[badderzboy]

Scoring: MP

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We play Acol and as we are not playing together for over two months got frisky and bid to 7NT 1♦-1♥-1♠-4NT(RKCB)-5♥(2 no Q)-5NT-6♦(1 King)-7NT(what the hell!!! a bottoms a bottom and how often r u in 7NT!)

Now all I have to do is make it!

How do u bid the hand and also how do u play it on 4♠ lead (likely 4th highest).

Spoiler

West SJ6543 HQ965 D3 CK53 East S72 H10432 D752 CJ982

Steve

[inquiry]

I am not wild about 4NT on this auction being RKCB, but to each his own. I would probably start,

1♦ - 1♥
1♠ - 2♦ *
3♦ - 3♠
4♠ - 4NT **
5♥ - 5NT ***
6♥ - 7NT ****
Pass

2♦ = xzy forcing to game
3♦ = long ♦ (key to 7NT btw)
3♠ = obstensively setting trumps, slam interest
4♠ = minimum hand, no slam interest
4NT = RKCB
5♥ = 2 (or 5) keycards no ♠Q
5NT = promise all keycards, looking for specific kings
6♥ = king of ♥
7NT = at worse probably a finesse. Partner might have KQ of ♥ or ♠J along with anticipated 5/6 ♦.

Play is straight forward. Win !SA, cash !Hk, !SQ, !HA, ♦KQJ, ♠K, then two ♦'s, (assuming ♠J and ♥Q hasn't shown) to reach

On the last ♦ discard ♥J if the ♥Q hasn't shown up yet. Now you can play for simple club hook or play the ♣Ace for the squeeze against West (assuming Kx). If you think WEST lead away from Jxxx of ♠, he actually probably has the ♥Q and the ♣K as this was a very dangerous lead. You would need to know your opponents and it would help to get a count on the other suits to figure out exactly how you are going to play,

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[Wackojack]

Acol 12-14NT

1♦-1♥
1♠-2♣ 4sf
2♦-4NT
5♦-7♦

North's 2♦ bid denies a club stop and would normally have 6 diamonds. Give North A♦ and 2 major kings for the opening bid and you can count 13 tricks. Even if north made a horrible worst possible opening ♠Kxxx♥Kx♦AJxxx♣xx, 7♦ still has fair prospects.

[badderzboy]

Scoring: MP

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was the full hand as Ben predicted and I played it virtually as Ben said to squeeze the life out of west!

Side question is it a simple squeeze or some other variant?

1st time I've deliberately played a squeeze in f2f bridge!

Ironically 6NT+1 would have been a top too others took a ♣ finesse I think!

Steve

[Free]

The squeeze is the most likely line of play imo. It's a triple squeeze, since West is squeezed in 3 suits.

7♦ is probably a superior contract, but I think however the honours are split you can make 7NT as well since someone has to guard 2 suits...

[Wackojack]

I don't think that is correct. In 7NT, the singleton KH only means that only a 3-suit squeeze works. If East guards 3 suits the club finesse works anyway. West is theoretically squeezed if (s)he guards 3 suits. However with the 3-card ending shown by Ben, an expert East will have already come down to SJ, HQ,D-,CK so baring the KC without showing any signs of discomfort. On the play of the AD, declarer will discard JH and East will discard QH. Now declarer still has to decide how to play the clubs. I believe this was what Ben was implying. Interestingly (correct me if I am wrong anybody) with an expert East and the apparently risky lead the evidence points to playing the CA to drop the king because if East was not being squeezed (s)he might have discarded a club on the last diamond instead of the heart. If you knew that East was not that good and showed thoughtfulness but no signs of real discomfort, then the club finesse looks like the best bet.

[Wackojack]

Correction: A good West would not discard a club with 3 cards left.