::MadeSix::
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Ok one puzzle for you all. This is rated as fairly easy, does not really involve counting opponents' cards but your techniques (how you manage the suits which block each other up).
♠ AQxx
♥ 9xx
♦ AKJx
♣ AK
Contract: 6♥
Lead: ♠2
♠ x
♥ AKQJT
♦ xx
♣ QT987
Everyone try ok? As in EVERYONE!! Post answers on the tagboard.
(Oh yes, ♥ trumps are 4-1 to East. But you only know that after cashing the second round of ♥ trumps
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Solution
Ok first of all, you should reject any finesse of all sorts. Look from your hand's point of view. You have no ♠ ♦ or ♥ losers. The only possible loser is the ♣J.
So what can be more wrong than to win the first trick with the ♠A, draw 2 rounds of trumps, discovering that trumps are 4-1. (If they were 3-2 instead, you could draw all the trumps, cash ♣AK, ruff a ♠ back to your hand and play ♣ from the top. You will score 13 tricks if the J drops. But if it doesn't, surrender a ♣, ruff the ♠ return with your last trump and the rest are good. Or if they return ♦, you can ruff the ♠ yourself to get back to your hand to score the last winning ♣. 12 tricks.)
Ok back to 4-1 trump break. If you continue drawing trumps (4 rounds of them), then you have to cash ♣AK next then get back to your hand via a ruff using your 5th trump. If the ♣J doesn't fall on the ♣Q next, then you have to rely on the ♦ finesse for your 12th trick (if you surrender a ♣, they can cash ♠ and you cannot ruff).
A better improvement will be to draw 2 rounds of trumps, discovering the 4-1 break. Then, cash ♣AK before using the dummy's ♥9 to cross back to your hand to draw 2 more rounds of trumps. Then play ♣ from the top. This way, if the ♣J falls then you have 13 tricks, otherwise, you can surrender a ♣ and will still have a trump to ruff the ♠ return. However, the problem is that the defender holding 4 trumps may trump your second round of ♣. It is unlucky that ♣ are 5-1. But you should have prevailed.
The correct line of play is to win the ♠A, then draw 2 rounds of trumps (bad break). Then cash ♣K only, before playing 2 more rounds of trumps to draw finish the defenders' trumps. But on the 4th round of trump, throw away your ♣A (!). Now you can play ♣ from the top (losing to ♣J eventually) without losing trump control. This caters to 5-1 ♣ break.
Did I mention that my nickname is Jeffery Jettison?
Sherman madesix at 2:39 AM
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