Should Have Known Better

It's always frustrating when you see the trap as you're just stepping into it. Sadly, I was thinking to myself "does it matter how I play this?" right before the answer occurred to me.



Holding:

KQ864

T

K43

K875



The bidding goes:

W N E S

================

1C P 1H 1S

2C 3S 5C P

P P

--------



Aside: I was very close on the 1 spade overcall. What convinced me was the thought of west bidding 4 hearts on his next bid. Clearly, this was a happier result.



Partner led the jack of spades. Dummy shows:



953

AKQ7

AQ86

J6



I ducked (what does the 4 mean here?) to the ace. Declarer crossed to the ace of hearts, and played two clubs through me, partner showing out on the second round. Declarer cashed the ace of clubs, then played a heart to the king.



What do do?



The king of clubs is good now or later, and I can always exit a spade, right?



Ok, so I threw the 6 of spades on the heart king, and the 8 of spades on the heart queen.



Declarer also threw a spade on the queen of hearts. Oops.



Spade back to my king, ruffed by declarer. Declarer now exited with a club. I cashed my queen of spades, to which declarer threw a diamond. The position is now:



Dummy:

-

7

AQ

-



Me:

-

-

K43

-



...and my diamond trick is now gone. I have been endplayed.



Much better is to ruff the heart, cash my king of spades, and exit a spade. Now, I can't be endplayed in diamonds.



I was asking myself the right question, and I was even thinking to myself that I needed to hold a spade to avoid getting endplayed. Alas, I didn't think it through well enough, and got burned. 5C making, lose 9 IMPs.