Saturday, May 21, 2011

Play 4 Spades--Updated

At long last, an update on this hand.

I believe that the line suggested in the comments is best--the key play is discarding from dummy at trick one. Now you can play a club up and decide the later play, taking tricks/discards on the clubs or playing on cross-ruff lines depending on how the opponents defend. Not a particularly difficult hand, but often it is right in this position to ruff preserving the ace to stop a later assault in this suit--I don't think that is right here because the third spade in dummy represents an "entry" of sorts to the long clubs. No guarantees on this hand (the suggested line worked on the lie of the cards, lho holding the ace-fourth of clubs) but it is a good example to remind us that there isn't a "rule" that will cover every situation in the play of the cards.

Suppose you hold this hand in 3rd seat:
KJTxx
AT8x
Jxx
x

Everyone has something to say: partner opens 1 Club, RHO overcalls 1 Heart, you bid 1 Spade and LHO cuebids 2 Spades. Now partner bids 3 Diamonds, you try 3 Notrump and partner corrects to 4 Spades. LHO leads a small heart...do you ruff or discard from dummy and what is your general plan?
A87
void
Axxx
KQJxxx

KJTxx
AT8x
Jxx
x

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Diacard a diamond from dummy.
Play king of clubs, if return is a diamond, play queen of club and jack club, discarding the 2 losing diamonds.

If clubs break 3-3, draw trumps (finesse LHO 1 round for Q). If trumps break 3-2 no issues. Not sure how to play if trumps break 4-1)

If clubs break 4-2 also not sure how to play. cross-ruff diamonds and hearts?