[manudude03]

Here's a hand I played last night at the club. A few pairs were in 6D, but no-one found a route to 12 tricks on the actual layout, how would you play it?

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Lead is the ♣J.

[Endymion77]

Since no one made 12 tricks I guess the straightforward line doesn't work, but I see no reason not to play simply for hearts to break 5-3 or 4-4 (71%) and clubs to break 4-3 (62%) or 5-2 (31%) with longer diamonds in the hand with 2 clubs. Win ♣A, unblock ♥A, ruff a club, throw 2 more clubs on the ♥KQ, ♠A, ruff a spade, ruff the last club, ruff another spade and if not over-ruffed play top diamonds to see if the ♦J would fall for the 13th trick.

[Zelandakh]

I would just win, ♣ ruff, ♥A, ♣ ruff, ♥Q. But if it were that simple it would not have been posted.

[manudude03]

 Zelandakh, on 2013-September-17, 08:30, said:

I would just win, ♣ ruff, ♥A, ♣ ruff, ♥Q. But if it were that simple it would not have been posted.

That was the line I took at the table, -1 (when you ruff the club for the 2nd time, LHO ruffs in before you, and there was still a trump loser)

[Zelandakh]

"Sorry partner. I think you would have been able to make that. Never mind, make up for it next round."

[Fluffy]

and what is the winning line?

[Cyberyeti]

 Fluffy, on 2013-September-17, 17:21, said:

and what is the winning line?

I'm guessing LHO had something like KJxxx, J10xxx, x, Jx so you ruff one club, hook the trump and make 13 on the squeeze

[johnu]

Non percentage play - Play for a trump reduction, something like win club, spade, spade ruff, ♥A, club ruff, ♥KQ, spade ruff, club, when LHO ruffs in, declarer takes the rest of the tricks with trumps.

[Cyberyeti]

 johnu, on 2013-September-17, 17:55, said:

Non percentage play - Play for a trump reduction, something like win club, spade, spade ruff, ♥A, club ruff, ♥KQ, spade ruff, club, when LHO ruffs in, declarer takes the rest of the tricks with trumps.

I know it was not a real line, hence the smiley on the end.

[johnu]

 Cyberyeti, on 2013-September-17, 17:58, said:

I know it was not a real line, hence the smiley on the end.

I know, I was referring to my line

[manudude03]

LHO was 2452, to make it, you have to win the lead, unblock the ace of hearts, cross over in spades (without ruffing a club first), cash KQ of hearts throwing 2 clubs, now ruff a spade, ruff a club. At this point you have a guess whether to play a spade or a heart. If you correctly guess hearts, you can ruff, try and ruff the last club, LHO gets in first, but is now forced at trick 10 to lead into AKQT. The thread was more of a sanity check than anything, when a break from work made me realize there was a way to make it.

johnu's 2nd line also works..almost, just ruff a heart instead of a spade when ruffing in hand the 2nd time.

edit: Actually, rather than ruff the last club, you can cash 2 diamonds, which loses if LHO has Jxxx, but gains any other time except 5-0 or xxxx on the left where it breaks even (if you find trumps are 3-2 or singleton jack, you can just draw the last trump and concede a club).