[apollo1201]

Hi all, some tough / close decisions (that we didn't get all right!) from yesterday MP event. Vuln indicated when relevant.

1st - green vs. red, auction starts with pass pass and you're dealt the following collection

AT9xxx
x
xxx
xxx

2nd - all red

Strong NT, 2D transfer to H, not promising values

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3rd - a defensive play to change from bidding decisions

You're dealt a 2325 hand with your only HCP in A8743 in clubs, all other cards being small pips. Your RHO deals and opens 1NT (strong), LHO staymans, and bids an invitational 2NT when the openers denies majors with 2D. After some thought, RHO bids 3NT. You lead the C4 as 4th best, dummy hits with xxxx KQxx Kx 652 (leaving all high Cs with partenr and declarer). Partner wins the K, declarer dropping the 10. Partner then continues with the J, covered by the Q. Your move.

This post has been edited by apollo1201: 2015-July-12, 02:23

[eagles123]

1 - 2spades - i like to have fairly solid preempts but i mean we're 3rd in favourable and have At9xxx spades and a stiff heart. I'm probably closer to 3spades than passing anyway

2 - pass.we must have a pretty good hand to have bid 2n in the first place and partner has also seen this unusual leap from the 1N bidder and decided not to do anything

3 - need to know the rest of our hand

[apollo1201]

Oops sorry eagles I tried to implement a 2nd diagram but didnt succeed and forgot to mention a 4HCP 2335 hand. All non clubs are therefore spots not even a 10 I had!

[Jinksy]

1. 3♠. I routinely bid one more in third, and at these colours I'm close to 4♠ than 2

2. I'll double now, on the assumption that I didn't show a particularly strong hand first time around. I'm not sure I've discussed this with my Ps, but to me it looks like regular unusual, which we play as wide ranging.

3. I'm pretty mediocre at defence, but I don't see much reason to cover. W doesn't have an auto invite, E apparently doesn't have an auto accept, so we want to set this. If P only has two, then declarer might not be able to pitch his loser on such a drab dummy anyway. I'd probably have led a heart at trick 1, though.

[WesleyC]

1. For me, 2S & 3S are both possible and I think it's important to balance your range a bit in this position. I would choose between them based on the opponents.

2. This is a slightly unusual auction because West's 4H bid has taken away partner's ability show a fit below the 5 level. However, the other side of the coin is that we haven't got any extra shape, the minor kings will often be poorly placed and if partner did hold a hand like [Kxxxx xx x Kxxxx] where 5m is a chance to make, they probably would've stretched to bid over 4H themselves. So overall, pass looks clear.

[mr1303]

I would bid 2S on hand 1. I need KQJ or similar for 3S. Too much chance of going for a number against nothing.

Hand 2 I'm letting go. I very much doubt we're missing anything.

Hand 3 I duck smoothly, although I'd like to know if I have an entry. I presume not...

[FrancesHinden]

The best way to beat the last one is to probably duck the club, as everyone has said.

The problem with ducking the club is that you need partner to have both the third club and an entry, and for declarer not to have 9 tricks, and for it to be right to give up a club trick. This is possible - give declarer AQx Jxx AQJxx Q10 say - but I suspect it is antipercentage.

While if declarer has something like Kx Ax AQJxxx Q109 he can make 11 if he plays for it (and when you duck the club, perhaps he should) and if he has Axx Jx AQxxx Q109 you need to win and switch to a spade, while KQx Jx AQxxxx QT9 ducking concedes 10 tricks and you can hold it to 9.

So all in all, I win the second club and play a spade.