[Free]

You're playing against me and my f2f MOSCITO partner. The auction went (RHO starts the auction):
1♦* - 2♣ - Dbl - pass
3♣ - pass - 3NT - pass
pass - pass

(*) 1♦ shows 10-14HCP, 4+♥, can have a longer minor.
Dbl is general takeout.

Partner starts ♣8 and you get to see the following:

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- What card do you play in imps?
- What card do you play in MP?
If you play differently, can you explain why?

[gwnn]

(meditation: Well, west's t/o X seems to be off-shape. But is it off-shape enough? Can he double with Jxxx in my suit? did he just think maybe maybe pd brings him Qx?

The answer I guess depends a bit on the meanings of 2NT and 2x. I assume 2NT is already reserved to some "higher purpose" like 4-card limit+. But would 2x have been forcing?)

At MP, I surely take my three (five?) tricks.

At IMP, I think I'd also take the three tricks - it can be right in many ways:

-beat the contract when LHO rolled the dice on jxx
-beat the contract when declarer needs spade tricks
-take an IMP or two for less overtricks

it can be wrong in one and exactly one way:

-partner has T8, 98 or 8x, depending on agreement.

I know the probabilities are not equal. I know the win/loss ratio also isn't equal. But the gut feeling tells me QKA is the correct one this time.

[skjaeran]

With the ♣9 in dummy, partner's holding is 8x or 8, since we lead 1st/3rd/5th in partner's suit. He'd have lead the jack from JT8x/JT8, the only "possible" holdings wiht more than two ♣'s.

At IMP's this is an easy duck, to allow us to beat the contract when that's possible.

At MP there's the possibility that ducking will allow them to make more than 10 tricks. ThenLHO needs to hold Ax-AKx-xxxx-JTxx or Ax-AK-xxxxx-JTxx. That's not unlikely at all. So I'll take my 3 tricks.

[jtfanclub]

I am confused. You appear to be showing your hand and declarer, not your hand and dummy. If dummy really does have a 14 count with 4 hearts and short clubs, I certainly cash out my clubs in MP. I'll get one more trick in clubs than the field will get in 4♥.

In Imps...do I have the 7? If so, I'll duck. If declarer has JT7xx, I don't think ducking will do much.

[gwnn]

skaeran, on Mar 6 2007, 02:30 PM, said:

(...)since we lead 1st/3rd/5th in partner's suit(...)

who?

[skjaeran]

jtfanclub, on Mar 6 2007, 03:28 PM, said:

I am confused. You appear to be showing your hand and declarer, not your hand and dummy. If dummy really does have a 14 count with 4 hearts and short clubs, I certainly cash out my clubs in MP. I'll get one more trick in clubs than the field will get in 4♥.

In Imps...do I have the 7? If so, I'll duck. If declarer has JT7xx, I don't think ducking will do much.

Dummy (RHO) opened 1♦, showing 4+♥'s and 10-14. Declarer (LHO) made a take out double of your 2♣ overcall. That should normally deny 4c♥ support, so the field will not be playing in a ♥ game. The normal contract seem to be 3NT.

[skjaeran]

gwnn, on Mar 6 2007, 04:33 PM, said:

skaeran, on Mar 6 2007, 02:30 PM, said:

(...)since we lead 1st/3rd/5th in partner's suit(...)

who?

That's what I do, and generally, most people do over here. I believed that was quite normal elsewhere too, since that's undoubtly the best approach in general. Maybe I'm mistaken as to what's standard outside of Scandinavia. If the lead is 2nd/4th, it's a very different story, since the 8 would be either singleton or from h8x.

[Free]

jtfanclub, on Mar 6 2007, 03:28 PM, said:

I am confused.  You appear to be showing your hand and declarer, not your hand and dummy.  If dummy really does have a 14 count with 4 hearts and short clubs, I certainly cash out my clubs in MP.  I'll get one more trick in clubs than the field will get in 4♥.

In Imps...do I have the 7?  If so, I'll duck. If declarer has JT7xx, I don't think ducking will do much.

Yes you seem confused. RHO is dummy, you're always south in such diagrams

You do not have the ♣7.

[jtfanclub]

Free, on Mar 6 2007, 01:09 PM, said:

Yes you seem confused. RHO is dummy, you're always south in such diagrams

I misread the auction, sorry....I thought the 1♦ bidder ended up as declarer.

I don't see a huge advantage in ducking here. I'd rather have declarer have to fight for his 9th trick instead of handing it to him on a silver platter.

In MPs, I run off the clubs. In IMPs I take the trick with the king and switch to, um, looks like a heart is best.

[han]

I play low at IMPs, high at MPs. It seems unlikely that we can beat the contract if I go up, so the play at IMPs seems clear. At MPs it is harder, how likely is it that the opponents will run 11 or more tricks if I duck?

Given that declarer made a "general takeout" with J10xx or better in clubs I'd say fairly likely. RHO's 3C also suggests that they expect a better hand for the double than I do.

Frederick, what's up with this 3C bid? Would 3D after the cue have been forcing? How about 3H or 3S?

[Free]

Partner probably thought I doubled with invite or better values, as he does think sometimes (wrong)... Dunno why.

[Free]

My hand was:

---

The player in south ducked and when ♥ broke 3-3 he was strip squeezed in ♣ and ♠. 3NT+3 when you duck, 3NT+1 when you cash in. I also think it's better to play low at imps, you can't see the squeeze coming and you need the ♣ to defeat the contract. At MP you never know that opponent will make 11 tricks so cashing seems best.

[jdeegan]

One point not mentioned in earlier posts: opener is on an absolute max for his opening bid, therefore, chances are that the contract will make. One club, three or four diamonds, two spades and one or more hearts. My magic hand for LHO is:

Axxx
AJx
Jx
J10xx

At IMPs its worth ducking to cater to this genre of hands, unlikely as they may be. But, at MPs its best to get our tricks ASAP before something bad happens.

[nik1998]

High C,high C