[han]

This hand came up in a team match yesterday.

KJx
KJ10
xxx
Kxxx

AQxx
A9xxx
Qxx
x

At one table 4H was played, at the other 3H. At both tables west led the club queen which won the trick, and west continued with the club jack, ruffed by south. How would you play in 3H, and how would you play in 4H?

[Fluffy]

4♥ is easy, dummy reversal, heart to the 10 and ruff club, spade to the jack and ruff ♣K with the ace to finese trumps again and make 4♠, 3♥, 3♣ ruffs.

3♥ might be a lot tougher.

[han]

Fluffy, you may bid like a maniac but surely your declarer play is not A/I.

[gnasher]

In 3♥, we might try:
♥AK, club ruff, three rounds of spades ending in dummy, club ruff, spade throwing a diamond. That works when:
- ♥Q is singleton or doubleton
- Trumps break and spades are 3-3, unless LHO is 3-3 in hearts and clubs
- Trumps break and the long trump has four spades, unless LHO is 3-3 in hearts and clubs
I make that a bit over 50% - it's a bit less than
0.06 + 0.68 * (2/5 + 3/5 x 0.36 + 3/5 x 0.24)

I think it's better just to play ♥K and run ♥J. That gives us 54% just from the trump suit, and if it loses we still have chances: if ♦AK are onside we'll usually still make, either by leading up to the dimaonds or, if they force us, by playing the dummy reversal. Or LHO might have ♦AK and ♥Qx, and again we make on the dummy reversal.

[gnasher]

han, on 2012-June-10, 10:24, said:

Fluffy, you may bid like a maniac but surely your declarer play is not A/I.

Does that mean I shouldn't have replied either? Sorry.

[han]

After Fluffy's "4H is easy" I doubt there will be more posts on that contract.

I played 3H against not so strong opponents. I decided to finesse hearts into lefty, figuring that they would likely continue clubs if the finesse failed. This is what happened, so I made 140 and was pleased for a moment. The other table was in 4H and had no choice but to make 420.

[Fluffy]

my apologies

[han]

No problem of course! What are your thoughts on the play in 3H?

[Fluffy]

Actually I am quite dissapointed, at first I though you had found a rare hand where best line in 4♥ makes, while best hand to make 3♥ goes down in 3♥. This would then of course be as I though at first the Inter-esting bridge hands forum and not the Inter-mediate one.
did east give count on the club? I guess no, or 4-4, if 5-3 is likelly I'd raher try ♣A falling before touching trumps.

I actually like your "safety" play in hearts, it even has a small recovery if LHO switches to spades (4324 somewhere) or ♦AK onside. The line would be much better if we had an extra entry to dummy.

Other than going for hearts the only alternative line I had though I see now Andy has writen about it already, and better than me because I didn't realice at first someone with 4-3 in the majors also works.

[JLOGIC]

Han, I am very impressed with your thought process and line in 3H. That is what bridge an good cardplay is about imo, that kind of stuff is far more important than technical analysis. Now you're a bridge player. I am not even saying your line was right, I don't know who your opps were but your jdugement turned out to be correct so you judged them well. And of course gnasher was right again, shocking