[ArtK78]

This came up in a Sectional Swiss Teams today. My partner and I disagreed on how to handle the situation, and we got varying answers from others we consulted.

This was at a Philadelphia Unit Sectional held in Cherry Hill, NJ. LHO (West) was a well known visiting pro from the midwest, and RHO was his client. Other than the visiting pro, the opponents are not strong.

Here is the situation:

Scoring: IMP

1♠ - (P) - 2♠* - (x)
P - (3♥) - All Pass

* - Bergen Raise - exactly 3 spades or 4333, 6-10 HCP

---

I led my singleton club. Declarer played an honor from dummy and partner won his A. Partner then played the ♠K, declarer playing small from hand.

(1) What card do you play at trick 2?

(2) Is your answer any different if you play UDCA?

[MFA]

My partnership style is to let an attitude signal solve these problems. Not to switch to suit preference.

Given this, the logic is that a discouraging spade asks for a switch back to clubs, while an encouraging spade does not. We would therefore discourage here.

[H_KARLUK]

Likely 23-17. x ♠. (Std count) [I get used to play K asks count, A asks attitude (Hi-lo = enc/disc) with regular partner]

Was original layout q9x-axx-kqj-kqjx/akxxx-jx-x-axxxx/xx-kqxx-xxxx-xxx/jtx-9xxx-axxxx-x and +300 for yr side?

[gnasher]

Whatever happened, I think North was thinking too hard. A look at dummy makes it obvious that South's lead is a singleton. Who would lead a club from Jxx K10x Axxxx xx? 100-point undertricks are valuable at any form of scoring, so North shouldn't waste his entries on asking questions to which he already knows the answer.

[MFA]

gnasher, on Feb 9 2009, 06:32 AM, said:

Whatever happened, I think North was thinking too hard. A look at dummy makes it obvious that South's lead is a singleton. Who would lead a club from Jxx K10x Axxxx xx? 100-point undertricks are valuable at any form of scoring, so North shouldn't waste his entries on asking questions to which he already knows the answer.

I was thinking the same thing and concluded that partner must have been worried about ♣xxx, not ♣xx. Anyway it does seem tame of him not to return a club immediately.

[ArtK78]

The point that the opening lead must be a singleton on this auction is valid. It was made by several players who were presented with this problem. However, since North's club holding was only Axx he could afford to play a spade first assuming that partner had only three.

The correct defense - give partner a club ruff immediately or after one round of spades - results in +200. Cashing two spades first results in +100. North's hand is AKxxx x xxxx Axx.

[peachy]

gnasher, on Feb 9 2009, 06:32 AM, said:

Whatever happened, I think North was thinking too hard. A look at dummy makes it obvious that South's lead is a singleton. Who would lead a club from Jxx K10x Axxxx xx? 100-point undertricks are valuable at any form of scoring, so North shouldn't waste his entries on asking questions to which he already knows the answer.

I was going to post something in these lines. Agree with every word.
As to what spade to play trick 2, wasting a J or 10 now is foolish. Carding methods have nothing to do with it when dummy has Q9x, so whatever the carding, you play small so as not to give declarer an extra trick free. Also in this hand, North knows the spade length (from bidding) and strength (looking at dummy) himself with no help from South.

[peachy]

peachy, on Feb 9 2009, 02:04 PM, said:

gnasher, on Feb 9 2009, 06:32 AM, said:

Whatever happened, I think North was thinking too hard.  A look at dummy makes it obvious that South's lead is a singleton.  Who would lead a club from Jxx K10x Axxxx xx?  100-point undertricks are valuable at any form of scoring, so North shouldn't waste his entries on asking questions to which he already knows the answer.

I was going to post something in these lines. Agree with every word.
As to what spade to play trick 2, wasting a J or 10 now is foolish. Carding methods have nothing to do with it when dummy has Q9x, so whatever the carding, you play small so as not to give declarer an extra trick free. Also in this hand, North knows the spade length (from bidding) and strength (looking at dummy) himself with no help from South.

Well, declarer doesn't need the potential extra trick in spades in this hand, I was thinking the spade suit in isolation when posted. Sorry.

[sathyab]

peachy, on Feb 9 2009, 02:04 PM, said:

gnasher, on Feb 9 2009, 06:32 AM, said:

Whatever happened, I think North was thinking too hard.  A look at dummy makes it obvious that South's lead is a singleton.  Who would lead a club from Jxx K10x Axxxx xx?  100-point undertricks are valuable at any form of scoring, so North shouldn't waste his entries on asking questions to which he already knows the answer.

I was going to post something in these lines. Agree with every word.
As to what spade to play trick 2, wasting a J or 10 now is foolish. Carding methods have nothing to do with it when dummy has Q9x, so whatever the carding, you play small so as not to give declarer an extra trick free. Also in this hand, North knows the spade length (from bidding) and strength (looking at dummy) himself with no help from South.

Looking at the dummy I'd play the ♠J (assuming UDCA) making it clear I don't have any interest in spades. Yes it may set up a spade trick, but so what ? Looking at the robust holdings in minor suits, what good could a delayed spade trick do for declarer ?

Partner should have worked out that the club was stiff, but we should have less trouble working out that playing anything but a highly discouraging spade will only confound him further.

[TimG]

I was wondering if the Jack wasn't the right spade to play regardless of signaling method. Blowing up the potential slow spade trick ought to convince partner not to continue the suit.

[rbforster]

J♠ - the card you're known to hold. Declarer can still misguess the T.

[dake50]

Would SJ opening lead to force declarer be a better start? SJQK, S10, to SA ruffed. Now partner's CA to force again. In my partnership, no S-lead clearly means no forcing defense. Partner looks for ruff, else.

[ArtK78]

dake50, on Feb 9 2009, 07:22 PM, said:

Would SJ opening lead to force declarer be a better start? SJQK, S10, to SA ruffed. Now partner's CA to force again. In my partnership, no S-lead clearly means no forcing defense. Partner looks for ruff, else.

On this hand, the forcing defense will result in down 1. My hand (JTx 9xxx Axxxx x) will make a heart trick by force, but it will not gain any other tricks. The fourth round of spades can only be played by partner, and his only entry is the ♣A. Declarer will be able to establish all of her tricks without being seriously inconvenienced.

[keylime]

J♠, regardless of UDCA or not. I play this to wake up partner to stop in their tracks. I'll get that club ruff then.