[Phil]

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You lead the ♣A and partner plays the T - suit preference. You shift to a heart and declarer wins the Ace. Partner encourages and declarer drops the Q.

Declarer runs 7 of her 8 card solid spade suit.

What do you keep for your last four cards?

[kenberg]

Quick Q: Can we assume declarer has the Jack of clubs since partner would have played the Jack rather than the ten for his heart shift? So declarer could have brought the trick total to ten by spade to Ace and ruff a club, for example? Of course she needs eleven, but we have to strat thins thin king somewhere. Also, can we assume that on the run of the spades partner has tossed all of his club spots?

[gszes]

Phil, on 2013-February-07, 11:40, said:

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You lead the ♣A and partner plays the T - suit preference. You shift to a heart and declarer wins the Ace. Partner encourages and declarer drops the Q.

Declarer runs 7 of her 8 card solid spade suit.

What do you keep for your last four cards?

While I am still not certain the club T was suit preference (so few clubs out) what club did declarer play at trick 1 (it can make a huge difference)

[Phil]

kenberg, on 2013-February-07, 17:03, said:

Quick Q: Can we assume declarer has the Jack of clubs since partner would have played the Jack rather than the ten for his heart shift? So declarer could have brought the trick total to ten by spade to Ace and ruff a club, for example? Of course she needs eleven, but we have to strat thins thin king somewhere. Also, can we assume that on the run of the spades partner has tossed all of his club spots?

Aw heck, the actual hand had the ♣AKJ8 and partner played the 9. When I set the diagram up, I lazily left out the ♣J and 9 and thought it wouldn't matter.

So assume you have the ♣J and partner plays the 9.

[kenberg]

Same Q, I think. If I understand it correctly, partner played the 9, the ten is nowhere in sight, so declarer must have it?

anyway, assuming that I take whatever club is played as showing some heart values, what's the hurry? (Added: I may be wrong here, perhaps there is a reson to do it now.) Suppose I just lead a trump at trick 2. Partner, if he has a heart trick, gets it later and then, I hope, we get another trick in the minors.

At any rate, suppose I play the heart at trick 2 and declarer runs seven spades. Early on I toss my other heart and then watch what partner does. If declarer started with only one heart, partner will know this and will let me know by tossing the high hearts.

Really I suppose declarer has two hearts. If she had only one, she would, at trick 3, ruff a heart to her hand, ruff a club on the board. True she might worry about an overruff, but what else can she do with the club?

So I assume that this line of play is not followed because it cannot be. Declarer has two hearts.

So partner has a heart trick eventually. And, when I toss one hear but no more, he knows it. So now all he has to do is toss all his clubs. I count them, and I know what to do.