[ralph23]

This time you are opening leader and partner is the one doing the signalling.

Declarer (South) has opened 1♠, you (West) have overcalled in hearts, and your partner (East) has raised you in hearts, in a way that shows 3+♥.

North has supported spades and the final contract is 4♠ played by South, with you on opening lead. You play standard signals, hi=enc/lo=discourage, and not udca.

And as additional treat, you only get to see the major suits in your hand and dummy for now (you have no spades):

Scoring: IMP

---

You lead a high heart at trick one and partner plays the 9.

Is partner encouraging you to lead another high heart? Or is it suit preference, asking for diamonds? Or something else?

OK, OK ... I'll show you dummy's diamonds.
♦AQJ9

[firmit]

My first reaction is to shift, but considering the ♠ layout, partner may have Jxxx. So for him to get a trump promotion, the dummy needs to ruff.

I'd continue with a suitable high heart which describes my hand as well as possible. The diamond suit in dummy does nothing for me at this point. If partner's got Kx(x), he'll probably for win a trick with his king later on. So - 1♥ + 1♠ (promotion) + 1♦, and hopefully some potential in clubs.

But then again - I don't know... who knows!

[Quantumcat]

I think it would be suit preference (the continuing is up to opening leader, count doesn't matter too much). Declarer will probably take a finesse at some stage and lose. If he does it before drawing trumps, partner will lead a heart through declarer to knock off a high trump, and if he draws trumps he'll have to lose a couple of hearts. So partner's managed to knock off a high trump. I have to have some sort of club or I'd hardly have overcalled, and dummy can't have any more cards. So declarer will take a losing club finesse and I'll knock off the other trump, leaving partner with 1 or 2 (or 3 even?? he could have JT9x) trumps by this time, plus 1 diamond, 1 club, 1 heart. Nice!

Can declarer avoid the finesses? Do we have to make him take them? Even if we do have to, we only get 1 heart 1 diamond and 1 club? Not much point doing that.

[ralph23]

Quantumcat, on Oct 9 2007, 01:53 AM, said:

I think it would be suit preference (the continuing is up to opening leader, count doesn't matter too much).

Did you apply your own rule here, namely:

1) if attitude is known, then give count (if count known/irrelevant give suit preference).
???

(Emphasis added)....

I.e. is it conceivable that third hand wants a heart continuation??

This post has been edited by ralph23: 2007-October-09, 07:19