[inquiry]

Scoring: MP

1♠ - (2♠) - 3♦ - (Pass)
4♦ - (pass) - 4NT - (Pass)
5♥ - (DBL) - 6♦ - (DBL)
all pass

Opening lead ♥7 to Queen ACE.

T1. H7*-H2-HQ-HA
T2. H3-H8-♦3-h5

* normal leads, high from doubleton, low from three card suit, etc.

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Real world bidding (as with most of these hands, I didn't play any part of the bidding or play). Until people start punishing these crazy michaels cue-bids vul, they keep making them. Maybe you can punish them late on this hand. Take it from here. Maybe this one is not really makeable single dummy, we shall see.......

[inquiry]

Ok, I think I have to agree with the general consensus on this one. This is not much of a problem as no single line seems clear. So far one vote each for every choice except 5.0 and 1.5.

A couple of ideas exist.

1) Set up spades, hoping for something line 3♠, 1♥, 5♦, 3♣
2) ruff two hearts in dummy, hoping for 5♦, 1♠, 1♥, 3♣, and 2 ♥ ruffs
3) You can even go for 3♥ ruffs in dummy, there might be some transportation problems.

I thought, when I saw this hand, what in the world is EAST doubling on? Perhaps a spade trick. However, the michaels cue bid by RHO is probably not based on six clubs (no club singleton lead), and his clubs are totally horrid. Hearts also appear to be dividing 5-3 (spots on first two tricks). So I think I will go for the heart ruffs in dummy, question becomes two or three.

T3. S3.S2.SA.S5
T4. H4.HT.D8.H6

Try taking it from here (if you agree with this line).

[Mbodell]

inquiry, on Feb 6 2010, 08:47 PM, said:

T3. S3.S2.SA.S5
T4. H4.HT.D8.H6

Try taking it from here (if you agree with this line).

Since RHO is, presumably, long in spades and clubs you could cross to the ♣Q, ruff the last heart, ruff a spade, run the top 3 ♦, cross to the ♣k, ruff a spade, and then play trick 13 to the ♣A willing for that trick to be ruffed. The obvious danger here is LHO has 5 diamonds, 2 clubs, and 3 hearts and pitches a club on the 4th heart.

Of course, with the dbl from the RHO the other danger is it is possible that in fact his michaels was on 55 hearts and diamonds. In which case he's expecting that 5 diamonds to the T9 is going to be worth a trick. If this is the case we are going down on my line above as he'll ruff the "cross to the ♣K", and be able to pull the last trump (or exit with the ♦T if we didn't play KQJ) and we are cut off from the board and can't score our low diamonds.

Without all the doubling the "normal" line would be to cash the ♦A and presumably be pretty much home free on any non-5-0 diamond break.