Source: ORLANDO-FALL NABC 2016-NOV. 24-DIC. 4 Dealer West. N/S Vul
A 6 Q 8 7 4 3 2 J 4 3 2 3
5 A K K 7 A Q J 10 9 5 4 2
With only your side vulnerable, West opens 3, partner passes and East ups the ante to 4. You have no qualms about bidding 5, and everyone passes. The Q is led. Plan the play. Solution: The full deal:
A 6 Q 8 7 4 3 2 J 4 3 2 3
Q J 10 8 7 4 3 9 5 Q 6 K 8 K 9 2 J 10 6 A 10 9 8 5 7 6
5 A K K 7 A Q J 10 9 5 4 2
You are in the dummy for the last time and have to decide whether to lead up to the K or take the club finesse.
Eddie Kantar
Eddie Kantar
The club finesse is much less than 50% because you can’t pick up K-x-x(x) in the East hand. Play the odds and lead a diamond up to the king, a 50% play unless West started with a singleton diamond and didn’t lead it – not too likely as most players lead singletons even when they don’t have one. If the K loses to the ace and today is your lucky day, the K will drop under the ace (13%). You will make this contract about 55% of the time. Even if you had eight clubs to the A-K-J-10, you should still lead a diamond at trick two as you have a reasonable chance of dropping the Q (a little more than 50%) if the diamond king loses to West’s ace. Two chances are better than one. Don’t forget to follow us @

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