[Yu18772]

Team match against good opponents, with a good partner, red versus white you hold:
♠ JTxxxx, ♥ A9xx ,♦ - ,♣ AJx

Your RHO, the dealer opens 1♠:
1♠ - P - P-X
P- ?

If you pass what would you lead?
Would you decide differently at equal vulnerability (red vs red or white vs white)?

Yu

[whereagles]

My systemic call here is 2S, but opposite a random I might make the slight underbid of 2H. Reason: keeps bidding low on a hand like this, that needs exploring.

[mikeh]

Yu18772, on 2012-February-14, 15:26, said:

Team match against good opponents, red versus white you hold:
♠ JTxxxx, ♥ A9xx ,♦ - ,♣ AJx

Your RHO, the dealer opens 1♠:
1♠ - P - P-X
P- ?

If you pass what would you lead?
Would you decide differently at equal vulnerability?
Yu

I wouldn't pass. While I don't expect to have missed slam, how would we feel if partner were to hold void KQxxx Axxx KQxx? Would we give him heck for doubling? Meanwhile, declarer is down say 300?

I would have cuebid and then shown hearts.


reverse the vulnerability and pass makes more sense....now 500-800 is a realistic hope.

[phil_20686]

oh, ignore my vote for pass, for some reason I thought I was the 1S opener.

[gszes]

way too much potential here for a 4h call
not to mention we might be missing a vastly
superior club contract. I would merely start
with 2s listen to what p has to say and bid
accordingly. Even if p has balanced weakly
with great distribution 4h (or 5c) should
have excellent play so 2s leaves room to
explore when p has a stronger x.

[JLOGIC]

I would pass, I have 6 trumps.

[Yu18772]

Thank you all - at the table I didnt leave it in because of vulnerability (I figured that game is very likely and making 1♠ go down 4 essentially means limiting declarer to AKQ♠ (and that is assuming they dont run to ♦)) we reached 4♥ which made. Partner had single Q♠ at the other table AK♠ were the only tricks declarer took in 1♠ doubled...the winner is Jlogic

Yu

[han]

I think that the main argument for passing is that it is far from clear that we'll make 4H. Given that we defeated 1S by 5 tricks, partner probably had a good hand. If he held a worse hand, perhaps 4H would have been down but 1S would have been -1 or -2. Also a good scenario for passing.

[Yu18772]

han, on 2012-February-15, 07:28, said:

I think that the main argument for passing is that it is far from clear that we'll make 4H. Given that we defeated 1S by 5 tricks, partner probably had a good hand. If he held a worse hand, perhaps 4H would have been down but 1S would have been -1 or -2. Also a good scenario for passing.

I didn't think 4♥ is far from making (assuming partner has 4 hearts) - I was thinking more like mikeh in this case. Dont remember partners hand exactly, but he had ~13 HCP with Q♠ single, QJTx ♥, (wasted) !♦ values and the K♣. It wasnt a great hand for play but 4♥ was pretty much laid down.
Yu

[JLOGIC]

People get way too optimistic about their chances to make game on hands like this. It is far from 100 % you can make a game. Yes, we probably have few losers, but we also have few winners. Partner might not have 4 hearts, in which case our hand is definitely not great for 3N. They might lead or shift to trumps, in which case cross ruffing in a 4-4 is not a huge trick producer.

Passing can obviously work quite poorly, partner might have a spade void and was gonna double and bid hearts and we make 7H and beat 1S only a few, but those scenarios are less likely to me than partner just having some 1354 or whatever and we don't make much and we beat them pretty badly.

[FrancesHinden]

I thought the lead problem was interesting, but no-one has commented on that.

[Yu18772]

JLOGIC, on 2012-February-15, 14:49, said:

People get way too optimistic about their chances to make game on hands like this. It is far from 100 % you can make a game. Yes, we probably have few losers, but we also have few winners. .....

As I said - you were right Do you lead trump?
Yu

[xxhong]

I bid 3H here. Against 1S, it is a difficult hand to lead because all leads may easily blow a trick, so even if I can beat it 4 tricks in double dummy, my real chance to hit a homerun to beat it 4 or 5 tricks isn't that high.
2S looks like an overbid to me. Pass can work out very well (when partner holds a balanced or semibalanced hand or without 4 or more hearts ) or very badly when he holds a strong hand with good H or C.

Yu18772, on 2012-February-14, 15:26, said:

Team match against good opponents, with a good partner, red versus white you hold:
♠ JTxxxx, ♥ A9xx ,♦ - ,♣ AJx

Your RHO, the dealer opens 1♠:
1♠ - P - P-X
P- ?

If you pass what would you lead?
Would you decide differently at equal vulnerability (red vs red or white vs white)?

Yu

[benlessard]

Im pretty good at making overtricks when theyre worth 200 each. Im leading the A of H

[jdeegan]

Pass and lead a small spade. It can't cost a trick since it is a long trump, and it might initiate a good 'ol Texas barbeque if pard has a stiff honor.

[Yu18772]

jdeegan, on 2012-February-18, 12:00, said:

Pass and lead a small spade. It can't cost a trick since it is a long trump, and it might initiate a good 'ol Texas barbeque if pard has a stiff honor.

Lets say the dummy and p have one spade each, and its not an honor - didnt you just gave a trick to 9♠?
Yu

[gnasher]

I'd unimaginatively lead ♥A. Maybe a low club is better though.