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.