Thanks Pete for the excellent lesson! For a future video, I am interested in getting '50/50' guesses right more often. Today I had a hand in which I had to guess. I was in a 2s contract, missing 5 trumps and the Q. With A opposite K I could finesse either opponent. This would be a 50/50 guess, if it weren't for the fact that LHO opened 1h (RHO did not bid). I was actually doubting how to guess the trump Q. On one hand, my LHO showed points, so I expected the Q with him. On the other hand, LHO having 5+ hearts leaves him less room for trumps, making RHO more likely to have the Q. It even occurred to me to just play for the drop (but 8 ever, 9 never). In the end I went for finessing LHO (which lost). I think that was the right, move, but I still actually don't know.
Hi Pete, love your vids! One of my problems right now is to difference optimal plays of the same contracts, but played matchpoints(IMPs) vs max (%), especially on the lead. Greeting from Poland!
4:00 4S opener? Not possible. But let's ignore that and assume the bidding was 1NT (12-14( 2C: 2S 4S. Now we really have no idea where the high cards are. Even most 12 HCP hands for E or W will be silent here. As you said, there is only one way to play the Spades, but what about hearts? Is that still a guess? Nope, at least not.a pure guess and the answer has next to nothing to do with placing high card points. How can this be? Consider the lead. Any side suit could be a good idea here, In fact, if either the declarer or dummy has a good side suit, it is probably a minor, so there is at least a tiny bias towards heards from the very start. But a heart was NOT led. This means that the leader is more likely to have the Ace since nobody underleads an Ace in this auction (or lays it down on trick 1) The inference is that the Ah is more likely to lie in the West hand. High card information is clearly a better metric, but in a lot of cases, like this one, there just isn't much way to use it.
In all of these I was not showing the bidding just setting a contract and trying to highlight the variations in types of finesses. There are always inferences that can sway you but yes there are choices.
I feel that I too often take the lazy option and finesse. I have read many times that players over finesse. What I would like to learn is finding alternatives to a finesse.
There are a lot of hands where you have 8 trumps missing the Queen where the best play is to lay down the A and K for reasons related to the hand play and not the suit itself. Losing a trump finesse and having more trumps led by the defense to destroy ruffs is a common theme. In many of these hands, you are better off delaying Trumps long enough to set up the cross ruff and only then play the A and K. If the Queen falls, maybe you get a bonus or maybe you lose a ruff by drawing it.
Catching up on your videos. What can I say, I find your videos so helpful and to the point. Bravo
Thanks Pete for the excellent lesson!
For a future video, I am interested in getting '50/50' guesses right more often.
Today I had a hand in which I had to guess. I was in a 2s contract, missing 5 trumps and the Q. With A opposite K I could finesse either opponent. This would be a 50/50 guess, if it weren't for the fact that LHO opened 1h (RHO did not bid). I was actually doubting how to guess the trump Q. On one hand, my LHO showed points, so I expected the Q with him. On the other hand, LHO having 5+ hearts leaves him less room for trumps, making RHO more likely to have the Q. It even occurred to me to just play for the drop (but 8 ever, 9 never).
In the end I went for finessing LHO (which lost). I think that was the right, move, but I still actually don't know.
As always, Pete’s tips are so useful
Hi Pete, love your vids! One of my problems right now is to difference optimal plays of the same contracts, but played matchpoints(IMPs) vs max (%), especially on the lead. Greeting from Poland!
Good idea!
Great lesson - thank you
4:00
4S opener? Not possible. But let's ignore that and assume the bidding was 1NT (12-14( 2C: 2S 4S. Now we really have no idea where the high cards are. Even most 12 HCP hands for E or W will be silent here.
As you said, there is only one way to play the Spades, but what about hearts? Is that still a guess?
Nope, at least not.a pure guess and the answer has next to nothing to do with placing high card points.
How can this be?
Consider the lead. Any side suit could be a good idea here, In fact, if either the declarer or dummy has a good side suit, it is probably a minor, so there is at least a tiny bias towards heards from the very start. But a heart was NOT led. This means that the leader is more likely to have the Ace since nobody underleads an Ace in this auction (or lays it down on trick 1) The inference is that the Ah is more likely to lie in the West hand. High card information is clearly a better metric, but in a lot of cases, like this one, there just isn't much way to use it.
In all of these I was not showing the bidding just setting a contract and trying to highlight the variations in types of finesses. There are always inferences that can sway you but yes there are choices.
King Pete strikes again!
A video on bidding Grand slams would be much apreciated
Sounds good.
Thank you.
I feel that I too often take the lazy option and finesse. I have read many times that players over finesse. What I would like to learn is finding alternatives to a finesse.
Good idea!
There are a lot of hands where you have 8 trumps missing the Queen where the best play is to lay down the A and K for reasons related to the hand play and not the suit itself. Losing a trump finesse and having more trumps led by the defense to destroy ruffs is a common theme. In many of these hands, you are better off delaying Trumps long enough to set up the cross ruff and only then play the A and K. If the Queen falls, maybe you get a bonus or maybe you lose a ruff by drawing it.