You Hold…

Test your card combinations #1 - answers

by Tom on October 17th, 2006

Yesterday I posted the following card combination, asking how you would play given different goals.

How do you play this combination…

1a) …for 4 tricks?

You have very few options here other than finding the K doubleton of spades onside. Lead low to the Q, cash the Ace and hope the K drops. Because you do not have either the 10 or 9 of spades, you cannot afford to lead the J from your hand. West covering would guarantee a loser in the suit.
1b) …for 3 tricks?

Play the Ace of the suit first. If the K plays, you have 3 tricks. If the T or 9 plays from either opponent, lead through that opponent next (so that they are second to play) to your high honor. If that T or 9 was singleton, you will have a finesse against the spot in the other hand.
1c) …for 2 tricks if you cannot lose the lead?

Lead low to the Q and hope it wins. If you are playing against a West who always covers an honor with an honor, you might consider leading the J and going up with the A to try to drop the K offsides, but they really need to always cover for this to be right.
1d) …for 2 tricks if you cannot lose the lead to East?

Play the A first, then lead to either the Q or J. You basically need West to have the K, but this gives you the slight extra chance of East holding the singleton K.

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POSTED IN: Intermediate