not counting

The auction goes (1C) 3H (p) 4H; (5C) which I hit on the way out. How many clubs do you think declarer has? Approximately $TEXAS, as my friend Weinberg would say.

In the play of the hand, dummy comes down with 3 clubs, I have 2, partner showed up with 3. I still spent the entire hand thinking declarer had 6 clubs. I dunno. Lack of focus? Lack of belief in what just conspired in the auction?

BBO 5/22

We hold JT9x K987 A3 JT2, second seat r/w

The auction goes

(1C) p (1S) x
(2C) 2H (p) p
(3C) p (p) (3H)
(4C) x*
*enough already

We lead DA, we see

--------------AKQ6
--------------542
--------------9762
--------------83
JT93
K987
A3
JT2
-------------- (closed
--------------  hand)

First trick is A 2 4 5. The 4 is encouraging.

Now what? It looks like a typical cash your winners and go for the promo, but what order are you supposed to go about it?

I was lazy and continued the diamond. Partner won the K, declarer following the Q, and I think partner has a real problem now.

The full hand:
----------------AKQ6
----------------542
----------------9762
----------------83
JT93-----------------------------542
K987----------------------------AQJ6
A3-------------------------------KJT84
JT2------------------------------9
-----------------87
-----------------T3
-----------------Q5
-----------------AKQ7654

After the second round of diamonds, partner has to come back to our HK, then to the HA, and then the promotion. But then declarer has not a very good hand for his opening.

I think the fault lies with me. My thinking was that declarer might have 3 diamonds, I could ruff the 3rd round, cash HK, heart to partner's ace, and then a 4th round of diamonds. But it's really impossible to get two trump tricks out of this holding considering declarer must have 7 or 8 clubs on this auction. I was really very lazy here.

We ended up with an extra fifty instead of a 2 trick set.

Burlingame 5/6

Matchpoints, r/w, you have J9 A642 K42 KT92. 2nd seat

p p 2S p

3S p p p

Partner leads HQ, you see

KT73

9

JT96

AJ75

-----------J9

-----------A642

-----------K42

-----------KT92

(closed

  hand)

You win HA, now what?

No you didn't balance with a double, but that is neither here nor there anymore.