[gnasher]

Scoring: IMP

pass-1♠
2♣-3♣
3NT

---

Your lead of ♥Q wins the trick, partner playing an encouraging two and declarer the four. And now?

[Hanoi5]

♥9, what if declarer has Jxxx?

[rbforster]

Hanoi5, on Jun 13 2009, 08:30 PM, said:

♥9, what if declarer has Jxxx?

Although you'll block the suit leading low if declarer has Jxx, and you need to run partner's 5 heart tricks before letting them in.

[jdonn]

Rob F, on Jun 13 2009, 10:06 PM, said:

Hanoi5, on Jun 13 2009, 08:30 PM, said:

♥9, what if declarer has Jxxx?

Although you'll block the suit leading low if declarer has Jxx, and you need to run partner's 5 heart tricks before letting them in.

Too late, the gods of bridge already blocked the suit in that case.

[Codo]

We will not take the first five tricks in heart.

So we need one more trick and 4 heart tricks. When we hold ourself to 3 heart tricks by continuing the suit, we need two outside tricks.

I switch to a diamond.

[gnasher]

Suppose I told you that partner has ♥K and a certain side-suit trick. Can you see any problem with taking all of your tricks?

[xcurt]

If declarer is ax jxxx qx kqxxx pd is toast if we play a heart at t2

[gnasher]

xcurt, on Jun 15 2009, 12:33 AM, said:

If declarer is ax jxxx qx kqxxx pd is toast if we play a heart at t2

That's true, though the same hand without ♣Q would be more likely given the initial pass. I hadn't noticed that possibility.

One the actual hand, partner had ♠A and ♥K (plus some minor-suit queen presumably - I've lost the hand records). There's a danger in playing a second heart even opposite this. Partner thinks you have the jack and declarer has the ace. If you continue with ♥10, partner will expect you to have QJ10(x); if you continue with ♥9 he will think you have QJ109. In either case he is quite likely to play low, trying to avoid blocking the suit, to keep communications fluid, or just out of habit.