[Wackojack]

We were leading a BBO tourney until I went down in 2 game contracts. Here is one of them:

---

3 passes to North. Then
1♣-1♥
2♠-3♦
3♥-4♥

Opponents were 2 experts playing UDCA. 3♠ lead taken with Ace, righty following with the 6. I next played K♥ from dummy, Ace 5 and 4. Next 4♣, 8 King and Ace. Then I played 7♥, East 3. What would you you play next? Is it clear what I should do?

[ArtK78]

Wackojack, on 2011-January-27, 12:08, said:

We were leading a BBO tourney until I went down in 2 game contracts. Here is one of them:

---

3 passes to North. Then
1♣-1♥
2♠-3♦
3♥-4♥

Opponents were 2 experts playing UDCA. 3♠ lead taken with Ace, righty following with the 6. I next played K♥ from dummy, Ace 5 and 4. Next 4♣, 8 King and Ace. Then I played 7♥, East 3. What would you you play next? Is it clear what I should do?

It is hard to believe that making 10 tricks in 4♥ would be a bad score. The opps, experts that they are, have not made life difficult for you, as they have not disloged the diamond entry to your hand. So, while 11 tricks may be possible if the AJx of hearts is onside, I would just play Q then 10 to get the trump out as quickly as possible.

Also, the club shift smells like a singleton. Losing the second round of trump to LHO's J could cost you a club ruff. And if LHO happens to have Jx of hearts, playing the Q on the second round gets you to 11 tricks (maybe 12 in the unlikely event that the clubs break) - clearly the best possible result in hearts.

[cphastrup]

That ♣4 looks fishy - maybe a singleton. ♠ lead maybe even one, too - since ♦ look like the natural lead on the auction. Anyway, the clubs have been solved and you can afford another trump loser: I would play the ♥Q.

[wyman]

♣4 almost surely a singleton, and the ♠ lead may well have been as well. I think this is a clear time (at IMPs) to hop ♥Q and return the ♥10. Huge win if hearts are 3-3 or Jx on your left. Harder question at MP, but I'll play the same way. This isn't likely to be the field's spot, and +420 looks to be pretty strong versus 3N on a wide range of layouts given the presumably clear diamond lead.

[Wackojack]

Yes you all did better than me. I incorrectly thought that I could not afford to play the Queen if there were 4 hearts on my right. So I played the 10 which lost to the jack and you can guess the rest. Both the ♠ and ♣ leads were from singleton and trumps split 3-3.