Apr 24 2009
Cute Endplay
I’m playing at the local club game with my favorite partner, and we’re having a top and bottom night. We’re also declaring about 75% of the hands. We are midway through the game when, red on red in 4th seat, i hold AJ3 Q54 KT53 AQ3. The auction proceeds:
| Pard | Me |
| Pass | 1D |
| 1H | 1N! |
| 2C! | 2D! |
| 2N | 3N |
We play weak NTs so my rebid showed 15-17. 2C was XYZ, forcing 2D and is how he shows any invitational hand. Personally i think simply inviting was conservative, but we land in thrump anyway. They lead the 2S and i see:
 875
|
 |
| AJ3
|
A873
QJ74
K6Lead: 2S
On trick one, i play low and rightie plays the K. Well, i see 3 clubs, 3 diamonds, 1 heart and 1 spade for eight tricks. An endplay is my only play for another, and i need LHO to have both the AD and KH. If RHO has the diamond A, he can win it early, shoot back a spade through my Jx and then leftie will exit passively with a diamond or club. But if LHO has both cards, he has lead problems.
Continuing on that plan, i win the AS at trick one and play on diamonds. RHO shows out on on the second diamond and LHO wins the 3rd diamond and starts thinking. This is a good sign. He finally exits passively with his 4th diamond. RHO has pitched two clubs and a spade on the diamonds.
LHO is known to be 4-4 in the pointed suits. As long as he does not have four clubs, i have an endplay, assuming he has the heart king, and everything points in that direction. I cash my three clubs, stripping LHO of exit cards, and now exit with the Jack of spades to LHO’s queen. He cashes two more spades but has to lead away from Kx of hearts to give me my ninth trick. Here is the full hand.
| 875
|
||
| QT42
|
|
K96
|
| AJ3
|
A pretty cute endplay. Notice it was important to lead the spade Jack when throwing him in, otherwise LHO could have ducked to his partner’s nine to avoid the endplay.