[hanp]

Hand 1.

AJ10x
Axxx
-
AKQ10x

K9xx
Kxx
Kxxx
xx

You reach 6S from the south without opposition bidding. LHO leads the diamond queen.

Further hidden info:

Spoiler

when you cash a high spade, LHO plays the spade queen.

Hand 2.

AQx
10
Kxxx
AJ10xx

KJ9x
KQ98xx
x
Kx

Auction starting with north:

1C - (1NT*) - Dbl - (2D)
p - (p) - 3H - (p)
3NT - (p) - 4H - all pass.

1NT showed 5+ diamonds and a 4-card major. West leads the diamond jack, ducked, and follows with the diamond 10 overtaken with the queen and ruffed by you. Say you cross to the spade ace and lead up the heart. East hops up with the ace and plays a spade. How do you play?

[bluecalm]

imps or mp's ?

[gwnn]

IMP pairs

[JLOGIC]

hand 1:

Ruff and run the spade ten.

[MFA]

Hmm. On the first one I would probably have ruffed and first-timed a finesse into west, playing for good brakes and either spades or clubs to come in. Planning to play spade ace and then finesse into west looks inferior since if west wins and plays a third spade I would be dead even if with five club tricks. And I don't see why it is clever to play ♠AK from top.

But west has the stiff Q, I see. I better call it a day now before I screw up the second one also.

[MFA]

Heh, cross-posted with JLOGIC.

[JLOGIC]

Hand 2:

I win the jack and cash a heart. If all follow I claim. If RHO shows out I play CK, club hook, CA pitching a spade. I then ruff the appropriate minor to my hand (I have a full count) and exit a spade, and they are endplayed into leading into my trumps.