[dickiegera]

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Spades are trump and there are entries to both hands

Thank you

[manudude03]

You make 3 tricks on all 3-2 breaks. With the 4-1 breaks that can be picked up (ignoring KQJx-x):

Ace first picks up any stiff honour (6 out of 8 cases).
Running the 9 picks up all 1=4 breaks (5 our of 8)
Low to the 9 picks up the same breaks (5 out of 8)
Low to T picks up singleton small offside or singleton honour onside (5 out of 8).

With the 0=5 break, all except cashing the ace first picks it up. But a specific 4-1 break is more likely than a specific 5-0 break (I think), so cashing ace wins (I think!).

Edit: In reality, low to the 9 will often be better against weak opps, west playing an honour from HHxx.

reedit: low to the 9 and cashing ace let you make 2 tricks with a 5=0 break. I'll avoid any more edits before sleeping lol.

[inquiry]

how many tricks do you want? There is a safety play to deal with 5-0 splits either way for 2 tricks (low from south).

i don't see a lot of advantage to a lot of lines, i would play low from dummy when playing for 3 tricks and if east follows suit low, play lpw, and if east plays a top honor (kqj) win the ace. then play low back towards the nine.

[BunnyGo]

manudude03, on 2011-October-26, 18:47, said:

You make 3 tricks on all 3-2 breaks. With the 4-1 breaks that can be picked up (ignoring KQJx-x):

Ace first picks up any stiff honour (6 out of 8 cases).
Running the 9 picks up all 1=4 breaks (5 our of 8)
Low to the 9 picks up the same breaks (5 out of 8)
Low to T picks up singleton small offside or singleton honour onside (5 out of 8).

With the 0=5 break, all except cashing the ace first picks it up. But a specific 4-1 break is more likely than a specific 5-0 break (I think), so cashing ace wins (I think!).

Edit: In reality, low to the 9 will often be better against weak opps, west playing an honour from HHxx.

reedit: low to the 9 and cashing ace let you make 2 tricks with a 5=0 break. I'll avoid any more edits before sleeping lol.

I don't think there are 8 cases. I think there are 5 cards that can be singleton in either of the two hands makes 10 cases. Unless I'm misunderstanding your arithmetic and its meaning.

[gwnn]

BunnyGo, on 2011-October-27, 03:23, said:

I don't think there are 8 cases. I think there are 5 cards that can be singleton in either of the two hands makes 10 cases. Unless I'm misunderstanding your arithmetic and its meaning.

Yes you are misunderstanding. He discounted KQJx - y and KQJy - x because you can't pick them up.

[BunnyGo]

gwnn, on 2011-October-27, 03:25, said:

Yes you are misunderstanding. He discounted KQJx - y and KQJy - x because you can't pick them up.

great, thanks for clearing that up.