Two Cute BBO Hands

I've been playing a lot on Bridge Base Online lately because I am too cheap to pay the $99 for OKbridge anymore. The quality of play is much better on OKb, but you know the saying about beggars and choosers.

IMPS		North
Both Vul		J753
		Q4
West		QT754		East
K2		AQ		4
KT932				J865
8632		South		KJ
T6		AQT986		KJ8753
		A7
		A9
		942

You, South, are playing 4 and West leads a diamond. Upon winning the ace, what do you do?

This is a disgusting hand in that the defense's honors are all badly placed for you. A lesson hand couldn't be concocted much better. I think the best line is to cash the A (the 2-1 split being 78%), and then exit a diamond. East can return a heart, but you win the A, cross to the A (shunning the finesse), and lead a top diamond from dummy, pitching a heart. So it is really just a simple loser-on-loser play, except the finesses tempt so many losing lines. If, for example, you rely on one of the black suit finesses working, that's "only" 75%. Note that a club lead would have been fatal.

On to the second hand.

IMPS		North
None Vul		764
		AKQ94
West		AKQ		East
K8		83		JT93
T2				8763
JT87		South		643
QT742		AQ52		65
		J5
		952
		AKJ9

You open a 15-17 1NT, and West bids 2, showing one major or both minors. (Who ever said this was a game of judgement?) Your partner huddles and bids 6NT. West huddles and leads the J. Now what?

This one is cute, albeit a little double-dummy. All you have to do is cash your red-suit winners and West is caught in a strip squeeze. A strip squeeze on BBO! That's like catching fish with a cannon.

		North
		764
		A
West		—		East
K8		83		Immaterial
—
—		South
QT74		AQ2
		—
		—
		AKJ

You cash the last heart and pitch your 2. If West pitches a spade, you have two spade winners. If he pitches a club, you endplay him in the suit of your choice. Fun stuff.