[kenberg]

Scoring: MP

---

Mps, acbl tourney. E dealt, opened 3H, passed out, making 5.
I'm S. Our score was a bit over 40%. I'm not fretting all that much but still... The opps are in a part score making 5, we cannot make 4S (surely the opening lead will be the ace of hearts, producing a heart 3 from E and then a club shift, although some did make 4S). N commented that if I overcall 3S he would raise to 4, down only 1. Well, yes, but if they decide to take a nv sac over our freely bid vul game I presume a pass of 5H is forcing allowing us to choose between 5HX making and 5SX down 500.

LOTT, before adjustments, says 8+9=17 total tricks and there are in fact 11+9=20. I know there are adjustments in volume 2, but that seems like a lot of adjusting.

It's not clear to me anyone is supposed to do anything different (although if I were E I would consider opening 4H, or even 1H, instead of 3).

I'm interested in any thoughts anyone might have. Some lucky souls got to play 3S making. Stuff happens.

Ken

[P_Marlowe]

Given the vul. a 4H opener is clearly better
than a 3H opener.

As it was E/W were playing two different styles
with regards to preempts.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Codo]

1.Which opps hould bid 5 Heart after n/S reached 4 Spade?
West with his singelton trump and defensive values?
Or East because...? There is no reason for him...

2. Your opps failed to bid game because to open a 5 looser hand 3 Heart is only okay if you stick to very easy rules, like: 3 heart shows 7-9 HCPS and 7 Hearts. The East hand is closer to a semiforcing then to 3 Heart, I can understand one or 4 Heart, nothing else.

3. To play suit preference after you see a singelton in dummy is obvious, but still many fail to do so, so I can see why some failed to set 4 Spade.

4. I had chickend out as north and as south. If the King of diamond had been guarded, this had been a 3 Spade bid mps, but now...
And with norths hand, a reopening is tempting cause this great shape. But the overall strength is not sufficent, not even at mps.

[helene_t]

E has a clear 4♥ opening. I would open 4♥ at any vul, but certainly w/r he has to open 4♥.

Maybe some have bid 6♥ as EW, and some have made 4♠ as NS and opps did not play clubs in time.

[ArtK78]

All that I can say is I would be disappointed if I were -200 with the NS cards and got only a 40% board.

That's matchpoints. Sometimes the matchpoint result on a board is nearly inexplicable.

As for the bidding, East should open 4♥. 3♥ is an incredibly wimpy call.

South should overcall East's opening bid, whether it is 3♥ or 4♥. Yes, I know he really doesn't "have" a 4♠ overcall of 4♥. But it is often right to overcall 4♠ over 4♥ when you have an excuse to do so, and South certainly has an excuse. I suspect that many will not share this view.

As to what happens after that, who knows?

[helene_t]

I don't think S should act over the preempt, certainly not if it's at the 4-level.

The hand is marginal on value, and the suit is marginal. In such cases you look at your enemy trumps and think "the p with shortness in the enemy suit must act". S has four hearts. Case closed.

[Gerben42]

* Opponents messed up
* This didn't reflect in your score
=> Bridge is unfair

Live with it...

[kenberg]

Gerben42, on Nov 2 2007, 08:56 AM, said:

* Opponents messed up
* This didn't reflect in your score
=> Bridge is unfair

Live with it...

This is petty much my view. I'm glad to have some confirmation. Not only live with it but maybe appreciate it. As long as bridge has this random element I have a shot against Meckwell. A shot. In a short match. Maybe.

[jtfanclub]

kenberg, on Nov 2 2007, 08:13 AM, said:

LOTT, before adjustments, says 8+9=17 total tricks and there are in fact 11+9=20.

Pretty sure double dummy that you only take 10 tricks in hearts on a diamond lead with a diamond uppercut....

[neilkaz]

On the given hand at fav. vul. 3♥ is really weak, and even more so at MP. I'd open 4♥ all day long. 1♥ is possible, but I prefer to preeempt this aceless hand that has so little defence to a pointed suit contract.

As S, I'd consider overcalling 3♠, but heaven help us at this vul if LHO has a stack in ♠. With 4 cards in ♥, LHO is likely short and has reasonable chances to have quite a few ♠. It is also possible that the missing cards are split up nicely, but that your K of ♦ is useless and you go set when PD carries onto 4♠.

So..as S I have to pass. But I really think 4♥ is loads better than 3♥

[kenberg]

jtfanclub, on Nov 2 2007, 09:46 AM, said:

kenberg, on Nov 2 2007, 08:13 AM, said:

LOTT, before adjustments, says 8+9=17 total tricks and there are in fact 11+9=20.

Pretty sure double dummy that you only take 10 tricks in hearts on a diamond lead with a diamond uppercut....

Yep. I see. Can I convince myself that, on some auction, I would do this? No. But as you say, double dummy it works.

[whereagles]

I would bid 3♠ over 3♥. If pard doesn't have spades, he'll have minor(s) and I'm ok (got a top diamond honor and club support).

[han]

I agree with the NS passes. Also agree with Gerben that sometimes you don't get your fair share of the matchpoints, sometimes you get more than you deserve. In the long run it evens out for most .

[kenberg]

Codo, on Nov 2 2007, 08:41 AM, said:

1.Which opps hould bid 5 Heart after n/S reached 4 Spade?
West with his singelton trump and defensive values?
Or East because...? There is no reason for him...

Who would bid 5H you ask? So I looked it up. Actually five out of thirty pairs reached 5H, four were doubled, one went down. No, the set was not the result of the brilliant lead of the King of Diamonds followed (if declarer cashes the trump and leads a club from dummy) by an underlead to the Queen of spades to achieve the uppercut (see the jtfanclub post). A self-inflicted uppercut took place. Spade, Spade ruffed in hand, Heart, Ace of Diamonds, Diamond, oops. One route to 5H was, with no passes, 3H-3S-4H-4S-5H-X. I report, I don't endorse! W/o these good folks our score would have been even lower.


After 3H-3S-4H-4S this is not really a freely bid game but still, vul against not, I would think 3H-3S-4H-4S-5H sets up a forcing pass. At any rate, after 5H there are few mps available unless we get our paws on the King of Diamonds.

[pclayton]

Josh's 1741 hand rears it ugly head again!

http://forums.bridge...showtopic=22037

Freaky.

[jdonn]

pclayton, on Nov 2 2007, 02:05 PM, said:

Josh's 1741 hand rears it ugly head again!

http://forums.bridge...showtopic=22037

Freaky.

Holy moly. Vindicated!