BBF thread

What the **** is going on here!?

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=36061

Quicktricks 12/14

25.

Another board from the same night.



We lost this board in the bidding, our auction went

1H - 1N
3H - 4H

Yeah, I bid 4H instead of 3N because I'm stupid.

Anyway, it's interesting to see how N can make 4H. East leads a diamond. It looks like the defense can manage a trump, a spade, a club and a club ruff. Can you figure it out? I believe I have the answer below.

diamond won in dummy
heart to the Q
heart A
heart T, west wins K
CQ, DUCKED all around
diamond won in dummy
diamond ruff
CK endplaying east

If you cover the CQ, east wins and continues with the CT. Now if you cover with the J, you're obviously going down. If you duck the J, east can counter by playing a diamond, cutting you from dummy.

Quicktricks 12/14

9.

Another simple squeeze. I think this is the only squeeze I know how to execute, lol.



16.

You have JTx K94 K954 J62. LHO deals, the auction goes

p - p - 1N - p
2H - p - 2S - p
2N - p - 4S

Your lead?

The full hand:


I led a club, a heart came back, tied for bottom.

BBO 12/12

How good of a handle do you have on your overcalls? The auction up to 2H seems like a normal start.



The play is kind of interesting here. I think best is to draw trumps (they're unlikely to let you ruff a club), and go ace and a heart. There are 16 HCP outstanding, east seems like an overwhelming favorite to hold the key cards, and he's endplayed when you attack the hearts, refusing the finesse.

Palo Alto 12/9

Bad night, but there are some interesting hands.

4.



I got to this end position and failed to play off all the spades, endplaying RHO. I don't know what it is, I have a very difficult time seeing endplays in NT. I mean, I was watching the hearts, so I know they can't cash any when they get in. It doesn't cost anything to try... if the spades break really poorly, I can just cash out.

10. This feels like a "How To Read Your Opponent's Cards" problem.



You can see that I rejected trying to pick up the spade suit, because I'm not sure how many entries I have to dummy, and even then have to guess what layout to play for (Kxx, Kx, KTxx)... and basically it was too complicated.

LHO helped me by splitting her honors in hearts, and I picked up the spades on the way back. When LHO led a diamond, I decided RHO was less likely to have the ace, because that means he passed with AKK and a stiff. Wrong. Oh well. Maybe I should've played LHO to have balanced with the diamond ace if she had it. Though her hand looks like a balance as it is anyway. When you're clutching at straws...

16.



What do you think of the auction? South's initial pass? North's pass of 2S? South's pass of 2S? This one earned us a 0 for not even competing in the reds. If I had to ATB, I would assign 100% to both.

Six-five, come alive?

Unfavorable at matchpoint pairs:

Palo Alto 12/2

8. Here's a double dummy problem.



Deep Finesse says EW can't make any number of hearts! How does this happen? I'm really bewildered, don't I always get at least 6 hearts and a spade?!

9. I went a little crazy here and got lucky.

I passed in second with xx xxx Axx AKxxx (yeah yeah), it goes

p - p - 2S - p
3S

so I just stuck a double in there, and partner sat for it, +300. I still think my double is crazy though.

12.

I had KQTxx JTxx xxx J and opened 2S in third w/r. I played in 3S for down one, which tied for top.

The night also featured me playing a 2S contract thinking I was in 1N. I haven't looked up the matchpoints on that, but I'm sure it didn't score well. Another contract I played in 1N for +120 when +150 was EASILY available, and I was upset at myself. It turns out it wouldn't have mattered at all, the rest of the field is picking up huge numbers. So don't worry, you never know what's going to happen!

Little old ladies

Here is a hilarious board from a side pairs game at nationals.



I am sitting South, West opens 1NT, and the auction quickly reaches 4H. To my surprise, West is encouraged by East's mild slam try and decides to ask for...something. East responds 5H, to which West confidently sets the slam contract. I double, leaving partner to figure out where my void is.

Partner decides to ask about 5H; declarer responds that it shows two aces. Thinking 4NT is asking for keycards, partner asks "Without the queen of hearts?" at which point declarer looks at her hand and confirms "Without the queen of hearts."

Partner thinks for a few seconds, and she settles on a small club. Dummy comes down thus: JT632 of hearts, AQ of spades, A73 of diamonds, and T32 of spades in a second pile. Declarer looks at dummy for a second or two and says "play." My partner then calmly informs the opponents that dummy's spades are missorted, disguising her panic at discovering that I was actually calling for a spade lead. East apologizes to partner and collects the spades into one neat stack. Now, declarer calls for a small club again, and partner again calls attention to the club void on the board. I stare blankly throughout, trying not to laugh. I collect the two top trumps, +100.

After the session, my partner and I have a conversation something like this:

Partner: "Why did declarer bid slam off two keys?"
Me: "Because they were playing Blackwood."
Partner: "Then why did 5H deny the queen of hearts?"
Me: "Because declarer had it."

We laughed for a while, certain that this score would be a top. It turns out that it was only 7 of 11 matchpoints, as six other pairs had earned +100, and somebody ended up +300. Come on, field!

random hand

3 passes to you, you have Txxxx QJxxxx Ax --, what would you do?

I guess it depends who your opps and partner are.

Nationals!

Bid one more?

Palo Alto 11/25

Well, it was the day before Thanksgiving, and we combined the 299er with the open at the club. This means that the results would have been pretty random, and Ted and I seem to have gotten the best of it, coming in first with a big score.

8.



Can you get to 6H intelligently? We just went 2C - 2D - 2N - 3H - 3S - 4H - 6H.

9.



I basically played this one double dummy, but honestly I wasn't sure what line to take. If LHO is 2155, then drawing 3 rounds of trump and then playing on hearts secures the contract.

If LHO is 1255, then if you decide to play the top three spades, you have to drive the 4th spade before playing on hearts. Otherwise, RHO can ruff the 4th round of hearts, and your 5th heart is stranded.

I started a big spade, crossed to dummy with a heart, and led the spade 9. I planned to finesse it, but RHO saved me the trouble and covered. If LHO played a heart honor when I crossed, then I'd play him for 2155.

22.

I HATE HOLDING ACES!



Somebody help me :((

Update: Neil set me straight on why I have to fly the ace. Thanks Neil!

Quicktricks 11/23

I did a lot of things wrong, but I'll share the less embarrassing and more interesting hand.



Matchpoints. Follow the play and then decide what you do when you get in with the HK. You play upside down count and attitude.

Oakland Sectional 11/22

First a bidding problem.



Can you get to 6S on these cards?

The next one is sort of a play problem, but not really because the club is onside in reality. It's just an interesting endplay I first saw a year ago and has kinda stuck with me since.



Let's say they cash two clubs and exit a heart. Strip the hand, and then play ace and a diamond. West is legitimately endplayed if he started with Kx or Qx, and there are other possibilities where the defense fails to unblock.

Palo Alto 11/18

The usual overbidding.

J6543 x KQxx JT8

(2H) - 3C - (3H) - 3S
(p) - 4S - (5H) - ...double

Dummy was AKxx Axxxx x Qxx.

Well, they could've doubled us in 4S. Then we would've gotten a 0 instead of a 1. Next time I'll pass 3H like a normal person, that'll teach em.

BBO 11/4

A common defensive theme that I really hate.



Basically declarer steals a heart trick and it's all over. The lead was a 4th best diamond, I cashed the king and ace. At this point I shifted to a trump, trying not to give anything away.

How can west know to fly the ace? Am I supposed to lead back the HQ at T3?

Oh yeah, declarer also misplayed and let me in when I could've just led a third trump and beaten it. Then, I followed suit and misplayed by not leading it. But never mind, let's assume declarer ruffs two diamonds before the defense can draw trumps.

Thinking about it now, I guess there's no real reason to duck the ace. The reason we duck aces is because we don't want to grant declarer extra tricks in the suit. But in this case, we have no slow club tricks that we can pick up. Dummy has KQx of clubs, so the extra heart tricks that we may be allowing declarer won't help him.

It just feels like an automatic play to duck the ace.

BBO 11/15

Here's one my partner played well.



It looks like we're losing 2 hearts, 1 diamond, possibly 2 clubs, and possibly 1 spade. The 2-2 spade break solves the spade loser, so my partner stripped the hand and threw them in with a heart. A double finesse in clubs would have worked here, but this guards against south holding both the KQ of clubs.

BBO 11/15

This one is just silliness.

The auction goes

1C - 1S
2N - 4C
4N - 6C

Partner thought 4C was a slam try with clubs. I thought it was Gerber.

I answered aces, partner thought it was Blackwood. Partner bid slam with a void and a keycard, making.

Who needs agreements?

Casual 11/13

You have T98xxx xx AQJx x. Partner deals and it goes 1C - 3H.

Your bid?

BBO 11/12

Okay I opened 3D on this junk: Qx xx QJxxxxx Kx

Partner bids 3H. Now what?

The hands are

x Axxxx AK AQxxx
Qx xx QJxxxxx Kx

BBO 11/10

A positional squeeze on west.

Palo Alto 10/28

Ethics question:

You have Qxxx xxx Kxx KJx. The auction goes (partner dealing)

1C - (1D) - 1S - (p)
2S - (p) - p - (3H)
all pass

Partner hesitates for a while and leads the SA. Dummy has JT9 of spades. Partner leads a second round. I can infer from his tank that he doesn't have the SK. Is it ethical to duck my Q? I assume it's not. If it is, someone please tell me so I can have my trick back!

San Jose Sectional 10/25

You reach 5C after 3C - 3D - 5C - all pass

The lead is the DA, you see

AKx
J8x
xxx
A97x

Jx
ATx
x
QJTxxxx

I'll start for you. DK continuation, ruffed. You lead the CQ, clubs are 1-1 with the K onside. Diamond ruff (all follow), SA, SK, spade ruffed high. LHO follows with two small spades, then the SQ.

You now have

---
J8x
---
97x

---
AT7
---
Jxx

How do you play? You're in your hand.

Palo Alto 10/21

Well I made more mistakes than I should have, but here we go.

2. Bid these hands.

Jx
QT
Jx
AKQxxxx

AKx
Axxx
AKTxx
T

North deals.

18. You declare 3N on the lead of the DT.

Jxxx
xx
Kxx
AK9x

Kx
AQxx
AJx
Q8xx

BBO 10/9

4H on the lead of the DJ, you see

AKT9
Axxx
K
KQxx

Qxx
KTxx
xxxx
xx

DJ - K - A - x
S3 - x - J - A

At this point I went HAK (they're 3-2), diamond ruff, cross to the spade, diamond ruff, and then tried to pitch my 4th diamond on the 4th spade. RHO ruffed in on the third round of spades and cashed a diamond, leaving me -1.

This requires the hand with 3 hearts to have at least 3 spades.

It's cold if I play the spades after drawing two rounds of trump. I established the spade for the pitch, but I lost control of the diamond suit. If I just play spades first, then even if somebody ruffs in on the third spade, they're unable to cash a diamond, and I get my pitch.

Oops. That was stupid.

BBO 9/28

You get xxx KTxx AKJxx x in first. I'm making you pass, sorry.

p - (p) - p - (1C)
x - (1S) - 1N - (2C)
2D - (p) - 3D - (4C)
p - (p) - x

You lead DA and see

-----------AQJxx
-----------xxxx
-----------xx
-----------xx
xxx
KTxx
AKJxx
x

Partner discourages. Your play?

Santa Clara Regional 9/7

r/w imps you have x AT98xx Jxxx Ax, partner deals.

1D - (3S) - 4H - (4S)
5H - (p) - p - (5S)
p - (p) - ?

If you don't bid 4H, what would you have done?

Santa Clara Regional 9/2

Played two session pairs with Steph, came in 2nd in our section for the first session. Over both sessions, we came in 13/46, which was enough to earn second in B, I think. It was a fun day.


You have AKQxx QJx xxx Ax. I'm going to force you to open 1N with this.

1N - p - 2D - x
2H - p - 3N - p
4H

---------J
---------AK9xx
---------Jxx
---------Jxxx
xxxx--------------xxx
Txxxx----------------
xx----------------AKQTx
xx----------------KQxxx
---------AKQxx
---------QJx
---------xxx
---------Ax

Defense starts with the first three diamonds, lefty pitching a club. Righty shifts to the CK, and I won the ace. I played the HQ, getting the bad news, unblocked the SJ, HA, HJ, and just ran my spades, pitching 3 clubs away. I breathed a sigh of relief when lefty had to follow to four rounds of spades.

If lefty pitches a spade instead of a club, then I have to pick up all the trumps and just overtake the SJ. Could you find this play at the table?

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's one where Steph did something funny and then defended great.

A little backstory is required. I opened 3S on KJTxxx --- xxx Kxxx first seat w/w. She raised to four on a stiff, and then later asked why I bid 3S with only six. (The opponents managed not to leave us in 4Sx holding a combined 6 trumps.) I responded, "6-4, bid one more!" Well, later on this hand comes along.

AKQx xx x JTxxxx and she opens 1S in second!

You have xxxx Qxx xxxx x and the auction proceeds

p - 1S - x - 3S
4H

Steph leads a big spade, and we have

--------xx
--------Kxx
--------AKQx
--------AKxx
AKQx-------------xxxx
xx---------------Qxx
x----------------xxxx
JTxxxx-----------x
--------xxx
--------AJTxx
--------Jxxx
--------Qx

Steph wins the spade and shifts to a club. Declarer has a combined 28 HCP, leaving 12 for Steph, so he plays the HA and runs the HJ to my Q. Instantly a spade goes back, and Steph delivers the club ruff, to the dismay of both declarer and dummy.

He looked at her and said "You bid 1S with that?" And she replied, "6-4, bid one more!"

Double-dummy defense

Here's a hand that came up on BBO the other day.

	♠ 863 ♥ J94 ♦ AT76 ♣ AQ6
♠ QT4 ♥ KT8 ♦ J985 ♣ T84	N W E S	♠ J92 ♥ A63 ♦ K32 ♣ K752
	♠ AK75 ♥ Q752 ♦ Q4 ♣ J93

East-West vulnerable at Cross-IMPs
West	North	East	South
	Pass	Pass	1♣
Pass	1♦	Pass	1NT
Pass	2NT	Pass	Pass
Pass

It looks awfully hard for the defense. In addition to four top tricks, declarer has a second club and the queen of diamonds, and can drive out the ace and king of hearts for two more tricks. The key to the successful defense is that one of those heart leads must come from declarer's hand.

Let's say West leads the ♣4, and declarer plays small from dummy. East wins the king and continues the suit, putting declarer on the board. A heart to the queen and king follows, and West puts dummy in with a third club. Declarer cannot lead a heart here without giving the defense a third heart trick, so instead he plays spade to ace to get into hand and leads a heart, hooking the ♥9. East wins the ace. Now he can play spades to drive out the king, declarer's last entry into hand. Since the heart suit is blocked, East will eventually get back in with the king of diamonds and cash his last club.

Now suppose declarer plays spade to ace at trick three and leads a heart from hand. Either defender can win this trick, but say West goes up with the king. West puts dummy in with a club. If declarer continues with the jack of hearts, East wins the ace and puts down his club. This time, the heart suit is unblocked, and if East plays a spade, declarer can duck to establish the fourth spade as his eight trick. Instead, East lays down the club, which effectively squeezes declarer. He can't afford to give up a heart winner. Baring the queen of diamonds allows East to immediately play the king; winning the ace now establishes the jack, while ducking gives the defense the diamond trick immediately, allowing a spade switch. So declarer discards the spade, allowing East to safely make the spade switch, establishing a spade with another diamond on the way.

What if declarer instead leads a diamond his second time in dummy? Again assume declarer plays a heart from dummy at trick three, won by West. Upon winning West's club lead in dummy, declarer plays a diamond. East must win the king immediately; otherwise, declarer gets the queen of diamonds now and has only to drive out East's ace of hearts. Now, if declarer retains the queen, his diamond suit is blocked. If East leads a spade, declarer can unblock the diamond, but a heart lead now will draw another spade lead from East, resulting in a blocked heart suit. Alternatively, the defense can duck a heart, killing declarer's only entry into dummy.

If declarer instead plays the queen of diamonds under the king, his diamond suit is no longer blocked, but the heart suit still is. East cashes the club, declarer and West discarding spades, and continues with a spade to declarer's ace. Declarer still can't lead hearts from dummy, so must play a heart from hand. East wins the ace, and, with the heart suit still blocked, drives out the king of spades.

If declarer began by playing spade to ace and leading a heart from hand, then East, upon winning the diamond king and after cashing the club, can immediately drive out the king of spades.

That really only leaves declarer with one option: lead a diamond from hand at trick three. If East ducks this, declarer wins the queen and drives out the top hearts, and the defense will never be able to establish their spade trick in time. So East wins the king of diamonds and continues a club. Now declarer unblocks the diamond queen, with the added benefit of being able to break the heart suit from hand. West goes up with the heart king, and now declarer is stuck. He can't unblock the ♥9, since that kills the heart entry needed to pick up the diamond ace. With ♥J9 left in dummy, West plays a spade, and when East gets in the ace of hearts, he will cash the club and lead another spade. Now declarer chooses between cashing ♥Qx or playing heart to dummy and picking up the ♦A; either way, the defense picks up a spade.

There is one more possibility: that declarer plays an honor from dummy's club suit at trick one. Even if declarer plays the queen of clubs, East must retain the king; otherwise, a club continuation will let declarer into hand with the jack. If declarer plays a heart from dummy (or spade to ace and then heart from hand), West wins the first round of hearts and can lead a club, so the prior analysis remains essentially the same. But what if declarer chooses to lead a diamond at trick two? East is forced to win the king, but now cannot continue the club suit!

Say declarer keeps his queen of diamonds. Now East leads a small spade; declarer must win this spade (and importantly, West must play small). Declarer unblocks the diamond queen and plays a heart. If East is forced to use his ace of hearts, he still can't establish his club, and declarer can set up his hearts before the East will be able to set up the club. So West must win the king.

If he continues a club, declarer will get dummy's ace of diamonds and drive the ace of hearts out. East gets the fourth club, but declarer has his eight tricks at the ready. But suppose he continues with the ten of spades, East playing the ♠9. Declarer can't allow this to hold, since a club will follow, and East will get his two club tricks upon winning the ace of hearts. So he wins the king of spades and leads another heart, and East ducks. Without an entry to hand, declarer can never pick up a second heart trick or the long spade. If declarer puts East in with the heart, East exits with a spade to West, who puts a club through. If he wins the ace and exits a club, East gets his long club. If he lets West win the second round of clubs, dummy is thrown in with the third round and must concede a diamond to West. Alternatively, if declarer exits dummy with the spade, the club from West comes now; if declarer allows East to win the king of clubs immediately, East cashes the ace of hearts and throws him in with a club.

BBO 8/21

Auction goes (east dealing)

(1H) - 1N
3N

543
QT4
AKQ42
43

AK97
A83
98
KJ98

S2, small, T, K.

8/16 San Mateo sectional

imps w/r you deal

xxx xxx AJxx KQx

p - p - 1H - 2N
x - 3D - p - p
x

Agree with x?

Full deal, rotated so south is declarer.

-------Qxx
-------
-------KQxxx
-------J9xxx
KJxx------------xxx
KJxxx-----------xxx
----------------AJxx
Axxx------------KQx
-------Axx
-------AQTxx
-------xxxx
-------x

Heart lead, declarer gets one uptrick.

Internet's back!

I guess that means I need to start playing and blogging again. Oh, I miss my freedom!

BBO 6/8

Frustrating.

You lead to 5D in the auction 2D - 4N - 5C - 5D. You have xx xxxxx xx Qxx or something, I led an attacking club which gives the contract away, only a heart lead beats it.

You lead to 6D in the auction 1S - 2D - 2H - 4N - 5H - 6D. You have xx Jxxx T98 AQxx, I led a heart and lost the ace of clubs when dummy came down with six solid spades.

BBO 6/7

imps, r/w, LHO opens 1NT (15-17), you and partner have the following cards

Axx
KJT98x
Jxx
K

KJT8
Qx
xx
AQxxx


Can you find 4H? You play Landy.

Palo Alto 6/6

I played on 6/3 Wednesday, but I did so poorly that I don't feel like making it public.

Played today, mostly average, I haven't gone over the hands yet but here's one I want to share.

You have Qxx KJxxx AKxx A, righty deals.
p - 1H - 2S - 3S
p - 4D - p - 4H

Lefty leads the SA, you get

Jxx
AQxxx
x
QJxx

Qxx
KJxxx
AKxx
A

I did the usual trick 1 tank, and it went A x 9 Q. I played the Q pretty smoothly, he looked at me and then continued K and another to get the defense their three tricks.

He said he knew because I was fingering cards before playing to the first trick, which is true. I grabbed a small spade and moved it to the side before I played the Q. I have a habit of shifting cards sometimes, and I guess it's a tell! But now I know!

Piedmont 5/27

Well I didn't play this hand very well, but I recovered in the end position.

You're in fourth, it goes (1D) - p - (1S) - 2H all pass

LHO leads the CA, you get

J
Kx
Kxxx
QT9xxx

AQ862
AJ987x
J
J

LHO shifts to a small heart, small Q A. If hearts break, you have 8 tricks, so I just played another heart up. LHO shows out.

At this point I should probably shorten myself and ruff a club, but instead I ran the SJ, losing to the K on my left. A diamond comes back, K A J. Another diamond, ruffed in my hand.

At this point, your hand is AQ86 J98 --- ---. I cashed the SA, and the 7 falls on my left. If they're 3-4, then you just lose one more spade and heart, making 2H (5 hearts, 3 spades). But if RHO started with 5 spades, then you're going to wind up losing two spades after cashing the top spade, and you'll get put back in your hand to lose a heart as well.

At this point, I exited a low spade. LHO does show out, RHO wins this trick, and now he's endplayed. If he plays a minor suit, I can ruff in my hand, completing the shortening process, cash the top spade, and exit the spade to force him to lead trumps up to my J9. If he leads a spade, then I just have a finesse with my Q8 over his Tx.

Palo Alto Bridge Center 5/25

MPs, you get to 4H, the lead is the spade 5

A82
J85
985
9732

KQ64
AKQT9
A74
4

I let the lead run to my hand, 52JK. My plan was to cash the HAK, go to the SA, and lead a spade up to my Q6. If spades are 3-3, I'm going to make this. If they're 4-2, I still have chances if the doubleton is on my right (RHO can ruff air), or if LHO has the doubleton but no trumps.

LHO shows out on the second heart. At this point maybe I should just cash out and settle for -1. It seems pretty likely that RHO started with a stiff, especially considering his trump length. I stuck with my plan though, and indeed RHO ruffed away my spade ace. I eventually wound up -2. Maybe I'm just resulting.

BBO 5/14

w/r imps you have KJxxx xx AQ9x Ax

It goes (2H) - 2S - (3H) - 3S all pass

Partner puts down ATxx x Txxx Kxxx.

4 is pretty cold, I made 6 when I hooked lefty for the SQ, and righty had KJx of diamonds.

Who should have done more?

A Deep Finesse says...

3S by EW.

How do you hold them to it?

------832
------8532
------32
------J752
Q4-----------KJT976
J76----------KQ
KQ74---------T95
AT83---------K9
------A5
------AT94
------AJ86
------Q64


Edit: Oh duh, the defense can manage a diamond ruff.

Palo Alto 5/6

I've been playing, just haven't been blogging.

Nothing terribly interesting to report, just some really dumb mistakes by me.

1. I opened 1D with Axx AQxx ATxx AT, partner bid 1H, and I just blasted 4. 4H has no play, I should just make the value bid of 3H.

2. This one is really dumb. They have the auction 1H - 2S (weak) - 4S.

Partner leads a small club, you get

AQ
AKxxx
AQTxx
x
--------Jx
--------QJx
--------xxx
--------AKxxx

I won the top club and led back... 4th best! I know a red suit pitch off dummy does declarer no good if he has the CQ, so why didn't I just continue the CA and hope to promote a spade trick? I may never know.

3. Need some input on this one. w/w partner opens 3C in second, you have AKx JTxx AKQ9x x. I passed smoothly, hoping for a balance, but no good. 9 pairs in 3N, 4 pairs in 3C. Partner has Jx xx JTx KQJ98x. Clubs go 3-3, partner crucially has the JT of diamonds, and hearts are 4-3. Is this just unlucky?

card combo

To play AQT9xx opp x for one loser, play low to the queen. This picks up all doubleton jacks and Kxx or KJx onside.

Quicktricks 4/27

I defended this one, but it's kind of an instructive basic hand.

You have AK954 J AK QJ862, righty deals. It goes p - 1S - 3D - 4S, and you get to play it. LHO leads the DQ.

J62
AQT975
T
K53

AK954
J
AK
QJ862

Without the preempt, you might try SAK, hoping to drop a doubleton spade queen and take 12 tricks, but with the preempt, spades are probably not breaking nicely. Best play is to play the spade ace, then a spade up to the jack. This proves to be necessary, RHO has QT87 of trumps, and you can pick him up this way.

4/26 BBO

Saw a basic defensive theme in a hand today. But first, the bidding problem.

imps r/w you have xx KTx A987 xxxx, partner deals. It goes

1D - 3H - p - p
x - p - ?

I just bid 4D here, it's probably sane but I never know. Anyway it continues

1D - 3H - p - p
x - p - 4D - 4H
x

So my LHO has decided to be crazy and we're going to hit 4H. I lead a big spade and we see

-----------QJT98x
-----------8x
-----------Tx
-----------JTx
xx
KTx
A987
xxxx

Partner cashes the first two spades, and they both hold. There is a trump promotion in the works, but the important defensive theme here is that we need to cash our side winners before going for the promo. If partner leads a third spade now, declarer can pitch a side suit instead of weakening his trump holding.

Partner leads the DQ, K, A, small. You return a small diamond to partner's jack. Now partner cashes the top two clubs (declarer following with Qx) and leads a spade. So declarer turned out to be 2722.

Declarer ruffs with the HJ and you should pitch. This is the other defensive theme, if you refuse this overruff you come to two trump tricks instead of one.

So I pitched a club, and declarer leads a small heart out of hand. I put in the ten, which crashed partner's ace. After all that hard work, sigh...

I wasn't counting declarer's hand. He'd shown up with the DK, CQ, and some heart holding with the jack. If he had AJxxxxx then my play doesn't matter. I was afraid of AQJ9xxx, in which case he would sneak a heart by me if I ducked this trick. But that would give declarer a 12 count, which most people would probably overcall 1H.

I compressed 1400 into 1100. Oh well, I'll take it.

4/22 BBO

Oops.

You get to the inferior 3N, you see

xx
JT9xx
Jx
AQTx

AKQJ
AQx
Kx
xxxx

The lead is a small diamond.

I played small from dummy at trick 1, but if I put in the jack, then it holds, which leaves me a club entry to run the hearts after picking up Kxx onside.

I'll come back and try to calculate some of these odds. I'm no good at this stuff, but I should start learning. I played small from dummy so I had to win the K in my hand, so the only options I see are trying to pick up Kx of hearts onside, or Kxx onside with the CK on.

St. Mary's Cathedral 4/16

Haha 42% game today.

I haven't gone through the matchpoints, but there were a lot of hands where the opponents played 2M making. I'm curious to see how this scored.

1.
One hand (which I've posted on the BBF), it went 1S - x - 2S to you, you have Kxx xx xxx QT9xx. I just passed here, it got passed out, 2S= was a bad score for us when the traveler came around. Would you bid 3C?

2.
I made a terrible call on this hand. You get dealt Jxx --- AKQJxx T9xx. Partner opens 1S, you bid 2D, partner bids 3C. I bid 3S because it saves room, but that's pretty dumb, since I want to be in clubs. It is matchpoints and all that, but clubs is a far superior contract. We get to 6S, off the AK. The funny thing is that we're off two cashing spades, but 6C is unbeatable because they're blocked. We got there because partner keycarded, I showed one. Turns out he had a diamond void, heh. Partner had Q9xxx AKJ --- AKQJx.

3.
Another bad score here. Unfavorable, you have AKJxxx A Jx Txxx. RHO opens 3H, you bid 3S, LHO bids 4H, partner doubles, all pass. The layout is something like

---------Qx
---------K9xx
---------xxx
---------AQ9x
xx------------------Txx
x-------------------QJTxxxx
AKQxxxx-------------x
Jxx-----------------Kx
---------AKJxxx
---------A
---------Jx
---------T8xx

So we get the obvious 6 tricks to take it for 500, but 4S is making for us. Dunno. By the way, feel free to praise my very fancy hand diagram.

4.
Here's another one. Favorable, you get KJ98 QJ9xx x Jxx. RHO deals.
1D - 1H - 2D - 4H
5D - p - p - x

I led a heart and RHO quickly wrapped it up. It takes a spade lead to beat it 1. I thought about leading a spade at trick 1 but just wimped out... like I said, I'm trying to get better at aggressive leads. We can only ever pick up 1 heart trick at most if partner has the ace, so I should probably start the spade. For a heart to be right, I guess declarer has to have AQ of spades and partner has to have the heart ace. Again, dunno.

5.
I guess I'll end on a high note. Favorable, you open 1N with QJ AJTx Axxx Axx. It goes

1N - p - 2H - x
xx

and at this point you've got a top. We roll 6N, but 2Hxx making 4 is a better score (I had to check.) RHO doubled on KQxxxx, but their side only gets three trump tricks defending 2H. What happened at the table here though, lefty freaked out at the blue card I guess and bid 3C on like Qxxxx and out. We held her to three tricks for 1700.

Trying to play hands, but...

Playing with randoms on BBO is really frustrating. We can't get a steady table going, people disappear and the table gets abandoned, random players are bad/annoying, etc.

Oh well, just gonna keep at it.

BBO 4/11

You arrive in 4H via 1C - 1H - 2H - 3N - 4H

xx
AKJx
x
Axxxxx

AJx
Qxxx
QTxx
Kx

The lead is the DA, shift to the CJ.

I didn't play this one right. I drew two rounds of trumps and got the bad news: hearts are 4-1, LHO having 4. I played a club up, lefty pitched, I won the ace, but I eventually wind up -1.

I tanked at trick 2 after winning the club in my hand. I need to go after clubs while I still have flexibility (entries) in trumps, I think. If I play a club up immediately and lefty pitches a spade, I win the ace, lead one back and ruff it. If lefty overruffs and leads a big diamond, I can pitch a spade, and then whatever he does, I can play a heart up, ruff another club big, draw trumps and claim. At least I think this line is unbeatable.

If lefty refuses to overruff the third club, I think I can play a heart up and ruff another one small, which leads to the same position. Anyway, I instinctively felt like playing a club up at trick three and I don't know why I didn't...

I guess this is a basic lesson: delay drawing trumps if you need to set up a side suit and use trumps as entries. Sometimes suits don't always break the way you want.


----
AQTxxx
Axx
K9xx

AT98xx
x
K98x
Ax

This one was more of a bidding fiasco than anything. The auction went, south dealing:

1S - 2H
2S - 3C
3D - 3H
3S - 4D
4S

I think the auction was okay up to 3S. When 4D came around, I wasn't sure what was going on so I just tried to quit as quickly as possible in 4S. Not sure how this auction should have gone.

San Jose sectional 4/4

Oh I totally forgot to mention this one defensive hand.

LHO opens 3D, RHO bids 3N. You're on lead with J75 J65 xxxx KJx.

Anyway I chose to lead the CK lol. Dummy was xx x KQJxxxx Axx or something like that. A merrimac coup at trick 1 if declarer has Qx of clubs and not the DA! Anyway we got 1 trick here for -690 and 0 matchpoints.

I can't remember the complete layout, but it takes a heart lead to hold them to 9, and a spade lead may give them 10 or 11.

I'm Feeling Lucky

My friend informs me that if you google "blidge brog," my page is the first hit.

You know they call me the Count

I dreamt that I was playing bridge, defending some contract. I woke up this morning and was upset that I didn't count the hand.

San Jose sectional 4/5

Played 108 boards this weekend; two session pairs on Saturday, teams on Sunday. Did about average in the pairs game, but unfortunately my hand records are somewhere not here.

I screwed up two games in the Swiss, but it doesn't seem to have mattered. We played in the BCD, and we just came up against weak opponents throughout.

Here's one I screwed up the auction and the play, a double whammy.

Partner opens 1N unfavorable
1N - (2S) - 2N* - 3S
p - (p) - 5C - (x)

I had K QTx Q9x KJTxxx. I wasn't thinking when I bid lebensohl, I just wanted to show a spade stopper and play 3NT. Of course 3C is a better bid.

I get a small spade lead, and I see

Ax
xxx
AJ8x
AQxx

K
QTx
Q9x
KJTxxx

I won the K, played CK and CA, SA pitching a heart. Then I just exited a heart. Turns out righty had HAK all along, oh well. Third heart ruffed in my hand, and at this point, I should make it. I can't remember how trumps were divided anymore, but lefty is most likely to have the diamond length, so I should play her for KTxx. Anyway I did, but I played off two more rounds of trumps, killing entry to hand before doing this. Not so great.

I underled an ace in some auction and partner had doubleton. There were some glances when I won the second round and delivered a ruff for down 1...

Against the last pair, we had a system win. Righty opened 1NT and I had AKxxx of hearts and QTxx of clubs (don't remember my other two suits, sorry). I doubled, showing a major and a minor, and they did Stayman/3NT. I led a fourth best heart, partner had QTxx. At the other table, opponents showed their hearts, and teammates scrambled to the 4-3 spade game, making 6.

Another hand, I opened J AJT8x KQ9xx xx and partner gave a 3 card limit raise. I felt aggressive the whole day, and I just accepted the invite. They led a trump, saving me from guessing the heart position. Partner had Q98 K9x Jxx Axxx, diamonds are 3-2. Teammates played 3S-1.

So the day went (in VPs): 9, 12, 20, 37, 57, 76, 96.

We won the whole thing, but screwing up two cold games is pretty annoying.

So this concludes my first week of bridge since a 4 month hiatus. It's exhausting!

St. Mary's Cathedral 4/2

Mildly drunk, no hand records.

I blew one defensive hand very badly.

After the auction (we are sitting in second)
1C - p - 1H - 4S
p - p - 5C - p
5H - ap

Partner leads a small diamond and you see

KJxx
KJTx
Jx
Axx
------x
------xx
------Axxxx
------xxxxx

I won the DA, declarer dropping the DK. At this point I looked at the hand and didn't think I was getting a spade ruff so just returned something stupid like a diamond. Partner bid 4S on his 6-5, and of course, I get the ruff to beat 5H. This was very poor by me.

Now onto the good stuff...

Opponents bid unopposed
1S - 2C
2H - 3H
4H

I'm sitting over the 1S opener with AKJ9 xx AJxxx xx, so a trump lead looks obvious. I make it, and we get

---------x
---------Jxx
---------KTx
---------AKxxxx
AKJ9
xx
AJxxx
xx

Declarer pops the jack from dummy, partner signaling even. Looks like they walked into the 4-3. Declarer plays a spade to the ten, I win the jack, and continue trumps. Declarer wins in his hand with the Q and ruffs a spade.

Now he crosses to hand with the CQ and leads a diamond. I pause here and give some thought (probably shoulda done that earlier, but if I'm gonna hitch with the DA, then I'm gonna hitch long enough to think.)

If declarer had 2 clubs (I didn't watch the club count from partner) then he would just draw trumps and run the clubs. I give declarer the stiff CQ, so partner is 2425. Why didn't declarer just draw trumps anyway? I guess he might be missing the K and is trying to trump coup the hand.

Oh well. I hop the DA, cash two spades, partner pitching to a void in diamonds, and deliver the ruff. Three spades, one heart, diamond ace, +200. Declarer had AKQx of hearts all along.

Another hand, we're in second with AJxxxx Kx xx KTx
1H - 1S - 1N - p
2D - p - 5D - ap

I attack with a club. This proves to be necessary.

---------KQx
---------Qx
---------KJTxx
---------xxx
AJxxxx
Kx
xx
KTx

Partner puts in the CQ, and the hand is over. Declarer draws trumps in two rounds, runs the HQ. I cash out for -1. I know it's not a very exciting hand, but I'm a very passive leader. I'm working on improving my leads, picking my times to attack, and I'm really glad I got this one right, as simple as it is.

Amusing side note: You get KJx xx AKxx Axxx unfavorable in second
2S - 2N* - p** - 3D
p - 3H - 3S - 4H
ap

*Would you?
**LONG tank. I thought I was going to get murdered.

LHO leads a spade, you've got

x
KQTxx
xxxxx
xx

KJx
xx
AKxx
Axxx

Spade to the ace, shift to the club king.

Diamonds are 2-2 and hearts are AJx onside, making 5. Partner was on tilt from getting 4 terrible boards in a row, and decided he was going to get to 4H on this hand no matter what. We really fixed Steve and Kim here, and I have great respect for them (they're both great bridge players as well as really nice people, which seems rare), so I felt sort of bad. They ended up winning the whole thing anyway, so I'm happy there's justice in the world.

Afterward, we hit up a random sushi place on the way home, and partner picked up a 50 dollar bill. Thanks for the food and cards, partner!

Palo Alto Bridge Center 4/1

Another one from Neil.

You deal, J43 QT K53 AKT86

1C - 1N - p - 2D
p - 2H - ap

985
A97532
2
943
-------------------J43
-------------------QT
-------------------K53
-------------------AKT86

Partner leads the 5 of clubs. You win the club king, ace, partner following with the deuce. Lead a low club signaling a diamond return, partner ruffs with the 8. Partner returns a diamond to your king, and it holds. You lead another club, partner ruffs with the HJ, and you hold them to two. They missed this defense at the table; -110 wins all the matchpoints.

I came back and thought about it later. Is it right to go for the trump promo? I couldn't picture declarer with a spade loser (AKQ of spades, HK, CQ, DQ). I also felt certain that partner's hearts were J8 from the play. I guess it's possible that declarer started with KJxx, but I'm just not going to play for that. Maybe partner's diamond signals something?

I can't really think of any declarer hands where going for the trump promotion is bad though. Even if we have a spade trick coming, we simply lose our trump trick. And it's possible declarer can take a ruffing finesse in diamonds and pitch away dummy's third spade (AKx Kxx QJxx Qxx). All in all, it seems like the promotion is the way to go.

Palo Alto Bridge Center 4/1

Thanks to Neil for this one.

AJT87 Qx x AKJxx

MP unfavorable, you're in second seat

p - 1S - 3D - 3S
p - 4S - ap

The lead is the DA and you get

Q96 KTxxx xx xxx
AJT87 Qx x AKJxx

I don't like the 3S bid but that's neither here nor there. DA, followed by a low diamond to the Q, ruffed in your hand. I need to get to dummy, so I try a low heart to dummy's K and it holds. I don't know if this is best, it may be better to play a low heart to dummy's ten. Regardless, once it holds, LHO has AK of diamonds and the HA, you can be pretty sure that all the black cards are working.

I run the S9 from dummy and west shows out. Oops. This is the last time I'm going to be in dummy, so I hook the club and it holds, as expected. Two more rounds of clubs and east admits to Qxx. At this point the position is:

Q6
Txxx
---
---

AJT
Q
---
xx

I fell asleep and just decided to run clubs, pitching hearts from dummy. RHO can ruff with a baby trump, and you can't avoid losing a 4th trick to the SK.

The hand is actually made from here. What you have to do is ruff a club winner. If RHO ruffs and leads a trump, you simply draw trumps and concede the last heart: losing a heart, a diamond, and a spade. If RHO ruffs and plays a heart to LHO and a heart to force you, you have a high crossruff. If RHO refuses to ruff completely, you can just exit a heart, and they can't do anything to you.

Quicktricks 3/30

Matchpoints unfavorable you deal

AJ ATxx Jxxxx Ax

1D - 2C - 2S - 3C
p - p - 3D - p
?

I mulled over this for a while before deciding to pass. 5D and 4S are cold, but +150 was enough for 6.5/8 matchpoints anyway.

What I was thinking: I didn't like 3N with Ax in clubs, I can't even hold up 2 rounds. And just because partner made a 2 level bid doesn't mean he has the values... I know I make that bid with really horrible hands sometimes when I have a fit for partner and don't want my long suit to get buried.

I figured it was matchpoints, so missing game wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Partner had Qxxxx Kx AQT9x x.

It looks like the stronger players on BBF are passing, or if forced to play a game, would choose 4S.

-----------------------

Another hand the opponents had a misunderstanding and missed a transfer, and I stupidly didn't draw the final trump and gave declarer a free trick. Trust me, it was dumb. It didn't matter though.

--------------------
Declaring 3N after 1N - 2C - 2D - 2N - 3N
You get the HQ lead

KTxx
xx
xx
AJTxx

A9x
Axx
KQJT
Kxx

RHO plays a middle spot and LHO... shifts to a spade! You play small and win the Q in hand with the A.

Obviously we have dodged a bullet with the shift, and what's more, we have possibilities to pick up the spade suit. At this point, I stupidly played king and a club. Because LHO shifted, I can drive out the DA and make the avoidance play in clubs later. It's not clear to me what happens if LHO continues hearts, because even if I pick up 5 club tricks, that still only brings my total to 8. I may have to guess the spades and eventually go after diamonds anyway, but the point is, the opponents gave me an opportunity here, and I didn't take it.

Anyway it didn't cost, RHO has the crucial entries, and I only ever have 9 tricks. Still, these are the kinds of things you can't afford to miss.

On a humorous side note: partner opened QJ QJxxx Axxx xx in first

First

I want to get better at bridge, but I don't play nearly enough to improve.

If I start this blog and feel obligated to update it with content, then I will be forced to play hands.

That's the plan, anyway.