[ahydra]

This suit combination came up last week and it's got me hooked (no pun intended) - but I'm currently at work without my SUITPLAY program.

A87x
J10x

For as many tricks as possible, my brief analysis suggested "play small to the 8, then cash the Ace" - this seems to work if the opponent's cards split 3-3 or an opponent holds Kx, Qx, K9, Q9 or KQ. That looks to be approximately 53%. But is that right?

There's no entry for this on bridgehands (http://www.bridgehan...mbination_5.htm), the closest being Axxx opposite J109 for which you should run the J then the 10. But doing that here means setting up the opponents' 9.

Interestingly http://www.bridgehan...m/F/Finesse.htm has a few combinations listed as well. The closest I found to this one is Axx opposite J10x, for which there are two entries... one says "low to the 10 then low to the J" and the other says "don't touch the suit, or if you have to, play low to the J and then cash the Ace". Which is correct? Does that help me here at all?

Thanks,

ahydra

[ahydra]

Not surprised nobody answered this. They're either thinking "wait till you have SUITPLAY" or "small to the 8? you're crazy".

SUITPLAY says for 3 tricks to run the J then run the 10. This gains if you drop a doubleton 9 or H9. If 2 tricks is all you care about, try small to the J followed by small to the 10, which gains when the KQ are behind the Ace.

Both lines seem somewhat unintuitive, but ah well.

ahydra

[mgoetze]

Small to the 8 seems weird to me, opp can just insert the 9. Seems more like something you would do if A87x is the closed hand than a double-dummy play.

[bluecalm]

So the play for best expected tricks taken is the most "natural" (J, and then T) but the best play to guarantee 2 tricks is small to the ten and then jack. Interesting, I wouldn't have thought of that.