[pescetom]

Friday night game.

MP

---

Rightly or wrongly, you decide to put your head on the block here.
North (good but quixotic) leads ♥J and you see this dummy.
Your thoughts and plan?

[smerriman]

I have no idea what score we're trying to beat at other tables, why North doubled, or why North led a trump. But a singleton ♥J seems unlikely to me, so if trumps break 2-2, then ♥K, A, and three diamonds throwing three spades can let us make, so I'll try that.

[thepossum]

Can I just say that is an awesome hand. Did not want to be first to comment
I did have a lot of thoughts but have not yet found a confident response
Go for broke. Play from the top and hope
I do like that you have a possible small entry in trumps

Two rounds of trumps then either diamonds from the top or fromm the Jack - I don't feel lucky with the Jack so from the top it is

Keep the 7of trumos as possible entry

Random thoughts include after winning in hand covering whatever West plays

[pescetom]

smerriman, on 2025-January-05, 23:48, said:

I have no idea what score we're trying to beat at other tables, why North doubled, or why North led a trump.

No idea why North doubled (certainly not on his hand) nor much faith in the other calls after 4♦, come to that... it is Friday evening after all.
It's up to you to evaluate what score we are trying to beat and it doesn't look that difficult to me... those in 4♥ are well placed, those in a diamonds partial not too bad and those defending spades less so.
Why North led a trump is the most compelling initial question, I agree (see my former spoiler below).

the former spoiler said:

Thats what I decided too, after some thought. I can understand not leading spades A from AQxxxx (although at MP I probably would). But why would he play my partner for few hearts rather than me for one dangerous diamond? Why the J? Sure, it could be singleton. But he is also quite capable of J from QJ or Qx here.
So I played for 2-2 or diamonds Q second. The J was a singleton.

Even if you know that, or guess right, it remains an interesting play problem.

[pescetom]

thepossum, on 2025-January-06, 00:51, said:

Can I just say that is an awesome hand. Did not want to be first to comment
I did have a lot of thoughts but have not yet found a confident response
Go for broke. Play from the top and hope
I do like that you have a possible small entry in trumps

Two rounds of trumps then either diamonds from the top or fromm the Jack - I don't feel lucky with the Jack so from the top it is

Keep the 7of trumos as possible entry

Random thoughts include after winning in hand covering whatever West plays

Two rounds of trumps KA and then down from the top is about 60%, but fails on the actual layout.

Was it the best plan?

In any case, say that a little bird whispered in your ear that ♥J is a singleton - what now?

[smerriman]

Well, I'd still place North with at least Qxxx in diamonds, in which case the best we can hope for is -2 which will lose to virtually everyone (4♠ easily down, and if South leads from AK of clubs then we're better off in diamonds).

Did South have the singleton diamond queen

[pescetom]

Nobody else willing to try here?
And yet my partner at the table said I should have made it, after watching me go down on the trumps 2-2 line
I'm sure had seen the successful initial line correctly, although I wonder if she had really thought it through.

smerriman, on 2025-January-06, 18:35, said:

Well, I'd still place North with at least Qxxx in diamonds, in which case the best we can hope for is -2 which will lose to virtually everyone (4♠ easily down, and if South leads from AK of clubs then we're better off in diamonds).

North holds Qxx in diamonds.

[pescetom]

Here's the full hand, for the lazy:

Spoiler

MP

---

[smerriman]

 pescetom, on 2025-January-04, 16:45, said:

North (good but quixotic totally mad)

Yikes.

[pescetom]

smerriman, on 2025-January-07, 12:11, said:

Yikes.

Not totally
He is capable of some unusual actions and easily sees red during the auction, but is probably the best at Declarer play.

In any case, the play is the thing, as Lamford would say.

[thepossum]

pescetom, on 2025-January-06, 16:10, said:

Two rounds of trumps KA and then down from the top is about 60%, but fails on the actual layout.

Was it the best plan?

In any case, say that a little bird whispered in your ear that ♥J is a singleton - what now?

I have tried a few things and most go 2 down. I still have not looked at the spoilers

EDIT Thx was feeling lazy so just checked. I honestly still struggle with simple hands. Nice bid though

Spoiler

Nobody would believe me but I did consider all likely splits. Including most likely that Q was with South or that North was bluffing and had the 3
It all makes sense when you can see the hands

[pescetom]

thepossum, on 2025-January-07, 23:11, said:

It all makes sense when you can see the hands

I suspect quite a few A/I would get it wrong even seeing all four hands.

I assume you are now going to take in hand and then play ♦AK and ruff.
What cards did you play from the dummy on these tricks?
What do you do next?