Lead us not into temptation
This entry was posted on 11/1/2007 12:14 AM and is filed under The Ugly.
Now that I've shared my favorite hand of Tuesday's set, it's only fair that I share my worst hand. I had a blind spot on this board:
First all red:
KQ5 / Q52 / A9742 / 94
Jeff opened 1 Club in 3rd (we don't open minors light.) I bid 2NT (invitational.) He raised to 3.
Vince led the 4 of Hearts.
AJ42 / K9 / QT / KQJT2
KQ5 / Q52 / A9742 / 94
I'm cold if Hearts are 4-4, so my only concern is 5-3 Hearts. What are the relevant holdings and should I play the K or 9 from dummy?
If Lefty has AJxxx or ATxxx and Righty has the Ace of Clubs, I'm down no matter what I do.
If Lefty has JTxxx and Righty has the Ace of Clubs, I make no matter what I do (albeit with an extra trick if I put in the 9.)
If Lefty has AJxxx or ATxxx and the Ace of Clubs, I have to pop King to make.
If Lefty has JTxxx and the Ace of Clubs, I have to play the 9 to make.
On the off-chance that Righty has the length, then Lefty doesn't have JT (or he would have led the J, presumably) so playing the 9 never gains.
That's a bunch of cases where the K is right and only 1 case where the 9 is right. I'm sure if it were KT it would be much closer to a coin toss.
Needless to say, I put in the 9 and Francois won the Ten and fired back a low Heart, which Vince 'ducked'.
The opps let me cash one Club and Vince won the 2nd Club (crap, I was hoping Francois had it in which case I'm always down) and then went into the tank ... Huh?
Needless to say, my prayers weren't answered and Vince eventually emerged with the Jack of Hearts to Francois' remaining Ace third. Francois had made a nice play in tempo at trick 2 (reasoning correctly that I must have started with Qxx or Jxx of Hearts or I would have surely flown King at trick 1) to keep the communications open.
-100 was lose 10 and change. I was the only person to go minus in 3NT. But somewhat surprisingly, the 4 other times that it was played in the South on a Heart lead, every declarer put in the 9 and the defense lost its way. Lesson learned.
Nice continuation, Francois.
The hand:
