[Tramticket]

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Club night pairs.

You are liking the look of this 7-5 distribution hand when you pick it up, but when the bidding comes round to you there doesn't seem to be a bid. Could you bid 3♥ naturally? What about bidding the five-card club suit? It seems like you have to pass and the next time the bidding comes round to you it is at 3NT. Again, could you bid 4♥ naturally? Would you want to? If you pass, as I did, what do you lead? The cards are the same for all pairs, so why am I so sure of a bad result?

[JanisW]

I'm pretty sure, that 4♥ would be natural, but I would pass, too.
Partner is likely holding some completely inconsequential ♦ and ♠ honours and you'd be struggling for 6 tricks.
Of course sometimes he could have the Jackpot (stiff ♥10, KJ♣ and A♠) but that is when you wake up and realize you were dreaming

I'd lead the ♥K and hope my Q♣ will provide an entry. Perhaps P has ♠QJxx,♥-,♦Q109xxx,♣Jxx

regards
JW

[Cyberyeti]

I just lead a club, glad that I've been warned off what could be a horrible heart contract with a 5-0 or 5-1 break.

[Winstonm]

I think I will try to disrupt communications for declarer by leading my spade 7. Perhaps he has a stiff spade, as well.

[MRTRUB44]

In my (limited) experience, the best thing to do when you have an excellent fit with an opponent is pass. Anything bid with the hand will almost surely go down, and if there is any sort of club fit with partner 3NT can be in bad trouble. I would lead my fourth best club, and hope that declarer is hoping to run good hearts, or spades and partner has lots of them.

[Tramticket]

I guess that the frustration comes from scoring 20% of the MPs after holding 3NT to 9 tricks:

2 X 4♥ by E -620
1 X 6♦ by S -300
1 X 4♦ by S +130
1 X 4♥X by E +500
1 X 3NT by N +600
2 X 3NT by N +630

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How did three pairs bid 4♥? How did two pairs make 10 tricks in 4♥???

Just an ordinary hand at any typical bridge club I suppose ...!

[pescetom]

Tramticket, on 2018-June-06, 06:03, said:

What about bidding the five-card club suit? It seems like you have to pass and the next time the bidding comes round to you it is at 3NT. Again, could you bid 4♥ naturally? Would you want to? If you pass, as I did, what do you lead? The cards are the same for all pairs, so why am I so sure of a bad result?

I would have passed the first time, but if it came round again at 3NT I would be tempted to bid ♣, even with this vulnerability. Should be able to set up my hearts.

Amused to see that it would work out well

[miamijd]

Tramticket, on 2018-June-07, 05:28, said:

I guess that the frustration comes from scoring 20% of the MPs after holding 3NT to 9 tricks:

2 X 4♥ by E -620
1 X 6♦ by S -300
1 X 4♦ by S +130
1 X 4♥X by E +500
1 X 3NT by N +600
2 X 3NT by N +630

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How did three pairs bid 4♥? How did two pairs make 10 tricks in 4♥???

Just an ordinary hand at any typical bridge club I suppose ...!

You just got unlucky that the opponents reached the best spot. Happens.

How did anyone reach 4H? I would guess that South passed (I wouldn't, but some might), West opened 2S, North Xed, and now East started in with hearts (I would just pass at this point, expecting the opponents to bid diamonds, but what do I know).

How did anyone make 4H? Defensive error. South ducked a spade? East played Ah and a heart? East ducked after Ac and a small one? I suppose there are more possibilities, but these seem like the most likely.

Cheers,
Mike

[miamijd]

Tramticket, on 2018-June-07, 05:28, said:

I guess that the frustration comes from scoring 20% of the MPs after holding 3NT to 9 tricks:

2 X 4♥ by E -620
1 X 6♦ by S -300
1 X 4♦ by S +130
1 X 4♥X by E +500
1 X 3NT by N +600
2 X 3NT by N +630

---

How did three pairs bid 4♥? How did two pairs make 10 tricks in 4♥???

Just an ordinary hand at any typical bridge club I suppose ...!

You just got unlucky that the opponents reached the best spot. Happens.

How did anyone reach 4H? I would guess that South passed (I wouldn't, but some might), West opened 2S, North Xed, and now East started in with hearts (I would just pass at this point, expecting the opponents to bid diamonds, but what do I know).

How did anyone make 4H? Defensive error. South ducked a spade? East played Ah and a heart? East ducked after Ac and a small one? I suppose there are more possibilities, but these seem like the most likely.

Cheers,
Mike

[GrahamJson]

How did 4H make? My guess is that at some stage south led a second round of spades (maybe after the opening lead of the ace) and north ruffed the king with a small heart. This enabled east to over ruff and draw the rest of north’s trumps, losing only one trump trick, to the ace.