Stanford 12/7

I reached 3N on these cards yesterday after RHO preempted 3H

Axx Kx xxxx Axxx

K Axxx AQTxx KQx

On a spade lead, I won the SK, then lay down DA (J falling from RHO), then DQ. LHO won the DK, then continued spades. I won the A, shedding a heart, then cashed HK, HA, then all the diamonds, leaving this position:

x --- --- Axxx
--- x x KQx

On the final diamond, if LHO has 6 spades and 4 clubs, she's squeezed. Meanwhile, if RHO has 6 hearts and 4 clubs, he's squeezed. I don't even have to read the position. I think my friend told me this is known as a simple-as-double squeeze.

Our auction was 1D* - (3H) - 3N. What would you bid after 3H? If you're not strong enough to bid more than 3N, add a queen to your hand or something.

*11-15(16), 2+ diamonds. If balanced, 11-13.

BBO 11/24

I suck.

Palo Alto 11/10

Matchpoints, they bid 2S all pass

Partner leads CJ, you see

--------x
--------AKTxx
--------x
--------KQxxxx
-----------------KTx
-----------------xx
-----------------A87654
-----------------xx

Declarer wins the CA in hand, cashes the SA, partner following the J. Declarer crosses to the CK, plays CQ, you ruff with the T, declarer shedding a diamond. You cash the DA, and partner signals encouragement. Now what?

Berkeley Sectional 11/6

I'm really too lazy to use the BBO iframes hand thing. It takes too long to do, and too long to load on the page.

You open 1S and reach 4S after LHO has bid Michaels (no, don't ask how you reached it.)

Kxx
Jxx
Axx
QT87

AJ987
xx
xx
AK65

They lead heart heart heart, you ruff in hand. You pick up spades for no losers, LHO having 2. Now what?


You have x QJx T98xxx AJx. Partner preempts 3S.
3S - p - p - x
p - 4H all pass

1. What do you lead?

I led a dumb spade, we get

---------xx
---------Axxx
---------AKQ
---------T9xx
x
QJx
T98xxx
AJx
---------
---------
---------
---------

Partner wins the SA and leads back the Q. Declarer covers the K, we ruff. Diamond exit, declarer wins, draws trumps in two, partner having two (of course).

Declarer ruffs a spade, cashes the remaining diamonds, sluffing a club on the third diamond.

Now he leads a club to the K. This part has been bugging me.

If declarer started with KQxx of clubs (KQx remaining), then we have to duck this trick to prevent ourselves from getting endplayed.

This part I'm not so sure about, but... if partner has Hx in this position, then I think she must actually play the honor (second hand high) to get off an endplay. If partner has Kx, then second hand low leads to only 2 tricks in the suit. If partner has Qx and plays small, are we supposed to duck the K or win it? If we duck, and declarer plays a small club, are we supposed to put in the J, or A to croc partner's Q? It's pretty unsolvable.

From partner's point of view, can declarer ever have KJxx and play this way? If partner has Qx, then as long as declarer hooks against the Q, we're toast. Ducking the CA doesn't help, declarer can exit any club card he wants, and we're endplayed. Will declarer ever misguess clubs? If partner has the Axx, then the K is right. But that would give preemptor AQJTxxx and a side ace, which is too good. So I guess Q from Qx in this scenario is always right.

simplicity

4H

AQx
AKJx
xx
AJxx

Kxx
xxxxx
Ax
Txx

DK led

from a friend

(p) - 1D - (2H) - 2S
(3H) - 3N

Whether or not you like the auction, here you are.

small heart led to the J

KJT52 65 K5 A963
64 AK AT9432 J87

Stanford 10/20

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

DK led

xxxxx Qx xx AKxx
AJxx Kxxxx Ax Qx

tragedy

BridgeBase forums down all day.

Stanford 10/13

You open 1S on AJ987x Kxxx x xx (shut up) and find yourself in 4S after LHO has made a takeout double.

CK led

Kxx
Qxx
KJxx
AJx

AJ987x
Kxxx
x
xx

I decided to duck the club for lack of anything better to do. The only way to my hand is via the SA, so I just decided to let LHO hold the lead. Thoughts?

I was planning to hook RHO for the spade, but LHO shifted to a spade at trick 2. The queen appears on your right, so you win the ace.

At this point I just hooked the club, winning, played CA, shaking the diamond, ruffing the diamond to hand, and leading a heart up. RHO actually shows up with the HA and leads a heart back, so I win HK and play a third heart. RHO shows out, but now I ruff my 4th round heart with the SK and hook against the spade ten.

It feels like there should be a better line, like playing a diamond up to set up the DK for a heart pitch. Then you could lose a club, a diamond, and a heart, but get 2 heart discards. But this also requires guessing diamonds properly, and it's awkward to try to reach our hand.

Santa Rosa sectional 10/3

I got owned on the following hand:

w/r I deal, I have QT9 xx KJxxxx Kx. I preempt an ugly 2D, and it goes

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

I decide to lead the ST, we see

.........Kxx
.........AKJT
.........QT
.........Q987
QT9
xx
KJxxxx
Kx
.........A
.........Qxxxx
.........
.........

Declarer plays wins the SA, plays HA then a heart to the Q. Declarer now leads a diamond up.

I ducked, because partner is "marked" with the DA. If declarer had 5 trumps to the Q and two aces, surely she would have bid more than 2H right? I don't know what our 4 tricks are, they either have to be the minor suit aces and kings, or the DA and the CAKJ, or maybe even a slow spade instead of a third club. If I fly the K and declarer is 2542, oops.

Of course declarer has the DA and I just let her steal the diamond trick to make the contract.

I don't think I should ever get this one right. Thoughts?

There was a board where I freely bid a vully game and went down 3. That was sort of embarrassing.

Here's one board I think I should've gotten right. I have KQTx x x AQJxxxx. We reach 5C after I open 1C and lefty makes a takeout double.

The lead is a small heart, we get

Jxxx AJ9x Kxxx x
KQTx x x AQJTxxx

Unfortunately 4S is pretty good on a non diamond lead as long as spades are 3-2, but here we are in 5C.

I'm going to lose two aces, so I have to bring in trumps for no losers. I carelessly played a club to the Q, losing. I can only pick up Kx of clubs onside, but that requires the doubler to have doubled with three small clubs. Of course this is not impossible, but I don't think my LHO is capable of such a double, so I should've gone for the drop. It works on this hand.

Dee-fense!

p - p - p - 1H
p - 2D* - p - 4H

Partner leads the C9, dummy is

JT
AT87
A853
JT7
.............K9765
.............---
.............Q42
.............A8654

You win the CA. Now what?

casual game

You get dealt x AJ QJ QJ98xxxx

Lefty deals.

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

I passed at my first turn (considered a raise to 2D...) and then bid 5D on my second turn. Thoughts?


You reach 3N on 1D - 1H - 1N - 3N

LHO leads the CQ, you have

Ax AK9x KQ32 xxx
Qxxx QT A987 Kxx

You duck the CQ, another club is led to the A, third club led, you win the K. It looks like LHO started with QJTx. What's the plan?

some hands

Well this is a bad mistake I made.

I get to 6S (imps) with
xxxx Qxxx xx Kxx
AKQxx AJxx AK Ax

After the opening minor lead, I break spades 2-2, cross to dummy and finesse the HJ. I think this costs the slam about 3% of the time when the HK is stiff offside. As it was, I found Kx onside. No bad play goes punished!

Santa Clara Regional 9/6

1S - 2H - 2S - 3S - 3N - 4S

Lead is the club 6.

8xx AQJxx x AKTx
AK7xx Tx Axxx Jx

Sorry, I don't remember the club x's.

Santa Clara Regional 9/4

You get deal J AKxx KQxx KJTx.

In third seat, you open 1N (okay I was masterminding), LHO intrudes with 2S, partner bids 3S and you bid 4H.

SA is led, you get

xxx JTxx Axx Axx
J AKxx KQxx KJTx

Hearts are 4-1, RHO having Qxxx. RHO follows to three rounds of spades, the SQ on the third round.

Palo Alto 8/20

Just another random hand from that night.

In 4H:

Axxx QJ xx KTxxx
KQT AKT98xx Jxx ---

It's not terribly interesting, but I was pretty proud of myself for immediately identifying the ways to make 5H by...

1) ruffing a diamond in dummy
2) ruffing out the CA
3) breaking spades 3-3
4) running a squeeze against LHO when he has 4 spades and the CA

If they start a big diamond and shift to a heart, your diamond ruff is never going to come home. Still you need to rectify the count, so win trick 2 in dummy, ruff a club. Exit a diamond, now they play another heart. Ruff another club. If the CA hasn't fallen, run all trumps, throwing away the CK on the final trump, and then play on spades.

The defense started two rounds of diamonds, and I was allowed to ruff my diamond in dummy.

Afterward, I was looking over the hands with some friends, and they said "this hand always makes 5, move on." And I pointed out the kind of neat play, but they were like "whatever, spades are 3-3." Lame :/

card combination

AQ9
xxxxx

Play up to the 9. Assuming it loses to the Jen or Tack, lead up again. If a second small one appears, you should play the A. RHO has either KT, KJ, or JT. It's a restricted choice scenario; so play him for KT/KJ.

LHO can break this by playing a JT when you lead the first round of the suit! So what happens then? In the real world, I would probably always play for LHO to have split from JTx. (He has to do this in order to give you a losing option.)

However, if LHO is good enough to do this from Jxx/Txx, then he either has Jxx/Txx or JTx. Is this a restricted choice situation (LHO must play a big one from these holdings), so you should still play for KT/KJ on your right!?!?

My head hurts.

Palo Alto 8/20

(1N)* - 2C** - 3H
4H

*11-14
**majors

4H by south, lead is the CQ.

KQxxx
AQJx
Qxx
K

xx
xxxxx
Ax
Axxx

System (gasp) Notes

I've been learning a strong club recently, and we've sort of figured out a way to deal with intervention over our 1C openings. There's so little literature on this out there.

Our 1C is 16+, 17+ if balanced.

After 1C - (x) - ?
Redouble shows a semipositive (5-7) with three clubs. 1D is a semipositive without 3 clubs. All other bids are the same as if they hadn't come in.

After 1C - (1x) - ?
Double is any semipositive, all other bids natural. A cuebid shows a balanced GF with no stopper.

After 1C - (2x) - ?
Rubensohl applies. Responder assumes 1C opener has the 17-19 balanced. Cheapest new suit bids up to 2N are natural GF, otherwise 2N is a transfer to clubs, 3C transfer to 3D, etc. A transfer to their suit is a GF takeout. Cuebid shows a balanced GF with no stopper.

After 1C - (3x) - ?
Double is basically 6+ game forcing. This is a nightmare, but it's pretty much a nightmare in any system when the opps preempt to 3.

Some meta rules:
When responder shows a semipositive, we are in a force to 2NT. If the opps get to game after responder has shown a semipositive, we are in a force.

If we are in a force and neither player has shown any shape (1C - 2S - x - 4S), our first double is takeout. We invert standard forcing pass agreements.

If responder has shown some shape and we are in a force (1C - 2S - 3S - 4S, 1C - 2S - 3H - 4S), standard forcing pass agreements apply. Double is defensive, pass is offensive.

It's only happened twice, but so far we've gotten rich just by doubling when the opponents go crazy over our 1C opening and violate the law. We had one auction where I opened 1C with 5-5 majors, and it went 1C - 3C - x - 5C. I shrugged and doubled for takeout, which of course partner left in. It went down 3 against air. I especially love responder's cuebid (balanced GF, no stopper), since every time it's happened, they bid to the 4 level, I'm looking at 2 small, and I shrug and double.

Right now, the 1D (2+) opening is actually giving us the most headache.

forum hand

This was posted as a double dummy problem on the bridgebase forums.

How would you play single dummy? I would probably win SA, cash CA, strip the majors, then exit a club, "hoping for the opponents to make a mistake." (Thanks Eddie Kantar)

Would you be able to find the winning line single dummy? You'd basically have to be able to read LHO having exactly 2 clubs and 6 spades AND the DA (at least for the line I'm thinking)... it seems pretty esoteric to me.

Palo Alto 8/20

You have Qx KQ9xx xxx AKJ.

Opponents silent, you bid:
1D* - 1H
1N** - ?

*2+
**14-16

You play 2 way new minor.


w/r partner deals.

1S* - (x) - ?

*10-15, 5+ spades.

QJxx AQxx x T9xx

casual game 8/19

Partner deals.

p - 1C - 1D - 1S
2D - x* - 3D - 3S
ppp

Partner leads the D8 (3rd/low, or top of nothing)

Dummy is AKJ Kxx 72 QJxxx

You have Q QTx AQJT43 ATx

You win the DA, declarer follows small. Now what?

San Mateo Sectional 8/15

1. How do you play AJ98x opp Kx for 4 tricks?

2. You get to 4H on
1N - p - 2C - (x)
2H - p - 3H
4H

Lead is the C8, you see
xx KT9x xxxx AJx
AKx AQ8x Axx Txx

Your plan?

3.



Plan the defense.

Baby exercise

Mostly thinking out loud, so I figured I'd write it down.

Kxxx opp JTxxx for 1 loser

low to the K picks up Ax (2), AQ (1), Q (2)

running the J picks up Qx (2), AQ (1)

Did I get it right?

It's only after I work it out that I count out the symmetric cases. I really should work on these more.

Castro Valley Sectional 8/8

I had no idea how to declare this hand. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I made it. I really had no plan, it just sort of happened.

1H - (3C) - x - (p)
3S - (p) - 4S

Qxxx Kx AKxx xxx

AKxx QTxxx JTx J

CA lead, righty follows the Q. Small club to righty's K, you ruff. Now what? Your spade spots are truly puny.

Here's one I screwed up on defense. You lead to (1N) - 2D* - (2N) - (3N). You have Qx A9xxx Kxxxx x. What do you lead? Your bid showed diamonds and a major.

I led a heart, swayed by the H9 and the fact that 2N natural was based on my having shown diamonds. Of course, I knew my opponents weren't very sophisticated, so I probably should have ignored that.

More importantly, the DK is a slow entry, whereas the HA is a fast entry. If we get hearts set up, we may not have the tempo for me to get in with the diamond.

On this hand, partner has 3 small in hearts and QJ of diamonds. Declarer's diamonds split 3-3; it's just a simple matter of leading a diamond, overtaking the diamond return and clearing the suit. D'oh.

New Orleans GNT C Semifinal 7/25

I doubled for the lead, partner duly led a heart, and I ruffed. I'm sitting there thinking it's time to lay down the SK and kill dummy... and then I notice the heart king unblocked at trick 1. I go into a huge tank; of course, nothing matters. :(

We're out.

New Orleans National GNT C Quarterfinals 7/23

I played this hand in 6H today.

Kxx QJTx AKxxx A

Ax AKxxx Txxx Jx

A great slam, no doubt. The SQ was led, I win in dummy, draw trumps in two rounds, CA, SA, club ruff, spade ruff. The hand is now stripped.

I can now guard against RHO having all 4 diamonds. I didn't have to, but it was nice to see that I could've!

BBO 7/13

I was really lazy here and didn't stop to think. I won the DA on the D9 lead, declarer dropping the K. I sorta shrugged and led a diamond back, hoping partner could ruff. Of course, this is fatal if she can't.

I should cash the CA at trick 2. Partner's signal in the suit will tell me what I need to do.

Santa Clara Firecracker Sectional 7/4

4th day of the sectional, and I've sorta been teaching my partner a bit here and there. On the first day, she made a takeout double of 1D and I penalty passed it. We could've gotten it for something like 500 or 800, but she was too scared to lead from Kx of trump. In between sessions, I gave her a bit of an explanation of why it's often right to lead trump vs doubled partials.

So today, this hand took place:



I was too chicken to lead a trump. I knew it as soon as dummy hit. (Actually I knew it as I was making my opening lead, but why trust yourself?) Partner won the ace, looked straight at me, and put a trump on the table. A diamond off dummy to her ace, another trump return, a club off dummy, and then she flew the club ace, put me in with a spade, whereupon I played the third round of trumps. Thanks partner!

We were playing in the lowest bracket, so we did a lot of doubling. We collected a lot of 300s and 500s vs air.

There was another hand where I was in 5D with

Axx xx J954 xxxx
opp
x KJT9 AKQT873 K

The auction went 1D - 3D - (x) - 5D
A spade was led, I tried a club, ace popping on my right. Another spade, ruffed big. Trump to the jack (all following), final spade ruffed, righty dropping the queen.

So I felt like righty had KQ of spades, AQ of clubs (he played the ace really smoothly), and I just have to guess hearts. I figured he was more likely to have the HA instead of the HQ because of his 3 level takeout double. Wrong again, lose 5. The other table was in 4D.

Santa Clara Firecracker Sectional 7/1

The saddest endplay ever.



(Just stepped through my post, east has doubleton club jack instead of club ten, if that means anything at all.)

casual game 6/26

Here's one that really struck me from a while ago. I'd completely forgotten to post it.



The diagram's a bit off, I had the SJ in my hand (because that seriously improves it to a 1 level opening.)

I shifted to the small club because I can see that spades are 3-3.

The interesting part was in the post mortem afterward, when dummy commented that it would be really amazing if I had shifted to a small club from AQx and knew that spades weren't breaking. Sneaky!!

Santa Clara Firecracker Sectional 7/2

There was a hand I declared spectacularly badly and lost the vul game. But I don't wanna think about that anymore.

Here's a pretty funny one:



I opened 2H on the south hand. West passed, partner bid 2N Ogust (we play new suit nonforcing, perhaps for this reason! Not that she knew I had a 5 bagger), and we quit in 3H. I was allowed to make it when lefty led a club and then shifted to a diamond. Righty got in, played a heart, and now I lose 2 clubs, 2 diamonds.

At the other table, my seat passed, west bid 3C, north 3S, east 3N, which is unbeatable thanks to the heart blockage :)

Santa Clara Firecracker sectional

Poor neglected blog.

Had some interesting hands today in the KO/swiss (knocked out in one round).



The auction and play are as listed. At trick 2, I flew ace and led another spade.

Here's a declarer play problem.



6D by north, lead is the CQ.

I don't know how to bid

Saw this last night, partner opens 1D and rebids 2C over your 1S response.

You have something like KQJx xx Jxxx Jxx

So 2N is out, 2D could be made on a 6 count and a doubleton, so it looks like the only rebid left is 3D. It just feels wrong to me though. Maybe I'm being neurotic.

Casual game 4/20

You open 2N with AKJx AKJ ATx Jxx, passed out.

LHO leads a small diamond, you see

xxxx xxx KJx xxx

AKJx AKJ ATx Jxx

Right or wrong, you put in the J and it holds, RHO showing even count. If you assume clubs are 2-5 and that they will shift to it when they get in, how do you play?

Palo Alto 3/31

1. Matchpoints, you're in second with Tx KQTxx xxx Jxx

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

Would have bid 4H at imps without blinking. Looking for any second opinions.

21. Favorable, your RHO opens 1D, you have AQJx xx Q QJ8xxx. Your call?

Partner overcalled 2C, the opponents got to 3D and made 5.

Marshall Miles recommends overcalling 1S, 3C later if necessary. In his book, the example hands for partner always contain a stiff club and 5 card spade support. You know what? He was right!

Thoughts on Reno

This was basically my first time at an NABC. I spent 4 days there, playing 48 boards the first day, 60 boards the next, 56 boards on day 3, and then just 24 on day 4, since we didn't qualify for day 2 of the NABC+ Swiss.

It doesn't sound like that much, but I was extremely drained by the 3rd day. I was reliving all the terrible plays and bids that I made from the first two days of the Red Ribbon pairs. I can still remember them now.

I want to say it was an enjoyable experience, but I don't think I would call it that. I was pretty stressed, eating at irregular hours thanks to play schedule, and staying up late looking at hands.

At least I'll be prepared for the 4 days of GNTC in New Orleans, if we make it that deep.

BBO 3/27

An exercise in counting. I assumed East started with QJx of hearts, but of course he could have HJx and SJxx. Thankfully, there was a spade discard so everything became clear.

There may be a better line, but I just did what felt natural at the table.

Reno NABC+ Swiss teams 3/19 day 1

We won 4, lost 4 in the NABC+ Open Swiss, but we were 9 or 10 vps away from qualifying.



I ran a spade/diamond squeeze on this board. This was worth 1 imp, which translated to 1 more vp, but most importantly, a beer :)

Reno Red Ribbon pairs 3/18 day 1 part 2

26.

Oops!

Reno Red Ribbon Pairs 3/18 day 1 part 1

1.

The defense starts a diamond. It comes around to the K, and at this point, north decided to cash the HA, seeing the HJ out of east.

It looks like you need two club ruffs in hand to make the contract (or two spade ruffs, but I can see all the cards.) Anyway, the whole reason I wanted to post this hand was the neat technique in spades. To protect your natural spade winners, you can first cash a high one, and then lead a low one up to the K. If west ruffs, she ruffs air.

You don't have three entries to lead a spade up and ruff two clubs, but it looks like lefty is forced to give something up to you. Cash all your aces first (always looks cool), strip diamonds ending in dummy, lead a spade up to the K. Then, ruff a spade, west overruffs. Anything west does will yield a trick to you, and now you can reach dummy with the HK to ruff another club.

5.

Yes, I bid 1H.

22.

On correct defense, 3H is off 1 for the magic 200. We held them to making 4.

If I lead a trump like a normal person, we're almost forced into the correct defense. North wins the first round of diamonds, and the only shift that makes sense is a spade. The proper play in spades is to lead the T, surrounding dummy's 9. If declarer plays the J, we establish 2 spade tricks, 1 trump, 1 diamond, and 1 club. In fact, now I can receive a promotion, and we beat it 2.

If east rises with the SA, blocking the suit, and continues with a diamond ruff, then a club up, north rises with the CK, leads a spade. Now south exits with a club. This is the position:



With south returning a club, declarer can't draw trumps and play his clubs to discard his spade loser. Say declarer wins the club in hand and leads low to the HT. South wins the K, and exits another club. South will either get a club ruff, or declarer will be forced to lose a spade at the very end, giving the defense 1 club, 1 diamond, 1 spade, 1 heart, and either a spade or a heart.

Good double!

BBO 3/4

How do you declare 4S? The entire play is here, but just look at trick 1 if you really wanna think about it.

My line is pretty bleh. I don't know if I'd even call it a line. I've worked out what I believe to be the right play; too bad I was too lazy to figure it out at the table.

Stanford 3/2

Imagine you're at matchpoints and every trick matters. How do you play? My partner for GNT-C played this hand and took the maximum number of tricks. I am a lucky guy.

2/21 Burlingame GNT-C Qualifier

We managed to win, but it was too close for comfort. Here's one that I really botched.



I'm off 1 in 5C here, but they're going to go down 2 on proper defense. I think if I decide to bid again, I should double. If partner has fitting cards, he can pull it, and if not, he can sit for it. What I think is clearly wrong is 5C. Of course, partner might pull a double to 4S... I have 3 quick tricks, but I don't know. Maybe I should just sell out to 4H.



First of all, we're lucky we didn't get a 4D preempt. So after 4D (showing a good spade raise, doesn't promise a control), I tried to signoff with my balanced minimum.

From partner's point of view, SA HA CK is a slam. He cuebid 5C, and I cuebid 5D, which may actually be discouraging to partner. Should I even cuebid 5D, or just bid 5H?

If partner tried to get out in 5S, I was planning to bid 6S anyway because I had the HA and a maximum. Help, what do we do here?

2/20 Burlingame GNT-C Qualifier

Here's another one from the GNT-C qualifiers. What contract would you reach? South deals and opens 1N. You have the gadgetry to show a long club suit with a stiff spade, but would you use it?

2/20 Burlingame GNT-C Qualifier

I read Kantar's Take All Your Chances at Bridge book just a few days before the GNT, and this hand felt something that could have come from it.



So we have to deal with a club loser and a diamond loser. The first idea is that you should play a low club to the queen. If the CK is onside, the hand is already over.

Assuming that loses, you can try to ruff out the CJ. If it comes down, you have a club to pitch a diamond.

If NONE of that works, you're down to the diamond finesse. You tried everything!

At the table, when I finessed the club, RHO actually won the CK and led back the DJ. I felt that LHO had the CJ (LHO hitched when I played a club up), and the DJ looked so weird that I figured LHO had the DK as well, so I ran a squeeze instead. Both cards are onside though.

If RHO comes back a small diamond, then you have to abandon trying to drop the CJ and just go for the 50-50 diamond finesse.

San Jose 2/17

14.
Matchpoints. You sit north.



Opponents play 12-14 NT, so opener should not have 12-14 balanced on this auction. 2S is perhaps pushy, but here you are.

Partner leads the SK and continues with the 9. You overtake with the T. Wanting to score your trump queen before leading a third round of spades, you exit with a club.

Declarer cashes the HK, realizes that something fishy is going on, plays a heart to the ace, and makes 5.

Meanwhile, in reality, I just played the SA at trick 3, giving partner his ruff, and declarer dropped my HQ to make 4. Should I have tried the imagined line?

Update: I was staring at this hand and realized that if I wanted to try this, I should NOT overtake the spade and let declarer think that I'm an idiot. I can't say that she'd be wrong to think that...

Burlingame Regional 2/15

I remembered another hand from the Burlingame Regional. I don't remember the entire hand, but partner opened 1S in third r/w, RHO made this ugly 2H overcall on AKxxx of hearts, and I trapped with KQ QJxx Qxxx xx. Unfortunately, partner was offshape for a reopening double (5224), so we beat them 2 undoubled.

I would've done the same in his seat, but I know people who reopen with any shortness, and I guess hands like this are why.

Show your work

Back in a college statistics class, I got the following problem on an exam:

You are playing a card game, and there are 5 cards in a suit remaining to be divided between the person on your left and the person on your right. What are the odds that the person on your right has 3?

I showed no work and wrote down the (correct) answer. I got no credit. Maybe I was supposed to ask for the auction.

Burlingame 2/15

Our GNT-C team played in the A/X Swiss teams today at the Burlingame regional. We ended up 7 VPs below average, but it was a LOT of fun. We were planning to play the BCD, but they only play 49 boards as opposed to the A/X 56. As Helen put it, "More value for our money!"

We won our first two matches by a tiny bit, and then we played against our third team. There were three big swings in this match.

Round 3
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We got to 6D and made it after the defense started two rounds of hearts. I ruffed in dummy, drew two rounds of trumps, and finessed the spade through the opener. The other table was in 5D, making 6, after a murkier auction where our teammates bid a lot.

On another one, there was a nonvul game swing where we were in 3H making 4, whereas the opponents bid it. Unfortunately, I was dummy, so I can't quite remember the hand. I don't think it was a very good contract though... it needed a helpful lead and a suit to break 3-3.



Both teams got to 4S, but we defeated it at our table after I led a heart. Partner got in with the DA, put a club through, and the contract goes off 1. At the other table, a passive spade was led, giving declarer time to establish the 13th diamond.

After we compared scores, Eric came up to me, and we had this conversation.

Eric: You guys must be doing good or something.
Me: I dunno, we're doing okay.
Eric: You just played the Burke team.
Me: Who?
Eric: Burke, Mohan, Bates, Hampson. They're national champions.
Me: ...Oh.
Eric: So how did it go?
Me: Win by 13.

As Eric later said, "It's a short match... anything could happen!" I'll take it!

Round 4
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There were three big swings in this round, but I'll post the more interesting one.



At our table, the auction went, west dealing:

p - p - 1H - 1S
2H - 2S - all pass

I made four on the heart lead, it takes a trump lead and continuation to hold me to three. Unfortunately, the other table was in game and also did not get a killing lead.

It was only after the match that I realized that our opponents at the other table were the Stansbys! We eked over them by 1 imp!

So after the first four miracle rounds, we crashed and burned. We lost our final three matches by ~15 VPs each, which our earlier small victories weren't good enough to cover. There was a hand I got to 3N with 12 opposite 6, but never mind that.

I really hope we make it through the GNT-C qualifiers this Saturday!

Burlingame Regional 2/13

IMP pairs. This hand doesn't have too much instructional value, but I enjoy it too much not to share it.



After stripping the reds, I should play CA and a club, hoping for a misdefence. RHO either needs to unblock Kx, or LHO needs to hop K from KJxxx to chomp partner's Q (crocodile coup.) Instead, I played a small club, which caters to RHO having 5521 with stiff CK.

Well, you can see what happened. RHO got on lead with his stiff J, had to give me the SK, and then I threw him in again!

I have to admit, I prefer to be off 1 and have taken a stupid line than to be off 2 and have taken the correct line.

Great score, right? We managed to sac against a vul making game, and I got out two tricks better than I should have. Well, someone in our direction was +420. WTF!?

Palo Alto 2/5

I'm sitting east.

13.



This is unbeatable; it just seems like one of those things.

Palo Alto 2/3

I sat east, they had some auction to 3N, I don't remember it exactly.

I got strip squeezed, but declarer couldn't read it. He should though, especially since I opened.

Palo Alto 1/30

Few hands from tonight. I have 2 other days left to post...

2.


First of all, can you reach 6D? It's scary on a spade lead, but it seems to be a good contract.

I got to 3N, got the H6 lead. I took an "unnatural" finesse in diamonds, toward the short hand. Clearly this loses, but I feel like Qxx on my right is better than Qxx(x) on my left given the lead. This was a terrible score, with a lot of the field making 490. Is it that much better to finesse toward the long hand, or did people just not think about it?

4.


Can you bid this? I almost blasted 6 over 4. Of course, on a bad (normal?) day, it goes HA and a ruff.

14.


This one feels straight out of a book.

Of course, I failed to ruff the SQ. Partner commented on this after the hand (I didn't even notice a trump promotion was in the making), and I replied, "Oh! Then you should lead a small spade!"

I'm not posting this here to blame my partner; in fact, I should be able to figure out that it costs nothing to ruff, but I think it really is instructive.

1/24 Pleasanton Sectional

Wow, what a frustrating day. We played in the second lowest bracket and mostly got our clock cleaned. Ted and I just sat there and watched them do it to us. They would get to untouchable partscores or games (sometimes crazily), and the best we could hope for was a push. Of course, I did some unspeakably bad things (I always make at least one goof that I'm sure convinces people that I don't know how to play bridge at all.) It always seems to be against people who know me too.

I want to feel good about myself right now, so I'll post this. I ran a squeeze here after the defense did something crazy.



Yes, the opponents were mostly like this. I'm so ashamed.

Here's a genuine problem I had. You hold QJT98 xxx AKTx x. Partner opens 1C, you bid 1S, partner splinters 4D. Now what?

The hands are:
A76x AQxx x AKxx
QJT98 xxx AKTx x

We missed a pretty good slam here. I didn't like AKTx of diamonds, but it's better than AKx. It's on one of two finesses, and the 76 of trump in dummy is monumental in helping to ruff two diamonds.

Looking at it again though, if Ted had AQJx of clubs (and let's say not 76 of trump), things can get ugly. Now I need 2 of 3 finesses to come off, and I need to not get overruffed as I try to get rid of my diamonds. What would you do over 4D?

I have some hands from earlier in the week to write up; I'll do it soon.

BBO 1/18

Haven't really been playing, trying to get back in shape.



I thought a heart seemed like a standout lead.

When partner came back his highest club, I should shift to the diamond and continue the attack. It knocks out the entry to the spades, and I know that a club will blow a tempo, allowing declarer to set up a discard in spades.



On this hand, I just wasn't counting declarer's high cards. I know he has KJx of hearts, on the diamond play it looks like he has KQ, and when the third round of spades comes to me, I should know he has AQJ. That's 16, so partner must have the CQ, so I can just abandon diamonds and the defense will cash out.



This one I was just sloppy. Have to unblock the spades before doing anything else.

random hand

This is a hand I was dummy for a few nights ago.



I bid 3S, then 4S over 4H. Comments? In my book, 4S directly shows a limit raise.

The lead of the H5 makes it easy, but declarer can always make thanks to the blockage in clubs.