[xx1943]

Scoring: IMP

West  North East  South
   -        -        -      1♠
  Dbl    2♣    Pass   2♠
  3♥    pass  Pass     4♦
Pass     5♦   Pass   Pass
Dbl     Pass  Pass   Pass

---

After a very bad bidding you find yourself in a bad contract.
I posted a poll here in BBF about this bidding. Maybe you wish to have a look.
To calm partner you have to win this contract, if there is any chance.

LHO opens the A of ♥, which you ruff in your hand.
You have a sure loser in ♣, so you have to minimize the trump loser to one.
How do you hope the trumps are divided between the opponents??
How do you handle the trumps?

If you are not beginner or intermediate, please answer with "hidden" text.

Thank you

Wish you all a happy new year.


Al

[blackshoe]

If I'm reading it right, that's not quite the same auction as in your poll, where you bid 2 spades on the second round.

[xx1943]

blackshoe, on Dec 27 2006, 10:01 PM, said:

If I'm reading it right, that's not quite the same auction as in your poll, where you bid 2 spades on the second round.

Sorry, spelling error here. I edited just now. Many thanks for the hint.

[goobers]

I am beginner/intermediate, and I will prove it by my play!

Okay, LHO made a takeout double of spades, so he must have support for every unbid suit. He was willing to bid 3♥, so he must have QUITE a hand. In addition, he made a penalty double of 5♦, so I'm going to go ahead and place West with ♥AKQ, ♣A, and at least the ♦K, probably with 4 diamonds.

I'm going to lead the ♦Q from my hand and hope to pin East's singleton J or 9.

*anxiously awaits better answers*

Edit: If West has ♣Axx, then there is no entry into the dummy to enjoy your club tricks. But if West does indeed have Axx, then what did he double, then bid, on? Surely 3♥ shows a self-sufficient heart suit, so he's probably got 6... I can't imagine bidding 3♥ here with a 5 card suit, but somebody please correct me if I'm wrong. Also, I can't imagine a double without a 4 card diamond suit (I'm assuming that West will not double on a void, or something sneaky like that).

So this leaves West with 6 hearts, 4 diamonds, 2 or 3 clubs, and a stiff spade (or void). If he's got a stiff spade, then he's only got Ax in clubs, so you will always be able to run the club suit. If he's got Axx in clubs, then a holdup will inhibit you from reaching dummy... but I guess you can enter dummy in the second round of clubs (if east doesn't rise with his ace), pull the last trump, and hook the spade?

I don't know.