Reading the Cards


In my first article on Ralph Ma, I mentioned that I have seen Ralph play many hands worthy of publication. Here is another.

OKB Tourney       26th December       Board 13

Dlr: South
Vul: ALL



    ranif
Q 9 7 2
Q 4
Q 8 4 2
K 4 3
     elsid
K 8 5
J 8
A J 10 5
A 7 6 5

 

      rma
A 10 6 3
AK10762
6 3
10





    r2play
J 4
9 5 3
K 9 7
Q J 9 8 2
WEST

Pass
Pass

NORTH

3NT
Pass

EAST

Pass
Pass
SOUTH
1 ©
4 ©

Lead: 2

Ralph, not unreasonably, won the spade jack in his hand with the ace, went to dummy with a club, and hooked the trump jack.   It loses.   Yet Ralph made 5!!!

H o w ?



T1: S2,5,J,A     T2: C10,K,A,Q     T3: HJ,5,2,Q


Ralph ruffed the club continuation, played off the two top trumps, and finessed the diamond jack, which loses. A spade came back - S4,3,9,K.

Ralph now ruffed a club, and played his last trump. The position was :






  ranif
Q
- - -
Q 8 2
- - -
   elsid
8
- - -
A 10 5
- - -



    rma
10 6
10
6
- - -





r2play
- - -
- - -
9 7
J 2
When Ralph cashes his last heart, West is squeezed.

Being forced to retain the spade queen, ranif pitches a diamond. The spade is now discarded from dummy, having served its purpose. Now Ralph hooks the diamond ten, cashes the ace, and the lowly diamond 5 made a trick!!

Nice card reading, Ralph !!
 ( 88.24% for his troubles )



Egon responded by e-mail of 5th Jan:

"Ralph did great in 4H making 5!   However shouldn't your solution have contained a "could opps have avoided this?", question.

"If ranif plays DQ when diamonds are first played....

"Ralph must use his A (if he reads it right), and play another diamond, but then r2play can continue spades and break the squeeze connection."

You are right, again, Jørn (egon on OKB).
Many thanks for the scrutinizing eye, and wonderful feedback.       Much Appreciated!!



Back to OKB