Double The Fun

Playing with Roy Li last weekend at the Vancouver Sectional Tournament. This interesting hand came up.

As south, Roy held

South

♠ A652 ♥ AJ943 ◊ K5 ♣ 87

 

This was the auction.

West	North	East	South
	1C	pass	1H
2D	2H	pass	4H
pass	pass	pass

 

West led spade queen, the dummy came down. Before reading on, how would you play this hand?

North

♠ J874 ♥ Q1052 ◊ 4 ♣ AKJ6

Roy ducked the spade queen, four, three and two. West cashed the diamond ace, four, two and five. diamond queen, spade seven. six and king. Roy then played club eight, four, ace and two. heart two, seven, ace and six. Club seven, nine, king and five. From dummy club six, three, ruffed with heart three, ten. Now heart four, king, five and eight. Roy had the right idea and was playing West to hold Q, Kx, AQxxxxx, Qxx West would have been end played to give a ruff and sluff. Unlucky for Roy, West had the fourth club was able to exit with it.

The whole hand was.

Dealer North. EW Vulnerable.

	North
	♠ J874
	♥ Q1052
	◊ 4
West	♣ AKJ6	East
♠ Q		♠ K1093
♥ K6		♥ 87
◊ AQ10973		◊ J862
♣ Q1094	South	♣ 532
	♠ A652
	♥ AJ943
	◊ K5
	♣ 87

 

On the auction West is known to have most of the high cards. His likely shape is 1264 as he bid two diamond rather then two no trump (Minors). East should have four spade and two hearts, if he had only one heart then he may have preemptive raise in diamond.

Roy’s line would have worked if he had taken the club finesse after winning the diamond king.

Another line to play is win the spade queen lead with the ace. Take the club finesse to the jack. Cash the club ace. On the club king discard the diamond five from hand. Then ruff dummy’s club six with a heart. If East ruff the 4th club, overruff. Now play the diamond king and West is end played the first time for a ruff and sluff. On a diamond from West, discard a spade from dummy and ruff in hand. Cash the heart ace and exit heart jack. West is end played second time when winning with heart king for another ruff and sluff. After that draw the outstanding trump, four hearts made.