[cjames]

---

Matchpoints

Opening lead: ♣5 (3/5 leads)

What do you play on trick 1?

Spoiler

If you play queen or low West wins with the king and returns ♠ J. What now?

[SteveMoe]

♣A, then ♥K, ♥3 to the ♥J. If the finesse holds and both follow, draw the 3rd round of trumps and clear ♦ endingin hand. (If the trump finesse loses, a ♠ switch by East is less threatening). Finesse the ♣J.

[rmnka447]

+1 for Stevemoe

[alok c]

 SteveMoe, on 2017-May-12, 18:46, said:

♣A, then ♥K, ♥3 to the ♥J. If the finesse holds and both follow, draw the 3rd round of trumps and clear ♦ endingin hand. (If the trump finesse loses, a ♠ switch by East is less threatening). Finesse the ♣J.

After drawing trumps,finesse ♣J before touching ♦s.

[cjames]

Thanks!

This feels like a everyday kind of hand, and one that I felt I missplayed badly at the table. I played the Q trick one, which I think is really bad: The lead could be singleton, if I play for the king to be onside, then I would still need West to have Jack singleton to pick up all the clubs, and if I play for clubs to be Kxx Jx, I can play a club to the queen later, and not risk a ruff now.

Playing the A also have the bonus effect of picking up singleton K (or J I guess) with West, as in this case. When ♥s are 3-2 with Qx onside, you get 13 tricks on this layout.

Follow up question:

After losing trick 1 to the K, and winning the ♠ J return with the king, should I:

1) Assume that some tables will get a trump or ♦ lead, and will play hearts as above and lose one club trick. Therefore I should play for ♣ to be J75 - K3 and play ♥ the same way, and get 12 tricks.
2) Assume that clubs are 4-1 and that someone are in the same situation as me, and try to beat those by playing for W to have Qx in hearts, and then play small to J and the A, as I no longer have have enough entries to set up a club for ♠ pitch if I play ♥ K first.

At the table I lost to the K, and played ♥ K and ♥ to J and another ♥. Clubs were 4-1. 11 tricks. Ugh.

[alok c]

 cjames, on 2017-May-13, 03:48, said:

Thanks!

This feels like a everyday kind of hand, and one that I felt I missplayed badly at the table. I played the Q trick one, which I think is really bad: The lead could be singleton, if I play for the king to be onside, then I would still need West to have Jack singleton to pick up all the clubs, and if I play for clubs to be Kxx Jx, I can play a club to the queen later, and not risk a ruff now.

Playing the A also have the bonus effect of picking up singleton K (or J I guess) with West, as in this case. When ♥s are 3-2 with Qx onside, you get 13 tricks on this layout.

Follow up question:

After losing trick 1 to the K, and winning the ♠ J return with the king, should I:

1) Assume that some tables will get a trump or ♦ lead, and will play hearts as above and lose one club trick. Therefore I should play for ♣ to be J75 - K3 and play ♥ the same way, and get 12 tricks.
2) Assume that clubs are 4-1 and that someone are in the same situation as me, and try to beat those by playing for W to have Qx in hearts, and then play small to J and the A, as I no longer have have enough entries to set up a club for ♠ pitch if I play ♥ K first.

At the table I lost to the K, and played ♥ K and ♥ to J and another ♥. Clubs were 4-1. 11 tricks. Ugh.

-You require one entry in South's hand to claim Club tricks & that entry is Diamond A.

[cjames]

 alok c, on 2017-May-13, 07:03, said:

-You require one entry in South's hand to claim Club tricks & that entry is Diamond A.

East covers the second club and then you have to unblock clubs and ruff out the 7 before you can pitch a ♠ on the last one. Your ♠ A is gone, and also ♥ K, if you play K and small to J.

[alok c]

 cjames, on 2017-May-13, 09:25, said:

East covers the second club and then you have to unblock clubs and ruff out the 7 before you can pitch a ♠ on the last one. Your ♠ A is gone, and also ♥ K, if you play K and small to J.

Well,misunderstood. if you are describing the situation after misplaying initially,then yes.