[pclayton]

OK....

What do we know about this hand? Spades are certainly 6-3. RHO bids 4S, not 3S with 4 trump and and a stiff. Hearts aren't 6-0 - RHO opens a weak 2. The possible EW shapes are then: 6=1=2=4 / 3=5=4=1 or 6=2=1=4 / 3=4=5=1 or 6=3=0=4 / 3=3=6=1.

I tend to favor this line (after ♠, ♣, ♣) - ruff spade, ♣Q, exit a club. RHO puts you on the board with the ♠K. You can try the ♦A to check for a stiff J, but then play a heart up. If RHO has the ♥A, you're good, or if LHO has the stiff heart ace, you're also OK, since a red suit squeeze operates on RHO.

Since diamonds can't be 3-3, there's no point to trying diamonds 1st. Doing so ruins your entries for a squeeze. There's also no point to releasing the ♠K early, you'll get tapped out if you do.

I haven't figured out a way to make it with ♥Ax offside. It looks like a vice squeeze, but with LHO keeping spade winners, it won't work.

On the actual hand, LHO did have the stiff ♥A.

I don't think there's a sure tricks solution to this hand. Sorry if I led you to believe there was.

[glen]

pclayton, on Dec 30 2007, 08:03 PM, said:

655321, on Dec 30 2007, 04:44 PM, said:

MFA, on Dec 30 2007, 07:17 PM, said:

655321, on Dec 30 2007, 04:36 PM, said:

Ruff a ♠ to hand.
Play ♣Q and another Club.
West gets out a ♦ or a ♠.
Win (pitching a ♥ on the top ♠) and play a ♥ to the K.

We make the contract when East has the ♥A, and when West has the singleton ♥A
because East will be squeezed in the red suits.

Right, we have a free shot on finding west with the singleton ♥A.
I think we should cash ♦KA (and ♠K) before we lead a heart up, though, so we don't lose to west's 5224 with ♥Ax and ♦Jx.
If west then wins his singleton ♥A, he will have to play a spade and squeeze partner.

Yep, that is an improvement.

I don't see any better line for the contract.

Phil, how did the play go at the table?

I'll hold off responding. I think there's a lot more variations than that are being presented here.

pclayton, on Jan 1 2008, 02:22 AM, said:

Doesnt really feel anyone is scratching the surface here. C'mon people...

pclayton, on Jan 2 2008, 08:44 PM, said:

I tend to favor this line (after ♠, ♣, ♣) - ruff spade, ♣Q, exit a club. RHO puts you on the board with the ♠K. You can try the ♦A to check for a stiff J, but then play a heart up. If RHO has the ♥A, you're good, or if LHO has the stiff heart ace, you're also OK, since a red suit squeeze operates on RHO.

...

On the actual hand, LHO did have the stiff ♥A.

I don't think there's a sure tricks solution to this hand. Sorry if I led you to believe there was.

To give credit where credit is due, how about "I don't think there's a better solution to this hand than 655321's."

[pclayton]

officeglen, on Jan 3 2008, 05:28 AM, said:

To give credit where credit is due, how about "I don't think there's a better solution to this hand than 655321's."

Alright, I'll give partial credit

The answer was right (IMO), but the reasons were lacking.