Dealer: S Vul: NS |
North ♠ xxx ♥ xxx ♦ AQ9 ♣ Qxxx |
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West ♠ ♥QJxx ♦xxx ♣AJxxx |
East ♠QJ9x ♥xxxx ♦KJ ♣Kxx |
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Me ♠ AK10xx ♥ AK ♦ 10xxxx ♣ 6 |
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Bidding: | 1S 2S 2NT* 3D* 4S lead of Q♥ | HTML Bridge Hand Layout Creator |
What are your initial thoughts?
I felt that we were in a good spot, but it does not look like a spot that many people in this club game are going to be in. I had to make the contract.
I won the heart lead and laid down the Ace of spades. East showed out. Now what?
Obviously, I need to use the diamond entries to take spade finesses, but also retain trump control. How though? What's better? A diamond to the Queen, to the 9 or running the 10?
Running the 10 seems best because the two diamond honors are likely to be split. Leading to the 9 seems to have the advantage of creating two entries. But if I lose to a singleton honor with East, he'll find a club switch and get a diamond ruff. If diamonds are 3-2, I may not have the luxury of 2 entries anyway. What's the right way to play this combination?
I played a diamond to the Queen, which lost to the King. Two rounds of clubs. Now, a second diamond to the 9, which lost to the Jack. With only entry to dummy, I had to also lose a spade.
East turned out to have KJ tight. Should I have gotten this right?
I would probably lead low to the 9 at trick two. Sometimes bad stuff just happens.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about it more. I agree low diamond to Queen at trick two is best.
ReplyDeleteYes, low to the Q and then low to the 9 also caters to a singleton Jack with East.
DeleteDo you agree with the game try? This 5-5 hand would be worth a game try:
AK10xxx
Ax
Kxxxx
x
but with 7 points outside my 5-5 on the actual hand, perhaps I should have passed.
Absolutely agree with game try. I would just bid 4S straight out, rather than pass.
Delete