North
AJT98
AK54
J
A42
South
753
QT62
A64
T53
Matchpoints
Nobody vul, East deals, I am South
P P 3
X
P 3
4
4
P P P
The opening lead is the
4.
As Sam said about Green Eggs and Ham, I do not like this, not one little bit.
Surely the !s lead is a stiff. Maybe a ray of hope? I play small, the Q appears, a
comes back, ruffed.
Note that if W started with three hearts I am now making the hand. I will be able to draw trump in two rounds since W is now down to two trump. Say that W plays a
at T3. I take the A, draw two rounds of trump, play
to A, another
ruffing out the Q,
A and !ruff a
, , another
pitching a
, lose a
, ruff the last
.
This is what I was hoping for and why I posted this. It's another hand where taking the ruff would be wrong, they take two
and two
if they simply shift to a
at T2.
The good news is that a
was continued at T2, the bad news is that W ruffed this with her stiff
, yes she was 1-1 in the majors, but the very very good news is that !E chose to lead the
K back at T2 after which, with a little care, I can bring in 10 tricks.
This play of the high
at T2 could not be anticipated, but I think a small
from dummy is the best shot at making 4. As mentioned, if W started with three hearts, and if E produces a
, any
, at T2 then I am making it.
I guess the high
at T2 was intended as suit preference. E has the
K and she reasonably expected her partner to have the A.
So the fact that it actually made was a fluke, but the point that ruffs are not always best is valid.If she had led back a small
at T2 I think I can bring in 9 tricks, even with the 4-1 trump split.