[gwnn]

Scoring: MP

---

1NT-2♠-p-p
x-p-2NT-p
3♦-p-3♥-end

after a weak NT opening, a natural overcall and a subsequent scrambling auction you're in 3♥.

LHO leads a smallish spade, suggesting she has 3. Whenever you would lead a small heart off the board, RHO will play the jack

[655321]

I am afraid that any clever line here has escaped me.

I would just win the ♠K and play a heart at trick 2. In particular, I would not try to play 4 rounds of diamonds to pitch some clubs before touching trumps.

When LHO wins the heart and returns a spade, I will probably take the ♥J at face value and play the second heart from hand, paying off to the J from AJ9, but keeping the diamond position intact and avoiding a trump promotion on the 4th round of spades.

[cherdano]

655321, on Nov 24 2008, 05:33 PM, said:

I am afraid that any clever line here has escaped me.

I would just win the ♠K and play a heart at trick 2. In particular, I would not try to play 4 rounds of diamonds to pitch some clubs before touching trumps.

When LHO wins the heart and returns a spade, I will probably take the ♥J at face value and play the second heart from hand, paying off to the J from AJ9, but keeping the diamond position intact and avoiding a trump promotion on the 4th round of spades.

I assume you play a low heart and also pay off to ♥J9 onside. (I don't disagree with your play, just saying...)

[655321]

Yep, sorry, a low heart (rightly or wrongly).

If this all comes off, RHO having KJ(AJ) of hearts, and no club ruff happening, I think the contract is now 100% double dummy. But I have carefully avoided deciding whether my 9th trick will be a club or a diamond.

[gwnn]

if you play a low heart, LHO wins the 9 and plays two more rounds of trump, RHO discarding a diamond and two spades, the first diamond discard being a small one asking for a club.

[655321]

gwnn, on Nov 24 2008, 07:48 PM, said:

if you play a low heart, LHO wins the 9 and plays two more rounds of trump, RHO discarding a diamond and two spades, the first diamond discard being a small one asking for a club.

So, West won the first heart, played another spade, then won our low heart?

OK, in hindsight (hindsight is a wonderful thing!) for East to overcall a bad 5 card suit does point more towards some shape than some 5233 hand with HCP, and perhaps I should have been more concerned with -150 earlier on.

I don't expect -150 to be worth any matchpoints, so the question is how to get the 7th trick. East's spade discards seem a bit odd - what club holding can he have where he would prefer to pitch all his spades and keep all his clubs? I will go for the big play, playing East to be 5152, with the ♣AK, and the ♦J. So, win the last heart, play the ♦Q, then the last spade, pitching a club from dummy. Hoping East has to give us the 4th diamond. If I am wrong, -250 or so should be worth about the same amount of matchpoints as -150.

[Califdude]

Isn't that 3D bid a considerable overbid? Shouldn't it have been passed at 2NT?

[cherdano]

Califdude, on Nov 25 2008, 01:47 PM, said:

Isn't that 3D bid a considerable overbid? Shouldn't it have been passed at 2NT?

2N was scrambling, not natural.

[skjaeran]

cherdano, on Nov 25 2008, 10:24 PM, said:

Califdude, on Nov 25 2008, 01:47 PM, said:

Isn't that 3D bid a considerable overbid?  Shouldn't it have been passed at 2NT?

2N was scrambling, not natural.

For those unfamiliar with scrambling, it shows two places to play (here among the unbid suits). Partner bids his suits up the line until a fit is found.