[frank0]

On BBO opp were pick up pair.

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I led a small ♦ to partner's J and declares' A. After that declare played ♥AKJ, partner followed ♥389, what's next?

At the table I feared of the ♦ can pitch probably singleton ♠ so quickly laid down the ♠A and gave the contract away.

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♠A is probably right if declare get
(a)♠Kxx♥AKJxxx♦A♣AQJ
or
(b)♠K(x)♥AKJxxx♦Ax♣AQJx
But if declare does not have the ♣J a ♦ return is probably never wrong(Declare get at most 5♥4♦1♣), is this enough reason to support a ♦ return?

[Cyberyeti]

Shoot your partner for playing the J not the 8 on the first diamond.

[phil_20686]

Yes your partner played poorly.

Declarer might have used a diamond for the heart finesse if he has Axx diamond, so you should guess that he has only Ax. You have a guess re which suit to play back. However, rho would not bid keycard without a control in every suit, and if 4N was natural it is even clearer that he has Kx spade and the club ace. If that is his hand you can ensure his defeat by playing a diamond unless he has AQJ clubs. In that case he is cold. I would rule out (B) if 4N was intended as natural, and I would rule out (a) because surely if partner has J9xxx of diamonds he would play the 9.

[Phil]

frank0, on 2012-April-16, 23:49, said:

♠A is probably right if declare get

(a)♠Kxx♥AKJxxx♦A♣AQJ
or
(b)♠K(x)♥AKJxxx♦Ax♣AQJx

I can see that you are trying to think along the correct lines. This is the first step to becoming a great bridge player. On this hand, lets try to clear away some of the fog.

In your "A", there aren't that many spades in the deck. All thats missing are the Kx. Also, if partner had the ♦9, partner plays that at T1, so you can reliably place declarer with that card. The ♦8 is unclear.

In "B", your example has too many cards - 14.

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What do we really know about the hand? Declarer has turned up with ♥AKJxxx + ♦A. This is a far cry from a 2♣ opener. The ♠K addition would still not be enough, even is declarer had some shape: Kx, AKJxxx, Axxxx, void would fit the play, but it isn't a 2♣ opening. This would also means that partner was mute with nine clubs, so lets discard this hand.

You can include the actual hand - with or without the ♣Q-for some players. So lets make up a new "A": Kx, AKJxxx, A9x, Ax (AQ) or maybe A1 - Kx AKJxxx A9 A(Q)x. In either of these cases, declarer has nine tricks. If you cash the ♠A, you give up a spade trick and that leads to some messy continuations. Partner is under great pressure in the minors in the endgame, and also if declarer has ♣AQT, a successful guess gets him 11 tricks.

What about a spade void and some clubs? void, AKJxxx, A9, AQJxx. Seems like a plausible hand in a pickup game. This hand shouldn't blackwood with a void, but players do irrational things. Five hearts, three diamonds and one club is 9. Note the outcome depends on declarer's clubs. AQJTx gives 11, but if the clubs are as weak as AQTxx, we are fine.

x, AKJxxx, Ax, AQJT? Not everyone's idea of a 2♣ opening, but here, we need to cash our spade pronto. Yet if declarer held this hand, wouldn't he pitch the spade on the long diamond before knocking out the heart?

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On balance, a diamond seems to be best, assuming partner didn't do something stupid and play the J from a J-9 holding. It gives declarer nothing he is isn't entitled to. It also severs the link with dummy so partner doesn't get pummeled on the run of the hearts.

[billw55]

I just count declarer's tricks. He has five hearts, four diamonds, and the ace of clubs. That's ten, and I'm not giving him a free ride for the eleventh. Just because I can construct a hand where I need to cash the spade ace (Phil's example), does not make it the right play.

[han]

Inquiry wrote an excellent series of posts about mistakes, which included an elaborate discussion of when not to play third hand high. Your partner would do well to read it.

[frank0]

Phil, on 2012-April-17, 06:12, said:

I can see that you are trying to think along the correct lines. This is the first step to becoming a great bridge player. On this hand, lets try to clear away some of the fog.

In your "A", there aren't that many spades in the deck. All thats missing are the Kx. Also, if partner had the ♦9, partner plays that at T1, so you can reliably place declarer with that card. The ♦8 is unclear.

In "B", your example has too many cards - 14.

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What do we really know about the hand? Declarer has turned up with ♥AKJxxx + ♦A. This is a far cry from a 2♣ opener. The ♠K addition would still not be enough, even is declarer had some shape: Kx, AKJxxx, Axxxx, void would fit the play, but it isn't a 2♣ opening. This would also means that partner was mute with nine clubs, so lets discard this hand.

You can include the actual hand - with or without the ♣Q-for some players. So lets make up a new "A": Kx, AKJxxx, A9x, Ax (AQ) or maybe A1 - Kx AKJxxx A9 A(Q)x. In either of these cases, declarer has nine tricks. If you cash the ♠A, you give up a spade trick and that leads to some messy continuations. Partner is under great pressure in the minors in the endgame, and also if declarer has ♣AQT, a successful guess gets him 11 tricks.

What about a spade void and some clubs? void, AKJxxx, A9, AQJxx. Seems like a plausible hand in a pickup game. This hand shouldn't blackwood with a void, but players do irrational things. Five hearts, three diamonds and one club is 9. Note the outcome depends on declarer's clubs. AQJTx gives 11, but if the clubs are as weak as AQTxx, we are fine.

x, AKJxxx, Ax, AQJT? Not everyone's idea of a 2♣ opening, but here, we need to cash our spade pronto. Yet if declarer held this hand, wouldn't he pitch the spade on the long diamond before knocking out the heart?

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On balance, a diamond seems to be best, assuming partner didn't do something stupid and play the J from a J-9 holding. It gives declarer nothing he is isn't entitled to. It also severs the link with dummy so partner doesn't get pummeled on the run of the hearts.

Thanks for clear analysis, just to clarify on the 14 cards hand, by K(x) I meant K or x.