We are in fourth, they bid 1S - 1N (non forcing, so 6-10)
I chose to lead the DT, we see
-----------AK982
-----------Q84
-----------A6
-----------872
QT753
2
KT94
AQ5
-----------
-----------closed
-----------hand
-----------
The first trick goes T 6 5 J. We signal upside-down.
Declarer cashes the HA, then leads a heart toward the Q. I shed a spade, which will cost if declarer has Jx, but nothing appeals. Partner wins the Q with the K, and returns the 3 of diamonds. This is ducked around to dummy's A.
Declarer now leads a spade to the J and our Q.
This has become a fairly simple exercise in counting points. Declarer has shown up with the SJ, HA, and the DQJ. That's already 8... so he can't hold the CK.
The question remains whether or not we should cash the top diamond before switching to clubs... I haven't worked this out yet.
After that hurdle, we can shift to the CQ, CA, then a small club, and cash out whatever clubs are coming our way. It's better to play them in this order so partner won't get any funny ideas of overtaking the CQ.
Declarer made a mistake by winning the DJ at T1. He should win the DQ, a card he is known to hold. As it turns out, if declarer had done that, I would have been less certain about the location of the CK!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Santa Rosa sectional 3/26 (part 1)
MPs
r/r, we're in second, they bid
1D - 1H - 1S - 4H
Partner leads the CQ, we see
---------K965
---------Q3
---------QJ53
---------AT8
---------------------Q42
---------------------A8
---------------------AKT872
---------------------42
---------
---------closed
---------hand
---------
Declarer wins the CK in hand and plays a heart to the Q. Right or wrong, I win the HA. Now what?
After partner's unfortunate lead, it looks like declarer will make three club tricks (unless he was dealt stiff K). I was worried about declarer being able to shed a diamond on the club if he was 3712, which is not terribly unlikely. Partner probably would have led a diamond if she had a stiff, so she rates to have 2 or 3. If she had 7 clubs, she _might_ have preempted (the suit is pretty bad and she probably doesn't have any outside cards.)
So I try to cash the DK. Declarer ruffs, draws trumps, hooks the club, sets up the diamond for a spade pitch, making 6.
I missed that even if we pick up a diamond trick, declarer can still pitch a spade on the club. Therefore, I should just leave things alone and exit passively with a trump. I think the only time it is right to cash a top diamond is when declarer is specifically 3712 with the AJ of spades.
r/r, we're in second, they bid
1D - 1H - 1S - 4H
Partner leads the CQ, we see
---------K965
---------Q3
---------QJ53
---------AT8
---------------------Q42
---------------------A8
---------------------AKT872
---------------------42
---------
---------closed
---------hand
---------
Declarer wins the CK in hand and plays a heart to the Q. Right or wrong, I win the HA. Now what?
After partner's unfortunate lead, it looks like declarer will make three club tricks (unless he was dealt stiff K). I was worried about declarer being able to shed a diamond on the club if he was 3712, which is not terribly unlikely. Partner probably would have led a diamond if she had a stiff, so she rates to have 2 or 3. If she had 7 clubs, she _might_ have preempted (the suit is pretty bad and she probably doesn't have any outside cards.)
So I try to cash the DK. Declarer ruffs, draws trumps, hooks the club, sets up the diamond for a spade pitch, making 6.
I missed that even if we pick up a diamond trick, declarer can still pitch a spade on the club. Therefore, I should just leave things alone and exit passively with a trump. I think the only time it is right to cash a top diamond is when declarer is specifically 3712 with the AJ of spades.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Santa Rosa sectional 3/27
My favorite hand from the Swiss
You have Qx AJ9 AKxx AQ9x
You open 2N, partner transfers to 3S, then rebids 3N.
The lead is the HK.
KJT9x Tx x JT87x
Qx AJ9 AKxx AQ9x
In my very limited experience (about 3 hands over 2 years), hands like this that have a great 5 card suit but are very weak elsewhere should play in 4M. Otherwise, it's very likely the suit gets lost. Still, 3N on this hand is nearly cold. How do you play?
2 hearts and 2 diamonds are certain. The defense will give you a second heart trick in an attempt to establish their suit. We could bring in 4 spade tricks, but opponents won't be so obliging to win the first round of spades. After 2 spades, they win and knock out your final heart stopper, and you have no way to reach dummy without losing a club. Focusing on taking 4 club tricks leads to a similar problem.
I thought for a while and found a great solution: steal a spade, then work on clubs! They can't take the first spade, so you have 4 red, 1 spade, and you can ensure 4 club tricks!
Accordingly, I ran the SQ. It held. Then I cashed the CA, just in case the CK was singleton. LHO showed out (!).
So now they can hold up the proper amount of times in each suit. Changing gears again, I play a second spade, knocking out RHO's SA. I can force an entry in clubs because of dummy's great spots. RHO tables a heart after winning the spade; LHO could duck to preserve communications, but she wins and knocks out my final heart stopper. Since RHO has the CK, he has no hearts left. I end up taking 4 spades, 2 hearts, 2 diamonds, and 2 clubs.
I think I had the right idea, but missed the details. If we steal a spade by playing a low spade to the JACK, we're in dummy to finesse clubs! This will work as long as spades are no worse than 4-2, since dummy has the S9 (nice card) to solidify our spade suit. If they win the first round of spades, we can overtake the SQ.
Edit: I showed this hand to a friend, and we can ensure the contract by running the SQ, and then exiting a small club. If RHO ducks the club, we can finesse the club repeatedly now for 9 tricks. This works whenever clubs aren't 4-0 with LHO. I don't think there is a 100% play then.
You have Qx AJ9 AKxx AQ9x
You open 2N, partner transfers to 3S, then rebids 3N.
The lead is the HK.
KJT9x Tx x JT87x
Qx AJ9 AKxx AQ9x
In my very limited experience (about 3 hands over 2 years), hands like this that have a great 5 card suit but are very weak elsewhere should play in 4M. Otherwise, it's very likely the suit gets lost. Still, 3N on this hand is nearly cold. How do you play?
2 hearts and 2 diamonds are certain. The defense will give you a second heart trick in an attempt to establish their suit. We could bring in 4 spade tricks, but opponents won't be so obliging to win the first round of spades. After 2 spades, they win and knock out your final heart stopper, and you have no way to reach dummy without losing a club. Focusing on taking 4 club tricks leads to a similar problem.
I thought for a while and found a great solution: steal a spade, then work on clubs! They can't take the first spade, so you have 4 red, 1 spade, and you can ensure 4 club tricks!
Accordingly, I ran the SQ. It held. Then I cashed the CA, just in case the CK was singleton. LHO showed out (!).
So now they can hold up the proper amount of times in each suit. Changing gears again, I play a second spade, knocking out RHO's SA. I can force an entry in clubs because of dummy's great spots. RHO tables a heart after winning the spade; LHO could duck to preserve communications, but she wins and knocks out my final heart stopper. Since RHO has the CK, he has no hearts left. I end up taking 4 spades, 2 hearts, 2 diamonds, and 2 clubs.
I think I had the right idea, but missed the details. If we steal a spade by playing a low spade to the JACK, we're in dummy to finesse clubs! This will work as long as spades are no worse than 4-2, since dummy has the S9 (nice card) to solidify our spade suit. If they win the first round of spades, we can overtake the SQ.
Edit: I showed this hand to a friend, and we can ensure the contract by running the SQ, and then exiting a small club. If RHO ducks the club, we can finesse the club repeatedly now for 9 tricks. This works whenever clubs aren't 4-0 with LHO. I don't think there is a 100% play then.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Stanford 3/1
RHO opens a 14-16 NT, you overcall 2S and play it there.
CK led
Txx
Qxxx
KQxx
Tx
AQ8xx
xx
x
A98xx
What's your plan?
At the table, I ducked, got a club continuation to the J and won the A. Ruffed a club small (LHO tanks and pitches a heart), and I now exited DK. RHO wins the A and shifts to a low spade. Now what?
CK led
Txx
Qxxx
KQxx
Tx
AQ8xx
xx
x
A98xx
What's your plan?
At the table, I ducked, got a club continuation to the J and won the A. Ruffed a club small (LHO tanks and pitches a heart), and I now exited DK. RHO wins the A and shifts to a low spade. Now what?
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