[Apollo81]

Scoring: MP

Auction (NC):
1♥-2♣*
2♥-2NT**
3NT-pass

* Reverse Drury
** natural game force, denies 5+♦

---

trick 1: ♠Q, 7, J, ??

plan the play
opponents are using standard american honor leads

[han]

This is an unusual start. It looks like LHO lead the queen from Qx, and RHO thought that this was from AKQ. I can't think of another reasonable explanation. So I will win the first trick and play a low diamond to the jack. I'm pretty sure that I will need diamond tricks, so I might as well start with them immediately.

I hope you gave a better explanation than "reverse drury" at the table.

[Foxx]

Yeah. I don't get how "reverse Drury" can be operating when you're an unpassed hand, and you don't have heart support. Anyway....

I'd also win the ♠A, and go to the ♦J. That'll get my total up to 7-8 tricks, and then I'll turn to the clubs for no. 8(9) and the spade "finesse" for no. 9(10) if the opponents haven't led those suits already.

By the way, if I had AKQ and I wanted my partner to unblock the jack if he had it, I would lead the ace...

[Apollo81]

Quote

This is an unusual start. It looks like LHO lead the queen from Qx, and RHO thought that this was from AKQ. I can't think of another reasonable explanation.  So I will win the first trick and play a low diamond to the jack. I'm pretty sure that I will need diamond tricks, so I might as well start with them immediately.

RHO wins ♦A and plays back a spade. You take the finesse and it loses to the 10. LHO plays back a spade, RHO follows. Your play.

Quote

I hope you gave a better explanation than "reverse drury" at the table.

"3-card limit raise or 2+♣GF" is what the bid means. Opener responds as if to Reverse Drury. 1M-2♦ would be 5+♦.

[han]

Apollo81, on May 25 2007, 11:14 PM, said:

RHO wins ♦A and plays back a spade.  You take the finesse and it loses to the 10.  LHO plays back a spade, RHO follows.  Your play.

Okay, looks like LHO found an inspired lead from Q10x (I don't think anybody would lead the queen from Q10xx). I win and play a diamond to the 9. If the queen doesn't appear then I cash the king. (if the queen does appear then I can claim)

If diamonds split 3-3 then I have 8 tricks and will try the club finesse for the 9th. To give myself an extra chance I will cash the last diamond and ace-king of hearts first. Perhaps LHO has 2 hearts or Hxxx or QJx, in which case I will get my tricks anyway.

If LHO started with ♦Qxxx then I have only 7 tricks and need two more. I duck a heart hoping for a 3-3 split. If RHO wins, cashes the spade and exits with a club then I will reject the finesse as it will do me no good.

I understood your system but I object to calling it "reverse drury".

[han]

I should have played the 10? I thought about RHO holding up in diamonds, that's why I played to the jack instead of the 9. I don't know what is best though, just telling how I would play it :-).