7/6 Home Game

You are in third seat with T87632 K64 52 AJ9

The auction goes

p - p - p - 2D
p - 3N

You lead S6

-------------5
-------------QTx
-------------AKQxxx
-------------Qxx
T87632
K64
52
AJ9
-------------(closed
------------- hand)

First trick goes 6 5 J Q.
DJ 2 Q x
HQ x x K (partner signaling odd)

Now what?

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.

5/15 Stanford

1.  AKQJT9x xxx x Kx, second seat

(3C) 3S (5C) passed out

We lead SK, we see

-----------xxx

-----------Kxx

-----------KQJx

-----------AT9

AKQJT9x

xxx

x

Kx

------------closed

------------hand

Both declarer and partner contribute the smallest spade spots. Sorry I don't have the exact pips.

Now what?

2. They bid 1H 1S 1N, partner leads S9

KT87

x

AQxx

Txxx

------------QJ432

------------Ax

------------JT98

------------Jx

closed

 hand

1. S9 T J A

2. spade to the K

3. S8, holding (partner and declarer pitch hearts)

4. DA

5. DK

6. DQ, partner pitching a club

7. club to the Q and A

At this point the position is

8

x

x

Txx

----------Jx

----------Ax

----------T

----------J

Partner played a heart to my A. As I idly cashed both spades, I realized declarer might be squeezed! Let's fill in declarer's hand:

--

QJxx

--

Kx

He follows to the first heart. Pitches a heart and a club on two spades. And on the DT, he's toast!

I cash the DT. Declarer painlessly discards a small heart. He started with the HK. LAME. THAT'S A 2533 15 COUNT AND OPENS 1NT, COME ON.

Oh I guess the actual hand is also a 15 count 2533 WHATEVER OKAY

Stanford 2/14

We have xxx Qxx A63 Axxx. RHO deals and opens 1S. I doubled for fun (yes it's retarded but I was bored)

(1S) - x - (xx) - 2D

(3C) - p - (3N)

Partner leads the D5.

---------AKTxx

---------T9x

---------Q

---------KQJT

-----------------------xxx

-----------------------Qxx

-----------------------A63

-----------------------Axxx

----------

----------

----------(closed

---------- hand)

D5 Q A 2

D6 8 T Hx

H2 9 Q A

Cx x x A

Now what?

...

Perhaps I was supposed to duck clubs until partner could discard. Sorry, I wasn't looking at the club spot. Damn, maybe that was the answer.

No, if partner pitches a diamond we may not have enough tricks to beat it. I think partner's club spot has to be suit preference!!!!

Monterey 1/5 - I suck

I did something absolutely awful here

Partner deals, r/r

1C - (2H) - p - (3H)

all pass

Your lead from 9642 76 J975 AQ6?

I waffled between a trump and a spade. I ended up leading a trump.

-----------QT53

-----------Q32

-----------Q2

-----------KT42

9642

76

J975

AQ6

-----------

-----------

-----------(closed

----------- hand)

First trick goes 6 Q K A. Great, it's not clear he has a fast entry to dummy for the heart finesse.

Declarer plays D3, 5 Q A. Partner cashes SA then SK. I followed the 9 and then the... 6!

Now we lost our spade ruff because my spade should be suit preference, showing partner where my entry is. I allowed 3H to make 4.

Blergh.

Monterey 1/5 - defend 4S

Matchpoints, w/w RHO deals and opens 1S

We have 8 94 J76543 K974. Do you act?

At the table, opponents bid uncontested 1S - 2S - 4S

I led D6 (3rd/low)

-----------J532

-----------KT82

-----------8

-----------QJ86

8

94

J76543

K974

----------

----------

----------(closed

---------- hand)

First trick goes 6 8 Q A.

Declarer cashes SA, SK, and plays a third spade. Partner started with QT7. We pitch D3 D4.

Partner now leads the CT - 2 - K - 6.

The position is:

---------J

---------KT82

---------

---------QJ8

--

94

J75

974

---------

---------

---------

---------

Now what? To recap, you have won the SQ and the CK.

Santa Clara Regional 9/5

Played in the Open Swiss today.

We got STEAMROLLED by Balicki and Zmudzinski in round 2. I didn't play against them... I sat in Balicki's seat. That is some frightening stuff. I came back to the table and felt like I got my entry fee's worth when I asked my teammates how he declared.

Balicki declares this contract in 4S... I don't know the auction, but RHO has overcalled diamonds probably at the 2 level and LHO raised.

Axx AQx Jxx xxxx
KQTxx JT9x --- KJ9x

1. diamond led, ruffed
2. heart to the Q and K
3. diamond led, ruffed
4. small club out of hand, dropping the stiff ace (!!!)
5. diamond led, ruffed
Now dummy is reversed and Balicki can play 2 top spades, cross to the HA, draw the final trump (pitching a club), and cash 10 tricks. Godlike.

Here's a defensive problem I had. Opponents bid 1N 3N, we're on lead. I have Qxx Axx xxx JTxx. I elect to lead a 4th best club.

-------Axx
-------xxx
-------AQx
-------9xxx
Qxx
Axx
xxx
JTxx
-------
-------
-------(closed
------- hand)

First trick goes x x K A. Declarer now plays SA and a spade to the J, losing to our Q. Partner played lo-hi in spades (upside down count). What now?

It looks like declarer started with KJxxx of spades, so 4 spade tricks. He's marked with CAQ, so he's up to 6 tricks. DA is 7. I decided to play declarer to have the CAQ tight and to have to set up two heart tricks, so I led a second low club, dropping declarer's CQ to my delight! Declarer then showed up with the DK and had 9 tricks already.

Can I get this right? If I'm truly playing declarer to have a doubleton club, then partner will always have a third club to reach me. Can I afford to cash the HA to get partner's signal? But if I'm playing for the hand above, cashing the HA loses the tempo to beat this hand. What's more, partner will encourage with any holding with the K... but it's not enough. He has to have KQxx if declarer has the DK. That's what actually happened on this hand. We have 4 heart cashers we never got.

Update: I spoke with a friend... a small heart is interesting. If declarer has nothing in hearts, it will beat it outright. If declarer has HHx in hearts, when partner wins his presumed DK, he can push a heart through. Declarer will go down unless he reads the heart position and blocks it. Or declarer could have even two hearts! Then a heart is an easy beat.

I'm not liking my defense now, but at least it wasn't a zero defense. If declarer is KJTxx HHT/HH9 Jxx AQ my defense is necessary, just wildly antipercentage. Oh well.

We actually did pretty well, enough to win 2nd in X, 4th/6th overall.

I also Lightner doubled again. Got my ruff, then declarer wrapped it up. 0/3 so far. It only cost one imp (teammates did not reach it.) Oh well, it's a price I'm willing to continue paying.

Edit: I gave the 3N defense hand to Steph. She led a heart at T1. Easy game.

Stanford 8/4

A simple one.

We deal and have T AQxxx AQ7x Kxx.

1H - (2C) - 2H - (p)
p - (3C) - all pass

Partner leads the DT, we get

------AJxx
------xxx
------98xxxx
------ void
-----------------T
-----------------AQxxx
-----------------AQ7x
-----------------Kxx

The diamond is obviously singleton. Before giving the diamond ruff though, we need to lead a spade. Partner might not have an entry outside, and since we have Kxx of clubs, we know we can win the second round of clubs, give a diamond ruff and receive a spade ruff in return. 2 aces, CK, and 2 ruffs for -1.

cashout

Declarer is in 3H


-----------AKxxx
-----------Qx
-----------xxx
-----------xxx
JTx--------------------xxx
xx---------------------Ax
AKxx-------------------QJxxx
KQJx-------------------Axx
-----------Qx
-----------KJTxxxx
-----------x
-----------xxx

How do you cash out in the right order?

6/25 one more

I have K97 Kxx xx AQJxx

RHO deals, the auction goes

(1H) - p - (2N)* - 3S**
(p) - p - (4D) - p
(4H) all pass

*4 card GF raise
** When 2N got around to partner, I said to him, "do something destructive."

I choose to lead the SK, in case I need to hold the lead for some reason. Yes, I don't really have a reason to hold the lead since I probably want a club through. But look! We get

--------Q
--------QTxx
--------KQJxxx
--------xx
K97
Kxx
xx
AQJxx
-------
-------closed
-------hand
-------

The first trick goes K Q J A! Declarer ruffs a spade in dummy and calls for the DK. Partner covers, declarer ruffs. Declarer ruffs another spade in dummy as I follow for the third time. He comments on how I have so many spades.

Declarer plays DQ, shedding a spade. My jaw drops, and I look at partner. At this point, I really should have asked who had the 5th spade. Sigh, it's hard to be witty in tempo. Declarer plays another top diamond, shedding a club, and I ruff. The position is

-----(v)
-----QT
-----xxx
-----xx
(v)
Kx
(v)
AQJxx

It seems like declarer is 4504. I felt like I was stuck at this point, but then I realized the solution. We have to exit a trump. By sacrificing our trump trick, we can get 3 club tricks in return for off 1. (Okay yes, declarer can win a trump, draw a trump, then if he has the KTx of clubs, he can exit the T. If he does this, hold your cards back next time, or play in a weaker game.)

some from 6/25

By drinking half a bottle of wine, I discovered that I had much more than just half a bottle at a friend's wedding.

In other news...

p - (4S) - all out

Partner leads the H6 (3rd/low)

972
Q3
A764
KQxx
----------x
----------A9
----------Q532
----------JT9xxx
(closed
hand)

You win the A, declarer follows the 4.
I thought about it for a while and shifted to a diamond, which is necessary. It really wasn't that hard, but I'm still glad I got it right. This was a game swing, since the other table did not beat it (the player in my seat tried to prevent a swing by preempting my hand, since I am known to be extremely wild. This got his partner off to the CA lead.)

They bid 2C 2D; 2H 2N; 3N

I lead DT, we see

----------A86
----------AKQT9
----------A3
----------Axx
QJx-----------------Kxx
Jx------------------xxxx
T984----------------Kxx
Kxxx----------------Jxx
---------closed
----------hand

Partner won the DK and returned a diamond. Both defenders can see 8 tricks for declarer, so the only hope is that if declarer does have a 9th trick, he can't reach it. We (west) know declarer has the DQ, so we must never touch the suit again.

Declarer plays a club to the Q, I win the K. I exit a club. Declarer ducks to partner's CJ, and partner exits a heart.

Declarer cashes all his winners, and I pitch all my diamonds at my earliest opportunity to clarify the diamond position. Declarer plays SA and another. Partner ducks smoothly in case declarer has another QT guess, but it's all over. We managed to hold declarer to the 8 tricks we saw in dummy.

I think I could have done better by clarifying the diamond position at trick 2. I'm not sure which card would attempt to make it unambiguous for partner, maybe the 9? In any case, I followed with my smallest diamond which can't be right. Thankfully partner held the SK (instead of us) so he knew there was no hurry. I admit that I was rather wined up by this point and didn't really think about the defense until trick 3. Then again, if I held KQ of spades, maybe I would have been more alert to try to play a revealing diamond at T2.

San Francisco 6/12

IMPs, they bid 1H - 2D - 3N - 4H

Partner leads the S2 (3rd and low), we get

--------Kx
--------QJx
--------QJxxx
--------QTx
------------------A83
------------------xxx
------------------T9x
------------------KJ9x
-------closed
--------hand

GNT Open 4/2

A hand I defended from the GNT open

We are in second with AJ543 53 A942 87

The auction goes

(1C) - 1S - (1N) - 3C*
(3N) all pass
*4 card support, 6-9 HCP

Partner leads the S2, we see

----8
----AQ84
----86
----AKQJ92
-----------AJ543
-----------53
-----------A942
-----------87
----
----closed
----hand
----

You win the SA. Now what?

Santa Rosa sectional 3/26 (part 2)

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!

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.

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?

Palo Alto 1/26

MPs, partner deals

p - (1C) - p - (1H)
p - (2H) - p - (4H)

Partner leads CK, we see

------97------
------AK93----
------J54-----
------A832----
--------------AT32
--------------T65
--------------KT87
--------------T5
----------
---(closed
-----hand)
----------

Declarer wins the A, plays HQ, heart to the A, partner discarding a club. Leads a spade off dummy, 2, K, 8 (udca). Crosses to the HK, another spade, your play?

from a friend

They bid (1H) - x - (2H) - p - (2S) - p - (4H).

---------Kxxx
---------Kxxx
---------xx
---------xxx
J9xx
xx
KQJx
AKQ
---------
---------
--------- (closed hand)
---------

You start by cashing the CA, partner discouraging. Now what?

Reno Regional 12/30

Had a few hands from the Reno Regional.

1.

w/w RHO opens 3S, raised to 4.

We have xx Ax ATxx KQTxx, we lead CK.

Dummy tables

---------Kxx
---------Jxx
---------QJx
---------Axxx
xx
Ax
ATxx
KQTxx

Dummy plays the A, partner the 5, declarer the 8. The missing spots are J852.

Declarer plays two high trumps, partner shedding the HK on the second round of spades. Declarer now plays a diamond from dummy to the K and our A. Now what?

Partner would not play the 5 from J52, so partner must have J5. We cash a second club, and now play A and a heart, beating the contract. It turns out if declarer just follows with the C2 at trick 1, we have a harder problem.

Our teammates reached 4S, and the defense did not cash correctly.

2. I've been over this suit combination before, but I really like it. Our opponents reached 6D with x opp AQT9xxx as trumps. The contract hinges on bringing the suit in for one loser.

Our declarer played low to the Q, which is the proper play*. Sadly, on that day, it was Jxx onside, so the anti percentage T wins and the Q fails.

*Low to the T picks up KJx, Jx, Jxx, Kx
Low to the Q picks up KJx, Jx, Kxx, Kx, AND Kxxx

3.

Partner opens, you reach an uncontested 3N on these cards.

Kxx
AJT9x
x
AJ9x

AJxx
Qx
QJ8x
Qxx

LHO leads the D2 (they lead fourth, but you've seen this guy lead 5th best already.) RHO wins the A, and now leads back the 9. So it really does look like diamonds are 5-3.

I was swayed by my D8, so I covered the 9. LHO hesitates a second... and then ducks. Shit! Damn 8! Why didn't I think longer? All finesses go into RHO, and by holding up (ducking the 9), we can sever the defensive communications.

After this start, I can no longer make, but let's say we properly hold up. The opponents cash a third diamond, and LHO clears the suit, diamonds indeed breaking 5-3.

We run the HQ, losing. RHO shoots back a heart.

We have 1 diamond, 4 hearts, 2 spades, 1 club. We need to develop one more trick. After running all the hearts, (pitch a spade and Qx of clubs, unblock!), we can either hook the spade or hook the club. But wait! Let's combine our chances. Attempt to drop the SQ doubleton, and if that fails, now you can take the 50-50 club finesse.

Did you notice something else? If RHO holds both these cards, he's toast. He will have started with Qxx Kxxx A9x Kxx or something like that (his shape is actually immaterial aside from the heart length. With shorter hearts, if he held the crucial black cards, he might have made a takeout double.) 3 diamonds, on the 4th diamond, he has to discard. Then 1 more discard on the hearts. So a total of 2 discards. If he shakes a spade, the Q is coming down, and we pick this up when we test for a doubleton Q. So he has to shake 2 clubs.

Can you read it? Did RHO go into the tank when pitching on the final heart?

I guess I'll never know.