[luis]

Clos match, EW are a top pair, this deal shows up:

Scoring: IMP

---

The bidding is:
1♥ - P - 2♠ - P
3♦ - P - 3♠ - P
4♥ - P - 5♥ - P
6♦ - P - 6♥ - X
P - P -P

The lead is a low club taken by East with the club ace and now east plays a low diamond. From here is up to you, what is your plan?

[Rebound]

Well, it may be totally wrong, but I am going to try this: win ♦A, cash ♥A (everyone follow?), ♠ to the A, ruff spade, heart to K, ruff spade, heart to J - if the spades aren't running by now or the ♥ are 4-0, which I suppose they may be given the double, then clearly this line doesn't work. But I'd try it if all follow to the ♥A.

[Double !]

I'd be rather surprised if T9 4th of hearts aren't on my right. Tired, but trying to sequence a trump coup.

[pclayton]

Well, if EW are the real deal, E has a spade void, and my AS is going to get biffed if I try to set up spades. Looks better to hook the D (RHO has more vacant spaces than LHO), ruff diamond, KH, overtake JH and claim (2S, 6H, 3D (incl a ruff) and club. If LHO shows out on the KH, play QC, pitching a spade, but I think I'm toast.

[HeartA]

pclayton, on Aug 18 2005, 12:00 AM, said:

Well, if EW are the real deal, E has a spade void, and my AS is going to get biffed if I try to set up spades. Looks better to hook the D (RHO has more vacant spaces than LHO), ruff diamond, KH, overtake JH and claim (2S, 6H, 3D (incl a ruff) and club. If LHO shows out on the KH, play QC, pitching a spade, but I think I'm toast.

That's my thought, too.

[flytoox]

pclayton, on Aug 18 2005, 05:00 AM, said:

Well, if EW are the real deal, E has a spade void, and my AS is going to get biffed if I try to set up spades. Looks better to hook the D (RHO has more vacant spaces than LHO), ruff diamond, KH, overtake JH and claim (2S, 6H, 3D (incl a ruff) and club. If LHO shows out on the KH, play QC, pitching a spade, but I think I'm toast.

But if West is a top player then why didnot he lead spade? Perhaps there is more than that.

[the hog]

Surely this is a lightner X. Can only guess that west is a weak player. Phil's line seems best, but I don't give myself much of a chance.

[Fluffy]

♦A,♠A,♠ruff if everyone followed ♥J and claim, if not I'll run ♦Q if I am not down already.

[Jurek S]

EW are both top players, so the only one explaination I can imagine is that E made "money" dbl knowing all cards in wrong place for declarer. So I'd try A♦, Q♦ duck if not covered, if covered - ruff, Hearts - if 4/0 with W, ruff ♣, finish ♥ squizing E in pointed suits.

[whereagles]

I think the line of play depends on deducing what East had in mind when he doubled. What kind of player is East then, and how did he react to the bidding?

[luis]

whereagles, on Aug 18 2005, 11:04 AM, said:

I think the line of play depends on deducing what East had in mind when he doubled. What kind of player is East then, and how did he react to the bidding?

East is one of the top 10 players in the country and he passed calmly during all the bidding without asking any questions and then doubled 6♥ in tempo again without asking any questions.
West meditated about his lead for some time and then lead a club, he is also a very good player and didn't ask any questions about the bidding either.

[whereagles]

Tough opps... lol. My guess is RHO is 4045 or similar. I might go up with the diam ace and run the queen. If that works, ruff a diamond small and cash dummy's top trumps. Then discard a spade on club and ruff a spade. Now claim 6H or 1 down, depending on what happened in diams.

[mikeh]

This is a hand more about psychology than bridge logic.

The double 'should' call for a ♠ lead. But if West holds something like Qx♠, he knows that a ♠ lead cannot be what partner wanted: no way have NS missed an 11 card fit, and there is little likelihood that S's ♠'s have anywhere to go, on this auction.

So it is entirely possible that East has just doubled me into failing in a cold contract.

However, I think that east is 5=?=1=? and doubled because he held the ♣A and knew the side suits were breaking poorly for me.

So I rise with the ♦A, draw 2 rounds of trump: the first in dummy, the second in my hand.

If trump are 2-2, I run the ♦Q, making if the K is on my right.

If trump do not behave, I cannot make the contract by running the ♦Q, no matter where the long trump lie.

So in that case, I revert to the line I would adopt if no double had occurred: hope that ♠ are 3-2, and cross to the ♠A, ruff a ♠ and draw the last trump (assuming 3-1).

If trump are 4-0, I doubt that I can make, and I lack the time to set out how I would handle 4=0 and 0=4, but all paths require good things to happen

[Al_U_Card]

Quite the dilemma. If EW are as good as you say, is it possible that West refused the Lightner with his QJ9xx of S and H void, hoping that his pard may have a natural trump trick and that his Spades will provide the set? He led low from J?T?xx of C and also held 4 diamonds. You may be out of your league but either way don't ever play these guys for $$$.

[PMetsch]

I think the spades are breaking not worse than 4-1. West didn't lead them (despite east double), and east returned a diamond. If east has long spades, he will return a trump to reduce ruffing of diamonds and try to make communications harder. There is a distinct possiblity that east has ♠QJ9x and ♥T9xx, but then west has 12 cards in the minors and didn't bid on the first round.

East may have 4 trumps for his double, but then he can hardly be sure that will set the contract more than 1 trick. East double and diamond play may very well be a bluff to take a diamond finesse, instead of the percentage play. And playing east for 4 trumps requires a trump coup that can not be combined with other chanches (I won't play for that).

So I win the ♦A, ♠A and spade ruff (if east has 4♥ I still can escape for 1 down, loosing 3IMPS).

[Jurek S]

W can't be short in ♦ - E would lead ♦ with 5 or more (maybe even with 4♦) after lightner dbl so I'd play W for 4045 and play for ♦/♠ squeeze. In theory... but if my etimation of running score differs of W estimation it could be psyche and I win the first bamboozled price of the decade, ♥ and ♥ splits, ♦K on W

[luis]

Ok interesting to see all the different ideas and lines.
In the real world hand East held 1 heart and 3 spades so the "normal" line works but the guys taking the diamond finesse or playing for some exotic coups or squeezes would be down.

East explanation for the double was
- You may take it back to 6s or 6N thinking I ruff the lead
- It may protect the heart queen or Jack fourth in pd's hand
- It can make you play the hand in a weird way when the normal line wins
- When all the above fails it loses just some imps

[Rebound]

Al_U_Card, on Aug 18 2005, 04:19 PM, said:

You may be out of your league but either way don't ever play these guys for $$$.

That's for sure. Talk about poker faced. I'm not good enough for the ploy to work on me though lol.