the ♦A lead.

I was one of the south declarers, I ended up with 11/12 MPs (only drawing with the north declarer who got a heart lead) for making all 13 even though I thought the line was fairly obvious.

[billw55]

Heh. I remember one hand at club. Near the end of the night I bid to a seemingly routine 3NT. On opening lead, opponents cashed four top hearts and exited, and I claimed the rest. I was expecting average, but opened the traveler to find every other declarer making 10 or 11 tricks in 3NT. Bottom!

[helene_t]

manudude03, on 2015-October-06, 04:51, said:

I thought the line was fairly obvious.

Maybe I am being thick but it seems to me that the way to 13 tricks is to discrad a heart and then take the ruffing finesse in hearts. This is risky since you have only 11 tricks if W has led away from an honour. Am I missing something?

[manudude03]

helene_t, on 2015-October-06, 07:12, said:

Maybe I am being thick but it seems to me that the way to 13 tricks is to discrad a heart and then take the ruffing finesse in hearts. This is risky since you have only 11 tricks if W has led away from an honour. Am I missing something?

1. You have 29 combined and East has opened.
2. If you throw the heart and 2 diamonds, if the ruffing finesse loses, you have just exchanged 1 loser for another.

[helene_t]

manudude03, on 2015-October-06, 07:53, said:

2. If you throw the heart and 2 diamonds, if the ruffing finesse loses, you have just exchanged 1 loser for another.

lol yes of course

[Cyberyeti]

A board I remember because of one of the oddest end positions ever (I won the last 2 tricks with the 5 and 4 of trumps with an opponent following with the 3 and 2) falls into the original category. We played in 3♥= in a 4-3 fit when 4♠ was cold our way for 90% of the matchpoints.

[Zelandakh]

helene_t, on 2015-October-06, 07:12, said:

Maybe I am being thick but it seems to me that the way to 13 tricks is to discrad a heart and then take the ruffing finesse in hearts. This is risky since you have only 11 tricks if W has led away from an honour. Am I missing something?

Start with a low heart - you know East has the ♥K as otherwise they opened in first seat with 8hcp and a jack-high suit. Draw trumps and cash the clubs throwing a heart and 2 diamonds when clubs break 3-3 or 4-2. Then lead a heart - if East covers you have the ♠8 as an entry, if not then you discard the last diamond. Even if East has psyched it only costs you this one trick.