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The Palo Alto Sectional of Santa Clara
Jul. 6th, 2007 04:59 pmThey hold the tournament in the wrong unit. And it's farther away. I drove about 500 miles to go every day. Ugh.
In the spirit of my mildly interesting blog, here are a few slightly interesting anecdotes:
1) In a swiss match, an opponent, after losing 3 tricks in 3N, ran all his tricks conceding the CT in dummy.
Len: Down one?
Bob: No, making. I lost three tricks.
Len: Making doesn't mean you lost four tricks, it means you won nine. You won eight. I have the last two.
Bob: Dummy only has one more card.
Len: Yes, but I have TWO more winners, and I can beat dummy's card. Director, please.
The sad news is that duplicate rules differ from rubber (at least the version in the Menagerie) but at least one won eleven IMPs after we redealt.
2) You play 4H at IMPs on a diamond lead.
AJTx KJ8x KQ T8x
Kxxx A9xx Ax KQx
I always think about taking a safety play with a trump suit like this. Then I count my losers and sigh, since I can't, necessarily, afford to take it! This time I played off the diamonds and led to CK. LHO won CA and...returned...CJ! Weird. Anyway, then I could afford to play HK, up to H9 and a diamond pitch on my left. I ended up making five.
At the other table, I'm told, they played 4S (on a weird auction) and found a somewhat different line. They cracked out spades from the top (dropping the queen!) and picked up the CAJ doubleton, making four after they lost two hearts.
3) Overbidding.
I travel in Kokish friendly circles. Some people get a bit carried away. One partner opened 1H and rebid 2C on a 24 count. He jumped to game later and we missed a cold slam. Another partner (who prefers KS, oddly enough) is anti-Kokish. She bid 1D-1H, 3C on xxx A AQTxx AKxx. OMFG! I had QTx KQxxxx xx xx. Not to result, but please feel free to comment on this choice. I'll pick a winner in this essay contest after I receive at least three entries. Don't hold your breath.
4) 4th, none vul, Kxx Qxx KJxx KTx
P-P-1D-P, P-1H-2D-?
Pard's first pass denied a flat 10 HCP. I think pass is clear. If you have another ace you can double, but you might have tried 1N on the first round. It seems obvious that 2N is takeout, and if you correct pards 3m to 3H is shows a strong raise. How is that different from a 3D cue bid now? I think 3D sets strain, while the other sequence offers flexibility. Maybe that's a little goofy...
Anyway, pard bid 2N (natural!) and corrected 3C to 3H. I had a lousy hand and went down one.
5) 4th, unfavorable, AT QJ9xxx J9 AKx
P-1H, 1N-?
1N is semi-forcing. Your call? This looks a lot more like a strong NT to me than anything else. A 2H rebid seems pedestrian. 3H seems like a gross overbid. Culbertson's rule is to invite game when partner's perfect minimum makes game cold. Pard will go with any eight count, and might bid 1N with a two count, but let's give him the perfect six points, say Kxx Kx xxxx xxxx, and game has no play. Make it Kxx Kx xxxx Qxxx, a perfect non-minimum that won't try for game over 2H, and you still need 3-2 trumps or a stiff HT to make 4H. Throw in another (worthless) queen and responder will try for game over 2H.
6) RHO showed majors and I played 3D after 1N-2D(majors)-X-2S, P-P-X-P, 3C-P-3D-P, P-P
xx KJxx Jx KQxxx
Kxx ATx AT9xxx x
After two rounds of spades I ruffed a spade and ran DJ. NOW LHO led his small heart (RHO flew with the queen, but he had to look up the score for 6S making seven so that's no surprise). When I saw the 4-1 trump break I could count four losers (CA, DKQ, SA) and had to avoid a trump promotion. So, I knocked out DK and, ducked smoothly when LHO played CJ. RHO ducked (he shouldn't have) and there was no trump promotion: making three.
RHO should have counted that I had three spades, three hearts (LHO didn't bid 2H and then showed an odd number), and at least five diamonds. If I have at most two clubs, and don't cover CJ, it has to be right to overtake and give him a heart ruff or, at least, push through a spade winner to try for a promotion.
7) We had the auction 1H-1S, 2C-2N, P
7 AQ875 965 AK82
KJ852 4 AQ874 T5
We bid every strain except the best one.
8) I played 6H with:
Q 963 KQJ82 AK93
AJ62 AKQ75 A3 54
1H-2D, 2S-3H, 5H-6C, 6D-6H, P
I was disappointed when I saw the dummy. Not because I want to be in a 68% grand in a lousy field, but because trumps always break after I have an auction like this. Pard thought he should have jumped over 6D, but I don't see how he could have known the hearts run. Change HQ to HJ and I might make the same bid (maybe you'd need to replace SJ with SK).
Still, it's important to concentrate even when dummy is a disappointment. I won the diamond lead, played SA, S ruff, and drew trumps (they broke) and claimed. At least diamonds were 5-1. Yay.
Because of the entry situation, you basically have to fall into a club spade squeeze if you forget to ruff a spade, and that works, so nothing should matter, but I like to think that at least a few would take a spade finesse instead of playing for SK with 5+ clubs (your entries don't allow you to isolate the club guard unless you're willing to give up on 3-3 or 4-2 diamonds, and expect to show up in committee).
9) Here are four hands where people bid spades without the normal number. Think about whether it works out on average.
a) 1st, both, AKJ32 T JT652 98
2S-P-3N-4H, P-P-X
My pard earned (?) +1100.
LHO: 964 73 KQ73 J432
RHO: Q86 AQJ98642 4 5
b) After the auction 1S-1N, 2D-2S, P
82 AJ73 K5 T8432
AKQJ T92 9642 A5
Are you happy? My partner seemed to enjoy playing 2S.
LHO: T763 KQ854 JT QJ
RHO: 954 6 AQ873 K976
c) 3rd, favorable, 87432 AK3 KT7 T2
P-2S, P
-200 the hard way. My opponent was happy, since we can make 5S!
LHO: AKJ95 76 AQ96 J3
RHO: Q6 T542 J83 AQ97
d) 3rd, both, KQJ8 Q9 AT732 T6
P-1C-1S-P, P-P
This was the hand immediately after c), above. I guess they pushed me past my limit and I made the weird 1S overcall. -100, while the opps can make 4S.
LHO: A9764 A86 K65 84
RHO: T532 KJ32 Q9 AK3
Recap: I guess it's good to overcall or preempt with short spades, but opening a four bagger is out.
In the spirit of my mildly interesting blog, here are a few slightly interesting anecdotes:
1) In a swiss match, an opponent, after losing 3 tricks in 3N, ran all his tricks conceding the CT in dummy.
Len: Down one?
Bob: No, making. I lost three tricks.
Len: Making doesn't mean you lost four tricks, it means you won nine. You won eight. I have the last two.
Bob: Dummy only has one more card.
Len: Yes, but I have TWO more winners, and I can beat dummy's card. Director, please.
The sad news is that duplicate rules differ from rubber (at least the version in the Menagerie) but at least one won eleven IMPs after we redealt.
2) You play 4H at IMPs on a diamond lead.
AJTx KJ8x KQ T8x
Kxxx A9xx Ax KQx
I always think about taking a safety play with a trump suit like this. Then I count my losers and sigh, since I can't, necessarily, afford to take it! This time I played off the diamonds and led to CK. LHO won CA and...returned...CJ! Weird. Anyway, then I could afford to play HK, up to H9 and a diamond pitch on my left. I ended up making five.
At the other table, I'm told, they played 4S (on a weird auction) and found a somewhat different line. They cracked out spades from the top (dropping the queen!) and picked up the CAJ doubleton, making four after they lost two hearts.
3) Overbidding.
I travel in Kokish friendly circles. Some people get a bit carried away. One partner opened 1H and rebid 2C on a 24 count. He jumped to game later and we missed a cold slam. Another partner (who prefers KS, oddly enough) is anti-Kokish. She bid 1D-1H, 3C on xxx A AQTxx AKxx. OMFG! I had QTx KQxxxx xx xx. Not to result, but please feel free to comment on this choice. I'll pick a winner in this essay contest after I receive at least three entries. Don't hold your breath.
4) 4th, none vul, Kxx Qxx KJxx KTx
P-P-1D-P, P-1H-2D-?
Pard's first pass denied a flat 10 HCP. I think pass is clear. If you have another ace you can double, but you might have tried 1N on the first round. It seems obvious that 2N is takeout, and if you correct pards 3m to 3H is shows a strong raise. How is that different from a 3D cue bid now? I think 3D sets strain, while the other sequence offers flexibility. Maybe that's a little goofy...
Anyway, pard bid 2N (natural!) and corrected 3C to 3H. I had a lousy hand and went down one.
5) 4th, unfavorable, AT QJ9xxx J9 AKx
P-1H, 1N-?
1N is semi-forcing. Your call? This looks a lot more like a strong NT to me than anything else. A 2H rebid seems pedestrian. 3H seems like a gross overbid. Culbertson's rule is to invite game when partner's perfect minimum makes game cold. Pard will go with any eight count, and might bid 1N with a two count, but let's give him the perfect six points, say Kxx Kx xxxx xxxx, and game has no play. Make it Kxx Kx xxxx Qxxx, a perfect non-minimum that won't try for game over 2H, and you still need 3-2 trumps or a stiff HT to make 4H. Throw in another (worthless) queen and responder will try for game over 2H.
6) RHO showed majors and I played 3D after 1N-2D(majors)-X-2S, P-P-X-P, 3C-P-3D-P, P-P
xx KJxx Jx KQxxx
Kxx ATx AT9xxx x
After two rounds of spades I ruffed a spade and ran DJ. NOW LHO led his small heart (RHO flew with the queen, but he had to look up the score for 6S making seven so that's no surprise). When I saw the 4-1 trump break I could count four losers (CA, DKQ, SA) and had to avoid a trump promotion. So, I knocked out DK and, ducked smoothly when LHO played CJ. RHO ducked (he shouldn't have) and there was no trump promotion: making three.
RHO should have counted that I had three spades, three hearts (LHO didn't bid 2H and then showed an odd number), and at least five diamonds. If I have at most two clubs, and don't cover CJ, it has to be right to overtake and give him a heart ruff or, at least, push through a spade winner to try for a promotion.
7) We had the auction 1H-1S, 2C-2N, P
7 AQ875 965 AK82
KJ852 4 AQ874 T5
We bid every strain except the best one.
8) I played 6H with:
Q 963 KQJ82 AK93
AJ62 AKQ75 A3 54
1H-2D, 2S-3H, 5H-6C, 6D-6H, P
I was disappointed when I saw the dummy. Not because I want to be in a 68% grand in a lousy field, but because trumps always break after I have an auction like this. Pard thought he should have jumped over 6D, but I don't see how he could have known the hearts run. Change HQ to HJ and I might make the same bid (maybe you'd need to replace SJ with SK).
Still, it's important to concentrate even when dummy is a disappointment. I won the diamond lead, played SA, S ruff, and drew trumps (they broke) and claimed. At least diamonds were 5-1. Yay.
Because of the entry situation, you basically have to fall into a club spade squeeze if you forget to ruff a spade, and that works, so nothing should matter, but I like to think that at least a few would take a spade finesse instead of playing for SK with 5+ clubs (your entries don't allow you to isolate the club guard unless you're willing to give up on 3-3 or 4-2 diamonds, and expect to show up in committee).
9) Here are four hands where people bid spades without the normal number. Think about whether it works out on average.
a) 1st, both, AKJ32 T JT652 98
2S-P-3N-4H, P-P-X
My pard earned (?) +1100.
LHO: 964 73 KQ73 J432
RHO: Q86 AQJ98642 4 5
b) After the auction 1S-1N, 2D-2S, P
82 AJ73 K5 T8432
AKQJ T92 9642 A5
Are you happy? My partner seemed to enjoy playing 2S.
LHO: T763 KQ854 JT QJ
RHO: 954 6 AQ873 K976
c) 3rd, favorable, 87432 AK3 KT7 T2
P-2S, P
-200 the hard way. My opponent was happy, since we can make 5S!
LHO: AKJ95 76 AQ96 J3
RHO: Q6 T542 J83 AQ97
d) 3rd, both, KQJ8 Q9 AT732 T6
P-1C-1S-P, P-P
This was the hand immediately after c), above. I guess they pushed me past my limit and I made the weird 1S overcall. -100, while the opps can make 4S.
LHO: A9764 A86 K65 84
RHO: T532 KJ32 Q9 AK3
Recap: I guess it's good to overcall or preempt with short spades, but opening a four bagger is out.
