[kenrexford]

Scoring: MP

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The auction was 1NT(south)-P-2C-P-2H-P-3D-P-3NT-allpass

Not an ideal auction, perhaps, but practical for the partnership.

Anyway, a small spade was the lead. How would you play this?

On small from dummy in spades, the 10 pops out, won by your Queen.

[temp3600]

I would play West for AJ in spades and run the 9.
Later, unblock the DA and spade towards dummy or small club to the Q if I don't have any spades left.

[kenrexford]

OK -- I started down that path also, actually running the 8, hoping that it would be ducked. Strangely, the Jack was played, leaving me unexpectedly on dummy. Spades split 5-1.

At this point, an any reasonable line I elect, I believe I will have to guess the heart position. If I try to unblock the diamond, then lead a small club toward dummy, I am going to have either the club King in the wrong spot, or clubs may end up blocked. It seems that I will need to get to one hand or the other via steppingstone. This gets ugly.

I elected to NOT clear diamonds but rather to send the club Queen around, losing eventually to the King to my left. Spade-spade placed me back on dummy with diamonds still blocked unless I drop the Ace. I have four tricks in, a fourth from diamonds, three more coming from clubs, and a heart if I guess right. I have lost one spade and one club, am about to lose another spade, and will lose two hearts if I guess hearts wrong.

I now know LHO to have held AJxxx in spades, plus the protected club King. If an issue exists, he also holds at least one heart honor.

Does anything from the bidding, play, or other suggest WHICH heart honor he holds? Was there a line to avoid this guess?

[ArtK78]

I do not see how playing a spade at trick two can be right. My suggested line is DA followed by a club towards the Q in dummy. You are threatening to establish a LOT of tricks. If the CQ holds, clear the diamonds, expecting to get to dummy with a spade. If the CQ loses to the K, further play will depend on the return.

[kenrexford]

I thought of that as well, but then LHO is simply blocking clubs. The diamond Ace play snipped communications with hand.

Once the club wins, you are stuck on dummy. If you play diamond king, then Jack, you have pitching problems. Finding two from hand is difficult. Two hearts??? That threatens the whole heart suit. So, perhaps just give up the diamond Queen? I cannot see how that line avoids the heart guess.

[ArtK78]

If the CQ wins, why not play the K and J of diamonds, pitching clubs? You are up to 8 tricks, and you have a serious threat to endplay LHO by thowing him in with a black card. Yes, you will probably wind up needing the HA onside to make, but do you see something better?

[kenrexford]

No -- that's why I posted this. By "right," though, do you mean the heart Ace to my right? Or, the Queen?

[Vilgan]

Playing leftie for ace/jack (which can also be figured out by knowing which small spade he led usually), my line would be

Q spades
A diamonds
low club to the queen
If he goes up with the king, i wouldn't stress too much about it to be honest. leftie might have a heart honor, but its doubtful he has both.
If left plays low and rightie has the king, it still doesn't matter much as long as *both* heart honors aren't on your left.
He will most likely come out with a spade, which isn't a threat. A diamond isn't a threat either, pitch lowest heart if he does that. Looking at dummy its very unlikely he'll find a diamond play anyways.
Wherever you win it, next winner is Q clubs, followed by a low heart from dummy. Play the jack from hand, and you'll get beat by either the queen or the ace.
He has to play spades again, which still isn't a threat. will probably be won in dummy.
cash the king of diamonds if you haven't already, then another low heart from dummy

With this line, imo you get a minimum of:
2 diamonds
1 heart
2 spades
4 clubs

assuming you don't have AQ of hearts on your left.

You can play for diamonds as your source of extra tricks, but that can be risky since you don't have a lot of trips to the dummy and good D can strip you of that.
If you want to try that route I'd try:
Q spades
A diamonds
low club (save spade transportation for later, try a club first)
from there play as appropriate.
I don't like this as much since finding pitches while running diamonds isn't exactly easy.

Anyways, not sure if this is the "right" way (still new). but its the way I'd play it.

Vilgan