Jeff Lehman

Greed, not Good.

On Board 22 of Thursday’s club game, I was on lead against a third seat 15-17 vul v not 1NT, passed out, with this collection:

N
North
♠
KQ72
♥
QJ3
♦
K98
♣
Q84

.

 

I chose to lead the ♥Q, and received an encouraging ♥9 from partner, as I held the trick.  I continued two more rounds of the suit, declarer winning the ace at last.  The whole deal (partner South having chosen to pass in passout seat rather than bid 2♣ showing a two-suiter to include clubs):

 
22
E-W
East
N
North
♠
KQ72
♥
QJ3
♦
K98
♣
Q84
 
W
West
♠
AJ9
♥
A52
♦
AQJ43
♣
32
♥Q
E
East
♠
1053
♥
107
♦
7652
♣
AJ96
 
S
South
♠
864
♥
K9864
♦
10
♣
K1075
 

 

Unable to repel the greed of finding my partner with Kx of diamonds, declarer chose not to start diamonds from the top but rather to lead a club toward dummy.

This card combination is a common one.  With Qxx/QTx/Kxx/KTx second hand should normally rise with the high honor, appearing to some declarers as though he were splitting from a holding with both high honors; with KQx second hand should duck, because declarer’s percentage play is to finesse the nine playing second hand for QTx/KTx rather than KQx.

I played the ♣Q and declarer ducked.  I continued a small club and declarer finessed the jack, losing to partner’s king.  Partner ran two heart tricks.  Dummy had pitched three diamonds; declarer had pitched one of each pointed suit; I had pitched the ♠7 and the ♦8.  Next partner switched to a spade.  Declarer chose to insert the jack, losing to my queen. 

The position now:

 
22
E-W
East
N
North
♠
K2
♥
—
♦
K9
♣
8
 
W
West
♠
A
♥
—
♦
AQJ4
♣
—
♥Q
E
East
♠
105
♥
—
♦
7
♣
A9
 
S
South
♠
86
♥
—
♦
10
♣
105
 

 

 

A small spade now endplays declarer, who, having already lost four hearts, two clubs and a spade, will lose the ♦K and a second spade for -300.

Greed, (at least some times) not Good.

 

 

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