GNT qualifier 2/27

You have Kxxx Kxx Jxx KJT

You open 1N 11-13, partner transfers you to 4H.

They lead the HJ

Jx AT98xxxx Kx x
Kxxx Kxx Jxx KJT

I won in hand, trumps broke 1-1. Crossed back to the HA, led a club to the J, losing to the A. A small diamond comes back.

2/19 Regional

r/r LHO preempts 3S

(3S) - x - (p) - ?

T9x Kxxx xxx T87
Your call? Hand below.




-----------x
-----------ATxx
-----------KJxx
-----------KQxx
KQJxxxx--------------Ax
void-----------------QJxxx
xx-------------------AQxx
A9xx-----------------Jx
-----------T9x
-----------K9xx
-----------xxx
-----------T87

I went for -1330. Sadly our teammates did not bid the slam for win 2.

BBO 2/18

r/w, RHO deals and passes, you bid unimpeded

1H - 2D
2S - 2N
3H - 4H
4N - 5C
6H

LHO leads D5, you get

QTx
83
AQJ9x
Kxx

AK98
AQJ962
8
A2

What's your play?

Stanford 2/15

They bid 1H - 1S - 1N

Partner leads the DT.

Axxxx
Jx
J
Qxxxx
---------Kx
---------KQT9
---------AQx
---------9xxx

We put in the Q, declarer wins the K. Declarer leads the CK out of hand, partner wins the CA. Partner now tables the D9.

What's going on? I'll save you the agony: this is Stanford, so don't trust the bidding (or cardplay) too much. I decided that partner knows that we are supposed to lead the lowest from the remainder of a sequence, so I ducked. I guessed that partner was something like T9xxx in diamonds (otherwise declarer would have WAY too many.)

Partner continues the D7 to our A, declarer shed a heart and a spade from dummy, following twice from his hand. Now what?

Robots drink beer too

My friend purchased the high quality robots for a week on BBO, so she invited me to come play with them.

One robot partner beered the other.

from a friend

r/w MPs, AJx Axx Q97542 x, we're in third

p - p - 1D - 1H
p - p - 2D

CJ led

T82
xxx
T6
AKxxx

AJx
Axx
Q97542
x

Oh well, that's what we get for opening and rebidding a terrible suit r/w.

Seems normal to win the club and try to pitch a heart now. LHO ruffs the CK and lays down the HK.

For lack of anything to do, we win the HA and play another heart. LHO wins the Q (HJ appearing from RHO) and leads a third heart, RHO shakes a club, we ruff in hand. How do we tackle the trumps?

Seems like there are two options: we lead the DQ or we duck a round. We know LHO is x5x1, LHO x2x6. We can rule out LHO having 2 diamonds, surely he would have done something else with 5521. So LHO has at least 3 diamonds.

Is ducking a diamond ever right? If LHO started with AKx of diamonds, then he wins perforce, and now the defense is helpless. If he started with AJx or Axx, then ducking is no good; the defense can score their high trumps separately via a heart/club crossruff. The defense will make 1 club ruff, 3 high trumps, 1 heart, and 2 spades (barring a spade miracle.)

When is leading the DQ right? When diamonds are AKxx - J or Jx - AKx. But we've already ruled out Jx - AKx. Now we hold our diamond losers to one fewer for down 1 instead of 2.

Does LHO have HKQT9 DAK CJ? RHO failed to act over 1H, so RHO can't have much. He has six clubs to the Q and the HJ. With a high diamond honor, it looks like he may have bid over 1H. So he probably doesn't have that, but he probably does have a spade card, or LHO has a lot of stuff over there.

So it feels like RHO doesn't have a high diamond honor. What should we play for?