[TWO4BRIDGE]

---

Opening lead is ♠3 .

Your play.... what's your best line ?

[Flameous]

I don't quite get this. Maybe I'm missing something obvious but I'm just winning the ace and testing for clubs. If they aren't running, I just have to play for spade trick.

[jmcw]

6NT looks like a normal contract, played from the normal but wrong side!
When ♣ are 3/2 or stiff Jack, everyone not getting a ♠ lead will make 13 tricks, and how likely is it that the lead is from the ♠K., so ducking will likely lose to the King, you wind up with 12 tricks and a poor score. Playing the ♠Ace and running ♣ gets 13 tricks about 70% of the time, I'll take that.
Playing the ♠A unblocking ♣ back to dummy in ♥ risks going down when the ♣J is with the ♠K.

[JLOGIC]

jmcw, on 2011-September-04, 00:50, said:

Playing the ♠A unblocking ♣ back to dummy in ♥ risks going down when the ♣J is with the ♠K.

Nope, when you cash the AK and someone shows out you just give up a spade.

Playing the ace is clearly right, even ignoring that leading from the SK is unusual here which makes RHO more likely to have the king

[Onedown]

Why was this hand posted? Am I supposed to duck the spade for some reason when I am looking at 13 tricks outside without 2 ♠ tricks? As another poster said "Am i missing something here?"

[Phil]

Onedown, on 2011-September-04, 07:23, said:

Why was this hand posted? Am I supposed to duck the spade for some reason when I am looking at 13 tricks outside without 2 ♠ tricks? As another poster said "Am i missing something here?"

I think the OP was under the impression that if we grab the ♠A and clubs are 4-1, that we might go down. But as Justin states, this isn't the case.

Wrong forum.

BEN???!!!

[TWO4BRIDGE]

Phil, on 2011-September-04, 07:26, said:

I think the OP was under the impression that if we grab the ♠A and clubs are 4-1, that we might go down. But as Justin states, this isn't the case.

Wrong forum.

BEN???!!!

Practically all of you got it right -- you "did the math" before playing at trick 1 -- that's why you are experts .

No matter what the Club break you always have 12 tricks.

Play the ♠A at trick one... play A K of ♣....
-- If they split , claim 13 tricks.

-- If they don't, you must play a 2nd ♠ next , and then claim 12.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Quite a few "finessed" ( I guess because they didn't do the "simple" math ) at trick 1.

And if North had bid 3NT ( instead of 3S ), then 13 tricks are cold... as Justin essentially said .

[FrancesHinden]

If I'm such an 'expert' I'd like to think I could bid to a grand here. 7NT by North might be a bit tricky to get to, that would be really good bidding, but I'd be happy with 7NT by South.

[jmcw]

JLOGIC, on 2011-September-04, 01:44, said:

Nope, when you cash the AK and someone shows out you just give up a spade.

Playing the ace is clearly right, even ignoring that leading from the SK is unusual here which makes RHO more likely to have the king

Yes quite correct Justin tx. Was kinda late when I posted

[Fluffy]

In Spain ♠3 promises a honnor, for some weak opponents this can be a 100% guess for playing low.

[whereagles]

Do people in Spain always have what they promise? eheheheh

[JLOGIC]

The ten is an honor.

[the hog]

JLOGIC, on 2011-September-05, 17:17, said:

The ten is an honor.

Maybe not in Spain. But yes, at MPs, IMPs, Rubber, BAM, win the A and play AK of Clubs.

[gordontd]

JLOGIC, on 2011-September-05, 17:17, said:

The ten is an honor.

the hog, on 2011-September-05, 18:33, said:

Maybe not in Spain.

Everywhere. It's defined by the laws.

[Free]

Wow I thought it was a trick question and RHO had ♠T9 while ♣ didn't break. Doing math at trick 1 belongs to intermediate imo.

[phil_20686]

You have 12 tricks regardless? If you run the spade and it loses you have 2s 5h 2d 3c=12?

Obviously its about the best line for 13 tricks.

Line A: Play the ace, this gives you 13 tricks when the club J drops.
Line B: Run the spade,: This gives you 13 tricks when the spade wins and the club drops, or when the spade wins and the club doesnt drop you are still massive favourite to win: Just needs LHO to have one of the T9 of spades to go with his spade K, then you have an automatice double squeeze in spades diamonds and clubs if the clubs are with rho, or a black suit squeeze if the clubs are with lho.

Since clubs coming in is 73% or so, and you lose half of that vs a gain under half of 27%, line A is a priori better by some 20% or so. However, they are close enough that one might be persuaded by table presence/lead. Some players do virtually always under lead a king vs NT slams if they have one.