[pmacfar]

Scoring: MP

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My partner and I picked up the following hand (I was sitting South) and the bidding went as follows:

2♣ - P - 2♦ - P
6N - P - P - P

East has four to the Q♠, thus partner is never able to get to board to cash good diamonds.

West has K-J in both ♥ and ♣.

Opening lead was a low ♥ from East, won with the Queen by declarer. After running his ♦'s, clearing the suit, declarer played J♠ to try to entice East to win with Q♠ and setup entry to dummy. But East did not bite.
After winning AK♠, declarer gave East her Q♠ and she lead back ♥ for down 1.

I think that after East letting the J♠ win, and clearing ♠s, declarer should endplay West (which suit ♥ or ♣?) and make West lead to him and hopefully set up the Q♣ for the 12th trick.

Any other suggestions, per line of play? Such as leading the J♠ before running the ♦s

[bestguru]

I'm not sure, but I think 6nt may be too high. If anybody agrees could you give an alternate bidding?

[P_Marlowe]

bestguru, on Aug 15 2005, 11:02 AM, said:

I'm not sure, but I think 6nt may be too high. If anybody agrees could you give an alternate bidding?

Hi,

how about

2C - 2D
5NT (1) - Pass

(1) 29-30
I am not sure, that 5 NT shows 29-30,
but 2 NT show 23-24, 3 NT 25-26, 4 NT 27-28.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[zasanya]

Playing power precision the bidding will go as follows.
1C ( 16 + ) 1D (less than 9 )
1H (relay ) 1S ( semi forced response)
2 NT (Strong balanced Game force 3NT (no major no ambition )
6/8 top cards )
4 NT (Not blackwood just slammish ) pass

[bestguru]

Thanks, that's what I was thinking as well.

[Free]

I think he should play ♠J immediatly, before his ♦s are high. Now it's just plain easy for East not to cover, but in trick 2 it might be more difficult...

[coyot]

Free, on Aug 15 2005, 12:28 PM, said:

I think he should play ♠J immediatly, before his ♦s are high. Now it's just plain easy for East not to cover, but in trick 2 it might be more difficult...

If he sees 10xx in dummy, he will hardly make a mistake. I mean, how likely it is that the declarer has 11 tricks in hand and is trying to steal one with AKJ in spades, running the jack?

[Free]

coyot, on Aug 15 2005, 09:18 PM, said:

Free, on Aug 15 2005, 12:28 PM, said:

I think he should play ♠J immediatly, before his ♦s are high.  Now it's just plain easy for East not to cover, but in trick 2 it might be more difficult...

If he sees 10xx in dummy, he will hardly make a mistake. I mean, how likely it is that the declarer has 11 tricks in hand and is trying to steal one with AKJ in spades, running the jack?

You still give them more chance to make a mistake. This is what it's all about anyway, since against good defense you'll never make your contract. So at least give them as much possibilities to make a mistake as possible, don't make it too easy on them.

If you see dummy, you can clearly see declarer won't get there to finesse anything, so why can't he be trying to steal a trick?

[Double !]

The choice of rebid on this hand becomes more interesting should the partnership happen to be playing a double-negative initial response such as 2H. (denying any ace or king.) Opener can have a better idea of what to rebid such as 2S and then bidding 3NT should responder raise spades.

[mikestar]

An auction like this deserves to end in 6Nx with ♠Q and both Kings offside.

[Walddk]

2♣ is bad enough as it is (space consuming), so if you have to jump to 3NT, 4NT, 5NT whatever on your next turn to show a huge balanced hand, it will get even worse.

Accordingly, it would be nice if a 2NT rebid at some stage after 2♣ shows 25+ balanced (GF), would it not? Then you have room to use Stayman, Puppet, Smolen, Transfers, any favourite convention you like, as you see fit.

Now, what about 22-24 balanced you may ask. Quite easy if you play Kokish.

2♣ - 2♦
2NT = 22-24 balanced


2♣ - 2♦
2♥

Either natural, or 25+ balanced. 2♠ by responder asks for clarification.

With the actual hand (if no 2♥ bust on the cc), the bidding would go:

2♣ - 2♦
2♥ - 2♠
2NT = 25+ balanced, game forcing.

Roland

[inquiry]

The "double" negative response, mentioned by "Double" (who else, he likes the sound of "double" negative) handles this hand very well. But I remember a hand from an champion level event where opener had all four aces and kings, and the partnership had a combined 33 hcp. It was something like this...

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And even 3NT went down. This hand showed up in a challenge the champ hand contest too....

[Fluffy]

I would the suit contract if the ♦ were switched to a major, but here my bidding would be:

2♣-2♦
2NT-3NT
4/5NT-pass

If partner could transfer to a major, the bidding and the contract would become much easier.