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.