[gwnn]

Hi everyone,

I just got back from a week long trip in Slovenia and it was really nice and all. Luckily enough, on Monday the weather really sucked and we visited the local bridge club. After some lucky results and some good calls by us, we ended up winning the club competition of 10 tables with a 64% game. These are a few interesting decisions:

1. vul vs not, RHO opens 2♦ as "weak 2 in either major ~5-10" and you pick up:

♠J7654
♥AK5
♦A7
♣Q73

do you:
double to show a 2M overcall (or a strong hand)?
bid 2♠ for a t/o X of hearts, ~13-16 hcp?
2NT
pass for now?

2. RHO opens 1♦, you overcall 1♠ (NV/V), holding

♠AT753
♥A54
♦75
♣JT8

(agree?) and it goes:

1♦-1♠-2NT-p
3♦*-p-3NT-all pass

*apparently forcing, but you don't speak German well enough and they don't speak English at all.

Partner leads the Queen of ♠ (denies the king) and dummy tables with

♠2
♥9
♦AKQT642
♣A976

your play?

3. you arrive in the suboptimal contract of 3NT after suboptimal, undisturbed bidding (1♣!-1NT-3NT).

LHO leads the 4th best ♥4 and you see

Scoring: MP

---

Do you play the ace or the jack?

[helene_t]

1. Double. I don't play this method myself so I may be wrong, but it seems to be that this is a good hand for your method. You wouldn't like to overcall on this suit, but if you double opps will probably bid their major and p can make a move if he wants.

2. This seems rather hopeless. Maybe just cash my two aces, since it's matchpoints. Since this is a forum problem (lol) I will overtake and return a low heart. Declarer might play the jack from KJ.

3. Someone tell me how to maximize the chance of a block. Maybe I should play the ace, hoping that RHO doesn't unblock from Kx. But I think I play the Jack. The opening lead may be from KQ54.

[Fluffy]

I'd pass first because no bid shows balanced minimum

I would go passive on the second ducking since the chance for many heart tricks is thin, and you can easilly give away another trick.


I'd play the ♥J you didn't tell us the bidding so it is hard to judge the odds of Hearts 6-2.

[han]

1. I pass.

2. Definitely agree with 1S. I will cash both aces and play a heart. Declarer won't have 4 hearts on this auction, so the only case for a low heart is KJ tight, as Helene mentioned. That's quite unlikely and declarer would likely get it right anyway. It seems more likely that our tricks go away (give declarer KJxxx Kxx xx Kxx).

3. I'd play the jack, KQ-fifth seems a tad more likely than honor-sixth (especially since the 4 is lead). But since you posted it it is probably right to play for the drop.

[cherdano]

In 3., there is one more reason for the Jack: Even if the A works to block the suit, it is unlikely to yield us the 630 we need to beat everyone in 4S.