[the hog]

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3 passes to you. You open 1C. (Do you?)

(P) P (P) 1C
(P) 1D (P) 2H
(P) 4H (P) ?

Well you may not agree with the bidding, but
1C was forcing, (Polish style), 1D was a negative, 2H was almost forcing - it showed 18-23 with 5+C and 4H. 4H showed some values.
Do you continue, if at all?

How would you bid it? IF you get to 6, (do you want to be in 6?), how would you play it on a S lead?

[Free]

With only 3 possible losers and a fit, I'd try, and if we're too high, i dont think someone can blame me...

[Yzerman]

Perhaps blackwood is the preferred route on this type of hand, if you are off 2 Keys, bid 5H and pray to the bridge gods, if partner have 1 key bid em up (6H). Partner cant have 2 keys for a negative response (A+K+4cdM).

How to play, two lines of play stick out.

Play Line (1), score the following tricks -

1S
3C
1D
7H

* Cross ruff line, win spade, ruff spade, AKQ club discard 2D, Ace of diamonds, ruff diamond, ruff spade, ruff diamond ruff spade and try and score H10 en passant. This line require LHO to hold the HK OR either hand with clubs 4 clubs to have the HK. Some handling problems occur if spades are 5/2.

Play Line (2) -

* Play for 1 red suit King onside AND trumps 3/2. Relatively straightforward play but require a fancy unblock, Win spade ace and FINESSE DIAMOND (this is important if diamond king is on and heart king is off you need ability to finesse diamonds 2 times).

a - If diamond finesse loses and spade is returned you MUST RUFF with HJ (to protect against Kxx hearts in RHO). Now take club ruff in dummy and pass the H10 and hope for Kxx Kx hearts in RHO.

b - If diamond finesse wins, CA and ruff club in dummy and finesse diamond again. Now you have the option of ruffing the another baby club to protect against 5/2 clubs.


Play line 1 wins anytime clubs are 4/3 (62%) * HK on left OR HK with 4 clubs, dont have my calculator handy but this seem very reasonable or appx (62*.5+62*4/7/2) or appx 53%.

Play line 2 wins anytime 1 of 2 red kings are on (75%) * probability of trump suit 3/2 (67%) or appx 50.25%.

If my calculation is right, play line 1 have slight advantage however there are a few intangible left unaccounted for (i.e. play line 2 will work on some hands where club are 5/2). In any event I would probably opt for line 1, this line combines your chances when trumps are not 3/2!!!!!

Regards,
MAL

[inquiry]

Blackwood seems right...

As for mike's finesse ♦s first, now for the rest of the story.....

West with

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Ducks the first ♦. I think I go for the seven ♥ trick line myself....

Ben

[Free]

Yes, blackwood it is

[the hog]

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This was the full hand. I played the line suggested by Mike and went one off when lho ruffed the third D and played another trump. You can ruff the 4th Club with the HT, but are now left with a top C in hand which the opps can ruff.

I copped a fair bit of criticism for this line from pd and from opps, (friends), who said I should take D hook at trick 2 and simply conced a trump.
It appears that the comments in the above posts vindicate my line.
Opps were in 4H!!

[Trpltrbl]

One of 2 finesses need to work. Since you need trump to somewhat behave and also need them for ruffing I will take ♦ finesee first, and if it loses I will ruff ♣ in dummy and go for trump finesse.

Mike