[frank0]

NABC fast pair qualify

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1. Any comment about bidding?
2. Opp began with ♣A and shift to a ♥, now how many spades do you cash before you try cross-ruff? Or do you have a better way to play that does not need cross-ruff?

By the way, opp didn't give you count when you cash spade, of course!

[aguahombre]

Gonna guess North is 3 2 2, or 3 3 1 in the non club suits. Will try to cash three. Would be nice if North had the ace of diamonds.

[Mbodell]

I'd try 3. ♠A, K, Q. There is some chance that if they split 4-2 the hand that can ruff in has only a stiff diamond or doesn't return trump (or has just stiff A after the ruff), and given the lack of competing by opponents, I'd say spades are likely 3-3.

[Zelandakh]

Do we think hearts 5-2 is more likely than spades 4-2? I think I would play SK, C ruff, H ruff, C ruff, H ruff, C ruff and only now try to cash the SAQ. If opps ruff in with the DA on the 3rd heart and spades stand 3-3 this is not a problem. I am probably missing something, as usual.

[aguahombre]

South, having only two clubs and not having the diamond ace, will have pitched spade(s) by the time you get around to cashing them.

[Phil]

Please add in the heart and club spots played by the bad guys, thanks.

I think we are in a pretty nice spot. At other tables its quite possible to compete to 3♣. I don't know how hearts are splitting, but if they chose to let us rot in our own juice in 1♥, that doesn't look too pleasurable, either.

A good field and they can't find a trump shift on this auction with this dummy? Hmmm, now I think I am way ahead of the field. I will cash TWO spades, and expect to take seven trump tricks, one heart and my two spades. While 150 rates to be awesome, 130 looks to be damn good to me.

[wyman]

I'm cashing 2 spades. No way 130 (N has 5 clubs) or 110 (N has 6 clubs) is below avg on this board. Also I think S has the diamond A, since no way N has ♣AK & ♦A.

[aguahombre]

frank0, on 2011-July-28, 21:33, said:

By the way, opp didn't give you count when you cash spade, of course!

Like the old teaser about Truthtellers and Liars. If you know that, then you know the count

[hrothgar]

Phil, on 2011-July-29, 09:21, said:

Please add in the heart and club spots played by the bad guys, thanks.

I think we are in a pretty nice spot. At other tables its quite possible to compete to 3♣. I don't know how hearts are splitting, but if they chose to let us rot in our own juice in 1♥, that doesn't look too pleasurable, either.

A good field and they can't find a trump shift on this auction with this dummy? Hmmm, now I think I am way ahead of the field. I will cash TWO spades, and expect to take seven trump tricks, one heart and my two spades. While 150 rates to be awesome, 130 looks to be damn good to me.

What he said

The defense has already handed up an enormous gift.
No need to get greedy

[frank0]

wyman, on 2011-July-29, 09:47, said:

I'm cashing 2 spades. No way 130 (N has 5 clubs) or 110 (N has 6 clubs) is below avg on this board. Also I think S has the diamond A, since no way N has ♣AK & ♦A.

I don't know 130, but 110 only gives you 24% and N has 6 clubs.

[Phil]

frank0, on 2011-July-29, 10:12, said:

I don't know 130, but 110 only gives you 24% and N has 6 clubs.

What board / section / afternoon or evening session are we talking about. I'll look it up.

[wyman]

If so, must have been lots of 200s and 500s from 3Cx (stiff heart lead), in which case I'm sunk anyway.

[frank0]

Phil, on 2011-July-29, 10:37, said:

What board / section / afternoon or evening session are we talking about. I'll look it up.

It's the second session on Thursday, board 20, the whole hand is

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[cloa513]

frank0, on 2011-July-28, 21:33, said:

NABC fast pair qualify

---

1. Any comment about bidding?
2. Opp began with ♣A and shift to a ♥, now how many spades do you cash before you try cross-ruff? Or do you have a better way to play that does not need cross-ruff?

By the way, opp didn't give you count when you cash spade, of course!

You should only be aiming to ruff in East hand, so enter with K♠, ruff a club, ruff a heart, ruff a club, then decide what to do next.

The lacklustre bidding does suggest 3-3 break on spades.

[phil_20686]

frank0, on 2011-July-28, 21:33, said:

NABC fast pair qualify

---

1. Any comment about bidding?
2. Opp began with ♣A and shift to a ♥, now how many spades do you cash before you try cross-ruff? Or do you have a better way to play that does not need cross-ruff?

By the way, opp didn't give you count when you cash spade, of course!

Given that they did not compete to 3C, north is marked with 6 clubs. If you cross to the K of spades and ruff a club, then that will establish the club position. Then you could ask "would AKJTxx + an outside singleton qualify as a preempt at this position". That would be useful information.

Other useful information would be the level of the N player. The lack of a trump switch is interesting. Given that he should know that you are 5-4 in the minors, you he might think that he would be concerned about the cross ruff. Moreover while he knows you have one card, he will not know whether it is the K of spades or the Ace of diamonds.

If the spades are 2-4 (they are unlikely to be 4-2), then the defence can get a spade ruff anyway by overruffing the second club ruff and returning a spade, and then producing another trump. That defence would work if LHO is say 2-3-2-6. or 2-2-3-6. That will restrict declarer to 9 tricks. However, its hard to beleive that rho has Hx club and 4 spades and Ax diamonds and did not find a t/o dble.

Perhaps then the best line is to cross tot he K of spades, ruff a club with the K, ruff a heart small and ruff a club with the Q. RHO is now in a tricky spot, if he pitches a spade you can now cash a second spade and score 2 spades, 3 club ruffs 4 diamonds +1h for ten tricks. If he overruffs and returns a trump you can overtake in your hand, draw all the remaing diamonds and you will make 4 spades 1h 5d + 1 ruffs = 11 tricks if the spades are 3-3, or 10 otherwise.

EDIT: Just saw the board, yes I will make ten on this layout with the line given. 11 if south overruffs a club with the ace of diamonds to return a trump, which is an understandable defensive error.