[AL78]

MP Sim Pairs against a pair claiming to play Acol although their auction doesn't exist within the concept of Acol.

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Unfortunately I cannot remember the play other than partner led the ♥A ruffed in dummy, declarer played a diamond, I went up with the ace and I played my ♠K to prevent the ruff of a heart loser which I now don't think was right. We ended up holding it to eight tricks for a bottom our way as one table went three off in the same contract and the other table went off in 2♦ our way (played by East somehow). Double dummy says we can take it one off but this is an example of a hand where I can't think of a clear plan. I was playing with an inexperienced partner and carding opposite could mean anything. Once I get in with my ace what should I be thinking here (apart from why did I turn up)?

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

the King will be a single, I guess you have two options, firing back a
diamond to shorten declarer, or a trump preventing heart ruffs, killing
entries to dummy.

The later seems to me more logical, you dont give up your trump trick,
you still control diamond and clubs.

And with regard, what to think, a 3rd option would be, after the hand is over,
can I have another stout?
Assuming, you dont drive. Maybe even than, but the barkeeper (or someone else)
stops you from ordering.

With kind regards
Marlowe

PS: If you know, that partner cannot read your signals, why did you play
the H8?

[mikeh]

Your poor result seems likely to have stemmed from poor decisions by both defenders.

The auction screams for a trump lead. A high heart is extremely unwise, especially holding the 9. This is one of many auctions, where the opponents seem to have settled in a relatively short trump fit nd opening leader has a good holding in declarer’s primary suit, on which one leads a trump from virtually any holding. Any trump trick given up on the kead usually comes back, often with a bonus, when declarer can’t score as many ruffs as he needs and/or loses extra tricks in his primary suit.

So your partner made a very…. very…..bad lead. Any argument that she wanted to be able to ruff clubs should be countered by pointing out that, on the auction, they don’t rate to have a real club fit and that you almost surely control clubs almost as well as she controls hearts. Bear in mind that this isn’t the same as saying that they definitely don’t have, say, a 6=3 club fit nor that dummy won’t come down with AKQxxx….bridge is a game of probabilities and it’s ‘probable’ that they have no fit and/or that you have good clubs. Btw, yes,I see that they did have a 6=3 club fit…opener clearly ought to have passed 2C or raised (but his hand is extremely soft for a raise), but so what?

You also fell from grace. In what universe can it be the percentage play to exit the spade King? Ok..if partner has say J9xx you are going to look like a genius, but if declarer has his actual hand, you look like…not a genius.

But your error wasn’t as costly as your partner and, indeed, your partner was extremely lucky that you held the heart 10.

If your partner is someone with whom you play regularly, I suggest a brief tutorial on opening leads and the critical importance of both listening to the auction and thinking about what that auction tells one.

[AL78]

 mikeh, on 2023-November-08, 11:58, said:

You also fell from grace. In what universe can it be the percentage play to exit the spade King? Ok..if partner has say J9xx you are going to look like a genius, but if declarer has his actual hand, you look like…not a genius.

Yes, I remember now I came to that conclusion a short time after the hand and asked myself why I didn't just play a low spade and preserve my certain winner. It is doing daft things like that which contributed to the 38% score.

Good point about the opening lead, I agree holding length and strength in declarer's longest suit when they have stopped in another suit is a classic trump lead situation. If she does lead a trump, I have to duck to keep my winner. If declarer does the same thing of playing a diamond off dummy and I win, if I lead another trump I am likely to lose my trump winner so do I lead one anyway and sacrifice the king to deny declarer the opportunity to ruff a loser, and if not, it is not clear (again), what is a decent alternative bearing in mind I don't have much info on partner's hand?

[AL78]

 P_Marlowe, on 2023-November-08, 10:55, said:

PS: If you know, that partner cannot read your signals, why did you play
the H8?

At the time I thought we were playing at least fundamental signals and I have told her before about the suit preference signal when dummy comes down with a shortage, I was trying to tell partner I had values in diamonds in case that was of any use. On one hand when she was asked by the opps about our signals she claimed we didn't have any (despite the fundamental ones being on the card) so I suggested we have a chat about it later. Part of it was auto-pilot, after playing with more experienced players I am inclined to signal in the defence even when partnering someone who has a less than 50/50 chance of picking it up.

[mikeh]

 AL78, on 2023-November-08, 12:37, said:

Yes, I remember now I came to that conclusion a short time after the hand and asked myself why I didn't just play a low spade and preserve my certain winner. It is doing daft things like that which contributed to the 38% score.

Good point about the opening lead, I agree holding length and strength in declarer's longest suit when they have stopped in another suit is a classic trump lead situation. If she does lead a trump, I have to duck to keep my winner. If declarer does the same thing of playing a diamond off dummy and I win, if I lead another trump I am likely to lose my trump winner so do I lead one anyway and sacrifice the king to deny declarer the opportunity to ruff a loser, and if not, it is not clear (again), what is a decent alternative bearing in mind I don't have much info on partner's hand?

It’s not clear, if partner leads a trump, just how good her heart holding is. On the auction, a trump is almost always the right lead…I’d need a very powerful basis for not leading trump, and all experts would agree with this. I once saw, on vugraph, a multiple WC professional player lead from Qxx against a slam, on an auction suggesting that a trump lead was required. Admittedly, on that hand it was the only lead to let the contract make (unless the WC declarer played double dummy) but my point is that trump leads are mandatory in some specific situations, this being a classic. So partner might have weakish hearts and be hoping to protect your holding. Declarer could have AJ10x AKQxx Kx xx for the auction.

It’s unclear how declarer would, let alone should, play after a trump lead. Obviously (imo) you cover the queen but it’s a closer decision over the 8. If you duck, so the 8 holds, declarer might play a club to the king, which will not end well!

Of course, playing with someone who doesn’t know how and when (or if) to signs, on defence is a frustrating experience. Defence is difficult even for an expert partnership in sync.

[akwoo]

 mikeh, on 2023-November-08, 14:09, said:

Of course, playing with someone who doesn’t know how and when (or if) to signs, on defence is a frustrating experience. Defence is difficult even for an expert partnership in sync.

Actually, though I wouldn't do it every day, I've found playing with someone who doesn't know how to signal and doesn't think much on defense an interesting experience. You end up guessing a lot, but you do figure out what guesses tend to work out more than others. Of course you're not going to do as well as you would with a better partner, but that's always the case.

The bridge ecosystem is such that, if we don't promote bad bridge, there won't be bridge at all.

[pescetom]

 akwoo, on 2023-November-08, 19:55, said:

The bridge ecosystem is such that, if we don't promote bad bridge, there won't be bridge at all.

That's what they tell me when I argue for screens/electronic and clearer laws.
I don't buy it, there are billions out there who might try the game if it was better.