You open 2N with AKJx AKJ ATx Jxx, passed out.
LHO leads a small diamond, you see
xxxx xxx KJx xxx
AKJx AKJ ATx Jxx
Right or wrong, you put in the J and it holds, RHO showing even count. If you assume clubs are 2-5 and that they will shift to it when they get in, how do you play?
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Palo Alto 3/31
1. Matchpoints, you're in second with Tx KQTxx xxx Jxx
p - p - 1D - x
p - 1H - p - 2H
3D - ?
Would have bid 4H at imps without blinking. Looking for any second opinions.
21. Favorable, your RHO opens 1D, you have AQJx xx Q QJ8xxx. Your call?
Partner overcalled 2C, the opponents got to 3D and made 5.
Marshall Miles recommends overcalling 1S, 3C later if necessary. In his book, the example hands for partner always contain a stiff club and 5 card spade support. You know what? He was right!
p - p - 1D - x
p - 1H - p - 2H
3D - ?
Would have bid 4H at imps without blinking. Looking for any second opinions.
21. Favorable, your RHO opens 1D, you have AQJx xx Q QJ8xxx. Your call?
Partner overcalled 2C, the opponents got to 3D and made 5.
Marshall Miles recommends overcalling 1S, 3C later if necessary. In his book, the example hands for partner always contain a stiff club and 5 card spade support. You know what? He was right!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Thoughts on Reno
This was basically my first time at an NABC. I spent 4 days there, playing 48 boards the first day, 60 boards the next, 56 boards on day 3, and then just 24 on day 4, since we didn't qualify for day 2 of the NABC+ Swiss.
It doesn't sound like that much, but I was extremely drained by the 3rd day. I was reliving all the terrible plays and bids that I made from the first two days of the Red Ribbon pairs. I can still remember them now.
I want to say it was an enjoyable experience, but I don't think I would call it that. I was pretty stressed, eating at irregular hours thanks to play schedule, and staying up late looking at hands.
At least I'll be prepared for the 4 days of GNTC in New Orleans, if we make it that deep.
It doesn't sound like that much, but I was extremely drained by the 3rd day. I was reliving all the terrible plays and bids that I made from the first two days of the Red Ribbon pairs. I can still remember them now.
I want to say it was an enjoyable experience, but I don't think I would call it that. I was pretty stressed, eating at irregular hours thanks to play schedule, and staying up late looking at hands.
At least I'll be prepared for the 4 days of GNTC in New Orleans, if we make it that deep.
BBO 3/27
An exercise in counting. I assumed East started with QJx of hearts, but of course he could have HJx and SJxx. Thankfully, there was a spade discard so everything became clear.
There may be a better line, but I just did what felt natural at the table.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Reno NABC+ Swiss teams 3/19 day 1
We won 4, lost 4 in the NABC+ Open Swiss, but we were 9 or 10 vps away from qualifying.
I ran a spade/diamond squeeze on this board. This was worth 1 imp, which translated to 1 more vp, but most importantly, a beer :)
I ran a spade/diamond squeeze on this board. This was worth 1 imp, which translated to 1 more vp, but most importantly, a beer :)
Reno Red Ribbon Pairs 3/18 day 1 part 1
1.
The defense starts a diamond. It comes around to the K, and at this point, north decided to cash the HA, seeing the HJ out of east.
It looks like you need two club ruffs in hand to make the contract (or two spade ruffs, but I can see all the cards.) Anyway, the whole reason I wanted to post this hand was the neat technique in spades. To protect your natural spade winners, you can first cash a high one, and then lead a low one up to the K. If west ruffs, she ruffs air.
You don't have three entries to lead a spade up and ruff two clubs, but it looks like lefty is forced to give something up to you. Cash all your aces first (always looks cool), strip diamonds ending in dummy, lead a spade up to the K. Then, ruff a spade, west overruffs. Anything west does will yield a trick to you, and now you can reach dummy with the HK to ruff another club.
5.
Yes, I bid 1H.
22.
On correct defense, 3H is off 1 for the magic 200. We held them to making 4.
If I lead a trump like a normal person, we're almost forced into the correct defense. North wins the first round of diamonds, and the only shift that makes sense is a spade. The proper play in spades is to lead the T, surrounding dummy's 9. If declarer plays the J, we establish 2 spade tricks, 1 trump, 1 diamond, and 1 club. In fact, now I can receive a promotion, and we beat it 2.
If east rises with the SA, blocking the suit, and continues with a diamond ruff, then a club up, north rises with the CK, leads a spade. Now south exits with a club. This is the position:
With south returning a club, declarer can't draw trumps and play his clubs to discard his spade loser. Say declarer wins the club in hand and leads low to the HT. South wins the K, and exits another club. South will either get a club ruff, or declarer will be forced to lose a spade at the very end, giving the defense 1 club, 1 diamond, 1 spade, 1 heart, and either a spade or a heart.
Good double!
The defense starts a diamond. It comes around to the K, and at this point, north decided to cash the HA, seeing the HJ out of east.
It looks like you need two club ruffs in hand to make the contract (or two spade ruffs, but I can see all the cards.) Anyway, the whole reason I wanted to post this hand was the neat technique in spades. To protect your natural spade winners, you can first cash a high one, and then lead a low one up to the K. If west ruffs, she ruffs air.
You don't have three entries to lead a spade up and ruff two clubs, but it looks like lefty is forced to give something up to you. Cash all your aces first (always looks cool), strip diamonds ending in dummy, lead a spade up to the K. Then, ruff a spade, west overruffs. Anything west does will yield a trick to you, and now you can reach dummy with the HK to ruff another club.
5.
Yes, I bid 1H.
22.
On correct defense, 3H is off 1 for the magic 200. We held them to making 4.
If I lead a trump like a normal person, we're almost forced into the correct defense. North wins the first round of diamonds, and the only shift that makes sense is a spade. The proper play in spades is to lead the T, surrounding dummy's 9. If declarer plays the J, we establish 2 spade tricks, 1 trump, 1 diamond, and 1 club. In fact, now I can receive a promotion, and we beat it 2.
If east rises with the SA, blocking the suit, and continues with a diamond ruff, then a club up, north rises with the CK, leads a spade. Now south exits with a club. This is the position:
With south returning a club, declarer can't draw trumps and play his clubs to discard his spade loser. Say declarer wins the club in hand and leads low to the HT. South wins the K, and exits another club. South will either get a club ruff, or declarer will be forced to lose a spade at the very end, giving the defense 1 club, 1 diamond, 1 spade, 1 heart, and either a spade or a heart.
Good double!
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