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Best in the sense of probably the most tricks.  A double run would be better in some other senses, but...

And it wasn't mine, it was my partner's.







There is at most a *slight* possibility of losing more than 3 tricks;  pulling all 50 points needs only partner to hold a club ace, a diamond ace (and LHO NOT having the 4th)...and RHO has the 4th diamond ace, that it drops.  Or, of course, partner has both diamond aces.  Oh, and if partner has a heart ace, he can't try to cash that before his club ace.  

For the curious, partner played heart ace, 6 rounds of trump, club ace, diamond king.  Opps got a club and a diamond, then exited with a diamond to my ace.  At that point, it was TRAM for partner.  Note the small, subtle point of cashing the heart ace FIRST, *then* stripping trump, THEN the club.  I mentioned that if partner has the heart and club aces...club first.  His play order suggested this.  Very much a thinking player's order of leads.

Is the   exit the right play?
If it's about signaling, then sandbagging of the   that would have been tabled during meld should raise some eyebrows.
Maybe it doesn't matter, but could the   be the better exit?


Now I am not as considered as others, so I'll ask an innocent question...
Why not exit with the   when the trick winner is unknown?  Because it doesn't matter who is holding the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th   they will receive partner's non-pointer on the trick.
By not exiting with a diamond, I am reserving the opportunity to deliberately lay a counter or non-counter on the next diamond trick.

...In case I am not being clear:
After the   is thrown there are three losers to exit with.
If partner exits with the   , then on the next diamond trick partner will probably be 3rd or 4th to throw and by that point know who is going to win the trick, hence partner stands to appropriate points favorably.
If, instead of the   , partner exits with the   or   , then partner eliminates the ability to appropriate these losers to the desired team.

If you don't like the idea of exiting with the   , then I think it would be better for partner to hedge his/her bets by exiting the    in case partner's LHO aces the trick.  If the   does make it to TE and he can ace it, then the   goes to whomever has the fourth   .  If TE has both AA, then it never really mattered, if the opponents had the 3rd and 4th   's then it never mattered.  It seems the best/optimal way to exit in clubs for the sake of point appropriation in diamonds.

My general point is, isn't it best to reserve choice even if it is very limited?

...it is only matter of 1 or 2 points -- but I still want to know what is best.

The club's clearly wrong.  It gains nothing.  Defense saw you meld aces.  Defense can see you're sandbagging in diamonds...therefore, THEY don't want to start the suit.  They want to force you to lead to them.  So, guess what...most of the time after exiting with a club, you'll be right back in because you have to ruff a rounded-suit lead.  And now you have to break diamonds.  And with one less trump.  It shouldn't matter, from the standpoint of maintaining trump control, but...so what?

I just don't see what you're getting at, tho, as far as saving the points.  I'm not *caring* about that in any case.  My goal would be setting up the 5 diamond tricks I can get.  And here's a little trade secret:  this hand isn't worth overthinking.  You're talking pulling 42 or 43.  EEK!      Save the skull sweat for a hand where it's going to matter.  

I'll also say, I left out the cards being pitched on the spades.  I know I, as his partner, had started with AKJ of diamonds, so I *didn't* throw a diamond point.  Hearts or clubs 4 times, IIRC.  Now, when your partner is running out trumps early on, and you have to pitch...you throw points you can afford to throw first.  The fact that I *did not* throw a diamond point actually increases the chance that I have an ace.  The hearts and clubs...I quite probably have length enough to throw some points from them, while not putting any ace at risk.  (ESPECIALLY hearts.  His lead order screams he's short in hearts.)

True the club exit gains nothing but it also loses nothing.  My focus is on reserving choice for the diamond tricks.  Again, I know this is a petty question but I'd still like to know why it is not better my way.  If one or two points isn't enough for you to care about, maybe someone else will care enough to explain it to me.

Additionally...
Declarer sandbagging the diamond aces is a red flag to the defense.  Is it definitely a bad idea to lead one of the two before exiting?  This way, the side suit is kept secret.

P.s.  Is this hand going to make it to the Enough is Enough thread?  I'm guessing not.  

The reason this hand won't make that thread is because it's bloody hard to determine just how much of an aberration it is.

(07-21-2016, 11:49 AM)ToreadorElder Wrote: [ -> ]The reason this hand won't make that thread is because it's bloody hard to determine just how much of an aberration

I would have led the   and hope it goes through to my partner.  I know we are taking 31+, so now I'm just hoping for 50 for the fun of it.  

If 50 is the goal, then either low diamond works. Pard has to have both missing diamond aces and a club ace.

mick: when I say, I don't care...if you don't can't immediately see for yourself when the king is better (partner and your RHO have the missing aces) and when the jack is better (your LHO and partner have the missing aces)...then it's not worth fretting about. Don't waste concentration on a meaningless point; have it to spend when it'll make a BIG difference...save vs. set, or save vs. no save. Or if it's win the game or be *juuuust* shy.

How did the bidding go?

(07-19-2016, 03:31 PM)ToreadorElder Wrote: [ -> ]Oh, and if partner has a heart ace, he can't try to cash that before his club ace.  

Explain please?

Ah, there's the hand...have to remember that the record uses bridge rank ordering. 10's are lowest.

The big hand opened; auction went 50-51-52-54-70.

If partner tries to cash the heart ace before the club ace, you still have the low club loser, even if the diamonds set up for no loser.