[jillybean]

I made a comment a while back that I was going to focus more on the play of the hand than the bidding and I have been, at least until the opportunity to try mini nt came up
This is one hand that some other intermediates may find interesting.

I don't think anyone should be in 4♠ but that's where you have put yourself. (1 pair was)

---

North leads ♦7 to Ace
South returns ♣3 to Ace
♣2 to J
Souith exits with ♣K. {corrected}

You need to take the remaining tricks.

[smerriman]

I'm not following the last two tricks - South had KJ over dummy's Q yet gave away a trick by playing the K?

[pescetom]

I'll reply to yours if you reply to mine

[smerriman]

Well, maybe the tricks were as stated and South with 5-5 in the minors is trying to trick you into running it to the queen. If so, all it did was make me more aware to ruff, so I'll ruff with the Ace, cash a couple of tricks (edit - the two kings, not the ace of hearts as we need three lower heart ruffs), and cross ruff the rest of the reds.

[jillybean]

sorry, King Jack fixed
My New Years resolution should be to proofread before posting

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2023-December-16, 11:14, said:

North leads ♦7 to Ace
South returns ♣3 to Ace
♣2 to J
Souith exits with ♣K. {corrected}

You need to take the remaining tricks.

No certainties here, but it looks like some diamond honours and most clubs will be in South.
So I start by ruffing in safety with the Ace, pitching a club from dummy.
Then a spade to Q and back to K, unblock ♥K.
Ruff a diamond and play ♥A.
♣Q and a deep breath before discarding diamonds.
If still here then it should be ok to (over)ruff a heart, pull the last trump if necessary and cash ♦K.

Or maybe it's just that time of evening

[Gilithin]

To focus on the bidding rather than the play for a moment, what the * is 2♠? Is it forcing? inverted? something even weirder? I cannot imagine a real bridge player making this call on those cards if it has its standard meaning and West going to game over it possible even suggests some sort of CPU.

[pescetom]

Gilithin, on 2023-December-16, 14:10, said:

To focus on the bidding rather than the play for a moment, what the * is 2♠? Is it forcing? inverted? something even weirder? I cannot imagine a real bridge player making this call on those cards if it has its standard meaning and West going to game over it possible even suggests some sort of CPU.

On BBO I would assume West simply peeked.

[jillybean]

Gilithin, on 2023-December-16, 14:10, said:

To focus on the bidding rather than the play for a moment, what the * is 2♠? Is it forcing? inverted? something even weirder? I cannot imagine a real bridge player making this call on those cards if it has its standard meaning and West going to game over it possible even suggests some sort of CPU.

Quote

I don't think anyone should be in 4♠ but that's where you have put yourself. (1 pair was)

Let's not get distracted by the auction and CPU , I don't know how West got to 4S.
It's not a BBO hand,

[AL78]

What are the NS carding agreements? I'm looking at the club suit, if they are playing fourth highest from strength South holds four clubs unless they have falsecarded so North is following on the third round in which case I can ruff low, count nine tricks off the top and a diamond ruff will give me a tenth trick. If they are playing 3rds and 5ths there is a good chance South is 55 in the minors and it is trickier because there is the possibility of North getting a trump promotion. If North holds ♠Txxx it looks like we are doomed so I'd be inclined to ruff high and hope South holds at least two spades. It would be embarassing to ruff with the nine and see North overruff holding Txx.

[jillybean]

N/S play std attitude, no count, no lead agreement

[jdiana]

jillybean, on 2023-December-16, 11:14, said:

I made a comment a while back that I was going to focus more on the play of the hand than the bidding . . .

I keep telling myself that too.

Just wondering, what strategies have you been using to focus on the play of the hand? I guess some obvious ones are working through bridge books, e.g., Root's How to Play a Bridge Hand, and more specific work on counting and card combinations, and using Bridge Master.

I played bridge only sporadically during COVID and gave up playing altogether about 6 or 7 months ago. At this point, it's kind of a one-person hobby, like doing crossword puzzles. I'm thinking again about going back to the basics using the tools mentioned above. Any other thoughts? Is there any point in doing this in a vacuum or should I wait until I feel like playing again?

(Obviously, for defensive card play, we need to work with a partner. I'm not aware of any good tools for that, other than working out good carding agreements and doing postmortems.)

[jillybean]

For me it is mainly about discipline, to take the time to review hands.
One of the first bridge books I purchased was Watson Play of the Hand. Each time I read the book, I learn something new.
It's the only book I keep reading, I much rather play than read so again, that's discipline.
I've started helping a group of newer bridge players and that forces me to think more about the play of the hand.

During COVID I was in NZ so kept playing face to face bridge, when I came back to Canada I stopped playing all bridge again.
Now I'm beginning to play & direct more but not like it was pre-covid, I do not play many ACBL games.

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2023-December-17, 12:52, said:

For me it is mainly about discipline, to take the time to review hands.
One of the first bridge books I purchased was Watson Play of the Hand. Each time I read the book, I learn something new.
It's the only book I keep reading, I much rather play than read so again, that's discipline.
I've started helping a group of newer bridge players and that forces me to think more about the play of the hand.

During COVID I was in NZ so kept playing face to face bridge, when I came back to Canada I stopped playing all bridge again.
Now I'm beginning to play & direct more but not like it was pre-covid, I do not play many ACBL games.

I find reviewing hands more useful to find partnership errors than to improve my declarer play (unless I know/suspect I made an error and just want to check).
The most useful (and beautiful in many ways) book about card play I have found is the classic "Card Play Technique or the Art of Being Lucky" by Victor Mollo and Nico Gardener, easily purchased in internet.

[jillybean]

Card Play Technique is certainly another great book.
When I review hands it's looking for the overtricks I may have missed, I play mostly MP. Sometimes I've slipped a trick, more often it's other pairs sitting my way who have been blessed with defensive errors. I do find it fun and hopefully it's beneficial to go over double dummy results and see how the contract could be made.

BTW, your ♣ Q will be ruffed. I will post the full hand when I'm home later tonight.

[jillybean]

---

After N/S win the first 3 tricks, it seems the only winning play is to cash ♥K, play low to ♠Q, cash ♥A abd ruff 3rd round hearts?

[smerriman]

jillybean, on 2023-December-18, 21:48, said:

After N/S win the first 3 tricks, it seems the only winning play is to cash ♥K, play low to ♠Q, cash ♥A abd ruff 3rd round hearts?

It looks like there are a number of winning plays, including my line. You don't need the ace of hearts, since when North follows to the club you have a guaranteed 8 trump tricks (knowing North has shown 4 hearts in the bidding) and the two kings, unless diamonds are 1-6 which is the only danger, though even then the same line still works for some trump breaks.

[jillybean]

smerriman, on 2023-December-18, 22:02, said:

It looks like there are a number of winning plays, including my line. You don't need the ace of hearts, since when North follows to the club you have a guaranteed 8 trump tricks (knowing North has shown 4 hearts in the bidding) and the two kings, unless diamonds are 1-6 which is the only danger, though even then the same line still works for some trump breaks.

yes, please explain the other winning plays.

[smerriman]

Nevermind, I just realised that while it still works here, my line doesn't work as well as I thought when North holds the trump T since they can discard hearts while you're ruffing diamonds..

[Gilithin]

smerriman, on 2023-December-19, 12:59, said:

Nevermind, I just realised that while it still works here, my line doesn't work as well as I thought when North holds the trump T since they can discard hearts while you're ruffing diamonds..

This is why the rule for cross ruffs is to cash the side suit winners first.