[kfay]

Here's my favorite hand from the 2006 Collegiate Championships in Chicago.

Finals: UofM v. Princeton.

If you make it, you're national champ, no matter what team you're playing for.

Scoring: IMP

---

You arrive in 7♥ after an auction in which W showed 5-5 in the minors.

The lead is the ♦9.

How do you land it?

[Trumpace]

THe first thing that comes to mind is

Spoiler

play RHO for club Jx or 9x

, though haven't given it further thought, looks like an interesting hand.

[mtvesuvius]

I win, play another ♦, pitching a ♣. Now I play the 2♥ to dummy, if ♥ split, I cash the A♣ and play a ♥ to my 9, and play for the 9x with East... If trumps do not split, I cash the A♣ and come to my hand with the 9♥ and play for the 9x♣ with East...

Am I a national champion?

[han]

Agree with trumpace.

Congrats on your 2006 collegiate championship Kevin!

[karlson]

Given that he has terrible suits already, it's pretty clear to play west for KJxxx as the other posters mentioned.

Another minor factor is that west may give away the hand by not covering the ♣Q looking at K9xxx, afraid of blowing the suit. He shouldn't, since you would have surely finessed first with ♣QJT, but sometimes they don't work that out in the collegiates

[rogerclee]

karlson, on Dec 12 2008, 10:17 PM, said:

Given that he has terrible suits already, it's pretty clear to play west for KJxxx as the other posters mentioned.

Another minor factor is that west may give away the hand by not covering the ♣Q looking at K9xxx, afraid of blowing the suit. He shouldn't, since you would have surely finessed first with ♣QJT, but sometimes they don't work that out in the collegiates

In the cleegiates I wouldn't read too much into this, Q xx 98xxx Kxxxx would be normal for some people.

In real life I would assume LHO is at least 6-5.

[han]

So tell us Kevin, did you play a club to the 7 and become a national champion?

[karlson]

Ooh, the 7. How'd I miss that.

That may well be the way to go.

[H_KARLUK]

1S+7H+3D+1C = 12 tricks in bag. I play for ♣Kxx three times with any opp. Dummy reverse. My plan is to pitch ♠ losers with A to master ♦ and established ♣ Q.

[mtvesuvius]

Quote

You arrive in 7♥ after an auction in which W showed 5-5 in the minors.

Quote

1S+7H+3D+1C = 12 tricks in bag. I play for ♣Kxx three times with any opp. Dummy reverse. My plan is to pitch ♠ losers with A to master ♦ and established ♣ Q.

Did you miss this? There are not 14 clubs in the deck.

[Edmunte1]

I'll take ♦A and play ♣Q, then ♥K-♥to 9, ♦K(discarding ♣), ♣10. I'll try to pick up 9x or 6x in clubs with East using my 4 entries.

[benlessard]

Quote

I'll try to pick up 9x or 6x in clubs with East using my 4 entries.

At first i thought Jx or 9x but even 6x is enough. Usually whne some1 put all the spot its fishy

[y66]

Playing RHO for 6x instead of Jx or 9x? That's a nice play. Seems more likely. Didn't see it.

[Fluffy]

well, after reading the cute responses from trumpace and han, I think the best is to play a club and hop with the ace, just to let LHO make the mistake of inserting the 9. Then run the queen.

[han]

You mean the 6, you always win if LHO has KJ9xx(x).

[benlessard]

Quote

You mean the 6, you always win if LHO has KJ9xx(x).

Not if KJ96x.

Playing low to the A before discarding a club is a nice trap.

[han]

benlessard, on Dec 15 2008, 06:42 PM, said:

Quote

You mean the 6, you always win if LHO has KJ9xx(x).

Not if KJ96x.

What do you think, we are talking about the 6, would I write an x when I mean the 6? This is supposed to be a rhethorical question.

[kfay]

RHO has ♣6x. So you can just start hooking clubs. But DON'T TOUCH TRUMP! ♥2 in your hand is a bad card.

I suppose this should have gone in B/I... meant for there to be some calculation or other of the odds of 6x over xx, etc. After figuring out that you have to play this suit, obv.

Here's the whole hand:

Scoring: IMP

---

If LHO were dealt KJ96x then you have to lead low to the club 7. But the suggested line will work against 9x, 6x, or xx with RHO so it's definitely better.

So to win you lead the ♣Q planning to run it, then come back to hand 3 times for more hooks after pitching the ♣7 on a diamond.

[gnasher]

kfay, on Dec 17 2008, 08:42 PM, said:

I suppose this should have gone in B/I... meant for there to be some calculation or other of the odds of 6x over xx, etc. After figuring out that you have to play this suit, obv.

It took ten responses and more than 24 hours before someone posted the correct line, so maybe it wasn't that obvious.

[benlessard]

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