Deals from pair games at the regional
Sep. 4th, 2007 03:42 pm You might want to re-read my previous post, since I updated it in response to some comments.
Or not.
7) 2nd, both
T2 5432 Q842 A83
The opps bid, unopposed, P-1S, 2D-2S, P
2D was three card drury. Pard leads DA (playing A from AK) and dummy tracks:
K86 QJT7 93 KQ75
What do you play, and why? You play upside down count and attitude.
My partner played up the line, and, holding DAKJ76, I tried to give her an overruff and ended up giving declarer a ruff-sluff. Better be careful when there is a doubleton in dummy and pard leads from AK. We agreed (again, actually) not to encourage in this situation.
15) 2nd, favorable
AQT5 2 AK932 T65
P-1D-1H-2C, 2H-3C-P-3N, P-P-P
How was your auction? Pard's 2C, in comp, only forced through 2D. Playing with your favorite partner, answer these questions:
a) Does 3C show extras?
b) Is it forcing?
c) Would 2S have shown extras?
d) 2S would be forcing, but how high?
I think 3C doesn't show extras and isn't forcing. After I went down two in 3N, when 5S and 6C are on, I decided that 2S wouldn't have shown extras, but now that I'm a little further removed from the issue, I'm not so sure. I think it should show the ability to handle the auction, that is either you can pass 3C or you have enough to drive to game.
Also note the difference between the given auction and the one with the minors swapped:
P-1C-1H-2D, 2H-?
Since 2D forced to 3C, 2S doesn't show extras.
18) 3rd, favorable
J85 A6 QJ53 Q965
1S-1N, 2C-2D, 2N-3N, P
Pard lead C2 and dummy tracks AQ743 JK3 A9 JT7 and declarer calls for CJ. Your play?
I hadn't led C2, so at dinner I showed partner all four hands and posed this question. Staring at declarer's CK4, he stated he wasn't sure he'd duck at the table but he hoped he would, since it's demonstrably correct.
I'm not so sure. If pard led from CKxx(x) nothing matters. From Axxx it's right to duck. From Axx it might be better to duck, freezing the suit. If he led small from 8xxx (he usually wouldn't, to solve problems like this) it's clear to duck.
Pard said it can't be wrong to duck. I wondered how he'd explain that to partner, who led from CAKxx. I think it's pretty clear to hop CQ, since pard's much more likely to lead from AKxx than from Axxx when leading dummy's second suit instead of the unbid major.
22) 2nd, favorable
KJ843 JT63 98 82
2N-P-P-P
Your lead? I decided to go passive with H3 and, man oh man, was I super duper wrong.
Declarer had HAKQ92 and SA7. Double dummy it was only a two trick difference, but in real life I expect three tricks to swing on the lead.
Now for two unusual bridge problems.
35) 1st, favorable
53 Q32 KQ5 AQJ73
1N-2H, 2S-3H, 4H-4N, ?
Pard showed a 5-5 game force in the majors, and plowed on into blackwood after your signoff. 5D would show one or four, but as you're counting LHO flashes HJT98.
I bid 5D, hoping a missing key card and my hidden trump queen would keep us low, but pard blasted 6H with AQJT2 AK754 3 K2. Meanwhile, 6N is cold (stiff SK offside).
16) 4th, favorable
KQJT KJ72 T8 QT8
We bid, uncontested, P-1S, 2S-P and got a trump lead:
A732 863 A975 43
KQJT KJ72 T8 QT8
I won SA, played to HJ losing to HQ, won ST (RHO followed), played DA, D to RHO's Q. He returned a club to LHO's J and she played the third round of diamonds, stripping my last diamond from dummy as RHO pitched a club.
Dummy: 73 86 9 43
Me: KQ K72 - Q8
I sat there for about three minutes trying to figure out...where my other diamond went! This was the third round and I was playing my fourth diamond. I had a card in each other suit, so I couldn't have pitched it. What on Earth was going on? I finally worked out that dummy had revoked, pitching a diamond to preserve the club loser! And the opps, with about 30,000 masterpoints, hadn't said anything!
Or not.
7) 2nd, both
T2 5432 Q842 A83
The opps bid, unopposed, P-1S, 2D-2S, P
2D was three card drury. Pard leads DA (playing A from AK) and dummy tracks:
K86 QJT7 93 KQ75
What do you play, and why? You play upside down count and attitude.
My partner played up the line, and, holding DAKJ76, I tried to give her an overruff and ended up giving declarer a ruff-sluff. Better be careful when there is a doubleton in dummy and pard leads from AK. We agreed (again, actually) not to encourage in this situation.
15) 2nd, favorable
AQT5 2 AK932 T65
P-1D-1H-2C, 2H-3C-P-3N, P-P-P
How was your auction? Pard's 2C, in comp, only forced through 2D. Playing with your favorite partner, answer these questions:
a) Does 3C show extras?
b) Is it forcing?
c) Would 2S have shown extras?
d) 2S would be forcing, but how high?
I think 3C doesn't show extras and isn't forcing. After I went down two in 3N, when 5S and 6C are on, I decided that 2S wouldn't have shown extras, but now that I'm a little further removed from the issue, I'm not so sure. I think it should show the ability to handle the auction, that is either you can pass 3C or you have enough to drive to game.
Also note the difference between the given auction and the one with the minors swapped:
P-1C-1H-2D, 2H-?
Since 2D forced to 3C, 2S doesn't show extras.
18) 3rd, favorable
J85 A6 QJ53 Q965
1S-1N, 2C-2D, 2N-3N, P
Pard lead C2 and dummy tracks AQ743 JK3 A9 JT7 and declarer calls for CJ. Your play?
I hadn't led C2, so at dinner I showed partner all four hands and posed this question. Staring at declarer's CK4, he stated he wasn't sure he'd duck at the table but he hoped he would, since it's demonstrably correct.
I'm not so sure. If pard led from CKxx(x) nothing matters. From Axxx it's right to duck. From Axx it might be better to duck, freezing the suit. If he led small from 8xxx (he usually wouldn't, to solve problems like this) it's clear to duck.
Pard said it can't be wrong to duck. I wondered how he'd explain that to partner, who led from CAKxx. I think it's pretty clear to hop CQ, since pard's much more likely to lead from AKxx than from Axxx when leading dummy's second suit instead of the unbid major.
22) 2nd, favorable
KJ843 JT63 98 82
2N-P-P-P
Your lead? I decided to go passive with H3 and, man oh man, was I super duper wrong.
Declarer had HAKQ92 and SA7. Double dummy it was only a two trick difference, but in real life I expect three tricks to swing on the lead.
Now for two unusual bridge problems.
35) 1st, favorable
53 Q32 KQ5 AQJ73
1N-2H, 2S-3H, 4H-4N, ?
Pard showed a 5-5 game force in the majors, and plowed on into blackwood after your signoff. 5D would show one or four, but as you're counting LHO flashes HJT98.
I bid 5D, hoping a missing key card and my hidden trump queen would keep us low, but pard blasted 6H with AQJT2 AK754 3 K2. Meanwhile, 6N is cold (stiff SK offside).
16) 4th, favorable
KQJT KJ72 T8 QT8
We bid, uncontested, P-1S, 2S-P and got a trump lead:
A732 863 A975 43
KQJT KJ72 T8 QT8
I won SA, played to HJ losing to HQ, won ST (RHO followed), played DA, D to RHO's Q. He returned a club to LHO's J and she played the third round of diamonds, stripping my last diamond from dummy as RHO pitched a club.
Dummy: 73 86 9 43
Me: KQ K72 - Q8
I sat there for about three minutes trying to figure out...where my other diamond went! This was the third round and I was playing my fourth diamond. I had a card in each other suit, so I couldn't have pitched it. What on Earth was going on? I finally worked out that dummy had revoked, pitching a diamond to preserve the club loser! And the opps, with about 30,000 masterpoints, hadn't said anything!