[Echognome]

I had two similar hands and auctions one in the pairs and one in the teams.

Hand 1 was at MPs:

Scoring: MP

2♠ - (3♥) - ?

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Hand 2 was at Swiss Teams:

Scoring: MP

2♠ - (3♥) - ?

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What's your call on these noting the slightly different forms of scoring.

[655321]

(1) Very much depends on what you expect from a favorable 2♠ opening.
     4♦ if partner usually delivers a 5 card suit in a bad hand, 4♠ otherwise.

(2) 4♠. Not 4♦, don't want to leave them room to bid 4♥.
     Plan to double 5♥.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 4S, the good news is, my diamond suit is
stronger than in #2, the bad news the weak two
is made green vs. red, but I have 5-6 tricks
for partner, maybe he has 4-5.

#2 4S, may make, I have a good chance, that I have
4-5 tricks for partner, and he should have 5.

So the scoring does not matter, but the vulnerability
and your preempt style.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[whereagles]

Hand 1. If pard can be trusted to have 6 spades, 4♠. Else 3♦ and sell out to 4♥.

Hand 2. If pard can be trusted to have 6 spades, 4♠. Else pass throughout.

[Roupoil]

4♠ on the first hand, my partners never open 2♠ with 5 cards.

Pass on the second hand, not because of the scoring, just because I can't see so many tricks...

[Apollo81]

I would cut partner some slack on the first one since we're fav and just pass.

Second hand isn't good enough to do anything other than pass.

[miguelm]

I've deleted this because I got it all wrong.... have to look again

And now after a deeper look, I am bidding 4S in both.

[pclayton]

1. 3♠. There's no point to make a lead director here. I think this hand belongs to us and I am doubling 4♥. 4♠ is an overbid that ignores the conditions.

2. 4♦. This one's closer. I think our vulnerable opponents are bidding game and pard should be able to judge if we should be in 5♦.

[han]

4S is clear on the first, what else?

The second is less clear, either pass or 3S.

[jdonn]

I really like 4S on hand 2 (to make, or to be a save, or to push them to 5H X). I don't think making 4S is THAT unlikely.

[Echognome]

On the first one, partner has a super max and holds AKQxxx of spades and out. I bid 4♠ and he made only 11 tricks when trumps ran 4-1. Even if you divined the split, you cannot make 6♠ because a second heart would give you a cheap ruff in dummy, but no way to finesse twice in trumps.

[han]

How about the second hand? Please tell me that Donn goes down in 4S against air.

[Echognome]

Hannie, on Jan 17 2008, 12:13 PM, said:

How about the second hand? Please tell me that Donn goes down in 4S against air.

Sorry forgot about the second one and it was a pretty neat hand. I've rotated it for convenience of the play

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The auction went 2♠ - 3♥ - 4♦ - Dbl; P - P - 4♠ - All pass

I think I would have been better off bidding a direct 4♠.

The contract goes off against best defense, however, the actual defense went:

♥K lead, switch to a small club. East won the K and returned a small trump won by the Q.

You can now make only by a dentist's coup.

[han]

You told me but I forgot, what's a dentist coup? Seems like you can just ruff a heart, come to hand in clubs and guess spades.

[pclayton]

Hannie, on Jan 17 2008, 12:35 PM, said:

You told me but I forgot, what's a dentist coup? Seems like you can just ruff a heart, come to hand in clubs and guess spades.

No. RHO can lock you in dummy with a club if you do this.

The dentist's coup is removing RHO's exit card first. So, after you ruff a heart, play ♣A, ♣ to Q and now the ♠Q pinning the Jack. RHO has to put you back in hand or lead into dummy's diamond tenace.

[Echognome]

pclayton, on Jan 17 2008, 12:42 PM, said:

Hannie, on Jan 17 2008, 12:35 PM, said:

You told me but I forgot, what's a dentist coup? Seems like you can just ruff a heart, come to hand in clubs and guess spades.

No. RHO can lock you in dummy with a club if you do this.

The dentist's coup is removing RHO's exit card first. So, after you ruff a heart, play ♣A, ♣ to Q and now the ♠Q pinning the Jack. RHO has to put you back in hand or lead into dummy's diamond tenace.

I think they prefer the term that you have to "extract" the opponent's exit card and hence the name dentist coup.

[han]

Ah ok, thanks.