[Cyberyeti]

So you're playing very good bridge, 40 IMPS to the good after 16/32, and then you get hit by these boards in the set after the break, interested for people to comment on any or all:

Board 1:love all

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Partner leads the 10♥ which can be 109x(x)(x)(x) or Q109(x)(x)(x). Plan the defence.

Spoiler

If you take the K and cash the A♥ partner follows small and declarer plays the J

Board 2: NS vul

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Partner opens a weak no trump 12-14, you bid stayman, partner bids 2♥, you play long suit game tries, but can't use 2♠ as a game try systemically, do you invite with 3♥ ?

Board 7: All vul

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The auction proceeds with S as dealer unopposed by the oppos 2♦(multi)-2♥-2N(23-24)-3♥-3♠-6N your lead (and yes this auction is a nonsense).

Board 8: love all

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W deals and opens 1♥ and it goes round the table X-4♥(preemptive)-P-P-X-P to you.

Anyway your 40 IMP lead has shrunk to 7 after this mayhem and the final indignity is this hand.

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NS vul

Partner opens 1♠ in first seat, pass to you. You are playing acol style with 4 card majors and a weak no trump. You do normally respond on 5 counts. If partner only has 4 spades, then he's 15+ 4333 precisely. You don't automatically raise to 2♠ because you have 3, pass, 1N and 2♠ are all in the frame.

[phil_20686]

Bd 1 is difficult imo. You have to count delarers tricks. It seems unlikely partner would lead from QT9x(xxx) on the bidding as it seems like a passive lead is called for into the bidding. If partner has the A!d and T9xxx hearts then you must continue hearts, if he has, say K!s and q!c then you must win the heart and switch to a club. I dont think that there is any way to tell particularly. It seems like a straight guess to me and I would try a club. Others will doubtless give a better analysis than I.

Bd 2 is a pass imo. Doesnt feel close.

Bd 3 is another difficult hand in the sense tha tit is not at all clear what the opposition have. I would lead a diamond. Trying to set up a trick feels wrong when partner is marked with a bust. Second choice is 7!s, which may cut down one of declarers options, but tbh, it feels like a clear diamond lead. I am aware that I could be squeezed later but it seems unlikely that declarer would try to squeeze me rather than just take some finesses.

Bd 8 feels like a pass. Not close imo. Oppos could be struggling on a (virtually certain) trump lead.

Last bd: 2!s, what else? You want a spade lead if they bid on. If partner has 6 spades he will be much better placed in competition. I know the argument for bidding 1N, but imo, the lead directing overtones of a 2s bid mean that i would never bid 1N with Hxx in partners majors when he opens 1M at acol.

[nigel_k]

1. Win the first heart and switch to a club. Probably best to play the king in case declarer has Q10x and misguesses.

2. 3♥.

3. Diamond. Though I should warn you I always get these wrong.

4. Pass.

5. 1NT but very close to passing.

[Phil]

1. The diagram is pretty confusing. I am used to the felt being in the middle of the table and dummy on top. The 2nd heart was a good play, but partner has the chance to show you solid hearts by dropping the Q under the K when declarer plays the J. He didn't, so a club shift is essential. Declarer appears to be AKxxx QJx Ax Qxx.

2. 40 up I am not losing a vulnerable game swing. 4♥.

7. I doubt partner has much - maybe 1-2 jacks at the most. The ♠'s are on my right, and I think I need to hope I don't get squoze out of my round kings. ♦ I guess. I'm guessing finding a Q in pard's is right, but that seems like a long shot. By the way, RHO may be jokering, but with a hand this good I don't care.

8. Pass.

9. W/R? Put me down for 1N.

[MickyB]

1. Pard didn't play QH so I switch to the KC.

2. Agree with not missing a vul game, especially as we are NV. Still, I bid 4H, inviting isn't going to achieve much when we can't help partner evaluate his cards.

3. Diamond. Glad we have four of them, it reduces the chance that LHO has a long solid suit. Table feel and knowledge of the oppo should tell you whether they have spades or not, but I think I would lead a diamond either way.

4. Pass, feels clear with both a balanced hand and the heart ace, it might be right even if partner is void.

5. Not 2S, it is too encouraging. I guess I'll try 1NT at the conditions. If we systemically opened 1S with 4S4m I would pass as this would increase the chances of hearing 2NT or 3NT from partner.

[Fluffy]

1. I keep playing hearts wich will be neccesary if partner has 109xxx and ♦ace. But I don't cash ♥A, can't afford to lose yet another tampo if partner has 109xx

2. easy pass IMO, but not used of this range.

7. passivity is a certain slow death IMO, so lets find partner's card, ♣4 has more chances to hit partner I think.

8. Pass

9. Pass

[Cyberyeti]

1. I played a small heart at trick 2 and declarer who had QJx won and cashed 7 diamonds and 4 spades. I missed the point that cashing the second heart would allow partner to pitch the queen if he had it, and thus allow me to shift to a club (partner has A10xx).

2. Partner might have had AKx, QJxx, xx, Axxx but actually had something like Axx, Qxxx, Qx, KQJx, so bid 4♥, trumps were 5-0 and this was 500. 2♥-1 at the other table.

7. Partner can have nothing here, so I led a passive ♦ and hoped 2 kings scored. Declarer made the wrong opening bid, he opened 2♦ and rebid 2N when he meant to open 2♣ and rebid 2N showing 19-20. Partner has ♥QJ, but declarer has A♥, ♦AKQ, and 5-3 fits in both blacks with the AQJ10 of each so a working spade finesse and failing club finesse was 12 tricks, a heart lead is down several.

8. Team mates passed, opps bid 5♦ which we defended well for +100, unfortunately 4Hx was -590, opps have:

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(I haven't checked the small cards for duplicates against the third hand, but the sense of these is right).

On the last board, partner passed, and didn't take the opportunity to double 3♠ later, opps bid 3N, I had:

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and didn't save in 4♠ over 3N as they did at the other table.

[bluecalm]

Quote

I missed the point that cashing the second heart would allow partner to pitch the queen if he had it

Of course he won't pitch the queen if he has it. Why would he give declarer free trick for his Jxx of hearts ?
The point is that if you cash the second heart and partner doesn't have the queen then declarer will be forced to play an honor from his QJx (supposedly he didn't bid 2NT with 4 hearts) and position in the suit will be clear (if declarer plays J then partner pitches the queen and you cash out heart suit).

Switching to clubs instantly might be better though as it's likely that declarer has Qxx of hearts, A of diamonds and A of clubs and then cashing 2nd heart will give him 9th trick.

[Fluffy]

you should read the spoiler bluecalm

[mfa1010]

I think the first one is a signalling problem. After my ♥AK, partner could show me if he wants me to continue hearts. I play upside-down attitude, so a small heart would be "come on". Presumably with T98xx and ♦A. I trust partner to be able to work out that with no diamond stopper and ♣AT... he should discourage hearts.

[mfa1010]

phil_20686, on 2011-February-05, 20:31, said:

Bd 1 is difficult imo. You have to count delarers tricks. It seems unlikely partner would lead from QT9x(xxx) on the bidding as it seems like a passive lead is called for into the bidding.

I disagree that a passive lead is called for. Declarer has shown a source of tricks in spades, and any four or five card suit in dummy might be useful for him as well. If partner has a 5+ card suit he should happily lead it here. When the opponents choose 3N instead of 4M in these situations they are rarely worried that they won't have 9 tricks with time. They are generally much more concerned that they don't have sufficient control in all side suits to withstand the defensive attack.

[phil_20686]

mfa1010, on 2011-February-06, 05:21, said:

I disagree that a passive lead is called for. Declarer has shown a source of tricks in spades, and any four or five card suit in dummy might be useful for him as well. If partner has a 5+ card suit he should happily lead it here. When the opponents choose 3N instead of 4M in these situations they are rarely worried that they won't have 9 tricks with time. They are generally much more concerned that they don't have sufficient control in all side suits to withstand the defensive attack.

While its not in the OP, Cybereti is English and plays a WK NT, so I assume him and his opps are Acolite, in which case 1s-2s 2N = 18-19 with only 4 spades. Its normal to make a long suit game try instead when you have 5 spades. You do this to avoid playing in 4-3 fits.

[mfa1010]

Ok, it didn't occur to me that 1♠ could be 4.

[phil_20686]

I am pretty surprised that so many people are cashing the second heart here. It feels like an error, here. Might declarer just not have enough tricks whenever your partner has say, q!c and A!s? he has 7 diamonds, and a club, but no other quick tricks. It seems like cashing the second heart is only right when partner has led from QT9xx into an 18-19 NT. Alternatively partner might have T9xxx and the ace of diamonds.

AN immeadeate club wins when partner has the Q!c and either the A!d or A!s. or when partner has ATxx clubs. It will lose when partner has QT9xx hearts and you were beating this on top.

Maybe I have not counted the HCP correctly, if there is (17)18-19 in lho's hand, and 11 in my hand, and 6 in dummy, partner can only have (6)5 or 4 HCP. Playing partner for an ace and a Q might be a bit much here. However, I know from experience that people play a weak NT often end up bidding 2NT on average 17 counts.

[mfa1010]

phil_20686, on 2011-February-06, 09:15, said:

I am pretty surprised that so many people are cashing the second heart here. It feels like an error, here. Might declarer just not have enough tricks whenever your partner has specifically, q!c and A!s?

FYP

Playing ♥AK is automatic in my view. Leading from ♥QT9xx is very, very attractive, and partner having that is the easy route to setting this. We still have time to try clubs if partner discourages the second heart, so we get two bites at the apple.

[Phil]

mfa1010, on 2011-February-06, 05:08, said:

I think the first one is a signalling problem. After my ♥AK, partner could show me if he wants me to continue hearts. I play upside-down attitude, so a small heart would be "come on". Presumably with T98xx and ♦A. I trust partner to be able to work out that with no diamond stopper and ♣AT... he should discourage hearts.

Reconsidering as usual...

We normally do not give attitude in a suit we just led. I would expect partners cards to mean remainder count in a more generic setting.

When declarer plays the Jack, everything changes.Count is pointless. The relevant holdings are:

- we are cashing the heart suit, but as I stated before, partner throws the Q so this is out.

- pard has five hearts and the ♦A and we need to continue hearts.

- pard has something interesting in clubs like ATxx and we need to shift.I like Nigels K.

The most sensible interpretation of partners card is 'alarm clock'. If pard plays a low heart its business as usual. The ♥9 says 'wake up dummy' and get the club on the table.

Maybe it doesn't need to be said but if I have the A♦ vs the clubs I don't need the signal and will just play hearts myself.

[Cyberyeti]

phil_20686, on 2011-February-06, 06:59, said:

While its not in the OP, Cybereti is English and plays a WK NT, so I assume him and his opps are Acolite, in which case 1s-2s 2N = 18-19 with only 4 spades. Its normal to make a long suit game try instead when you have 5 spades. You do this to avoid playing in 4-3 fits.

Indeed, sorry I should have explained this, but there are further wrinkles, when we bid, this has to be precisely 4333, with our opponents, any hand with 4♠4m32 will be opened 1♠, we open the minor.

[Vampyr]

phil_20686, on 2011-February-06, 06:59, said:

While its not in the OP, Cybereti is English and plays a WK NT, so I assume him and his opps are Acolite, in which case 1s-2s 2N = 18-19 with only 4 spades. Its normal to make a long suit game try instead when you have 5 spades. You do this to avoid playing in 4-3 fits.

Interesting. What do you do, cyberyeti, with 15-17 and 4 spades?

[Cyberyeti]

Vampyr, on 2011-February-06, 20:33, said:

Interesting. What do you do, cyberyeti, with 15-17 and 4 spades?

4333 open 1♠ and pass 2♠ with 15-16, bid 2N with 17.

With 4♥/4♠, open 1♥

With 4m/4♠, open the minor, rebid 1N over 1♥.

[Vampyr]

Cyberyeti, on 2011-February-06, 20:49, said:

4333 open 1♠ and pass 2♠ with 15-16, bid 2N with 17.

Seems a little pessimistic. How good can partner's 2♠ be?