[jh51]

Match Point scoring

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I was suprised when partner's second bid was my 7 card suit. Sure made my hand a lot better when I know we have an 11 card fit. It does make my minor suit doubletons a little less valuable when I know that partner is also short in the minors.

At the table, partner won the club lead in hand. She drew trump in 2 rounds ending in dummy with east discarding high-low in diamonds (standard discards). She then led a spade to the 9 and west won with the K. The result was average as everyone was in 4♥ making 4.

Afterwards (the next day) I suggested that she might have tried a little deception to try to make an overtrick. Win the opening club lead in dummy and immediately lead a spade to the 9. Without the diamond signal, west might not lead a diamond. (He likely has at most one of the ♦AK ans he did not lead one originally. In fact, he had the K.) If he does not, we will make at least one overtrick whenever spades are no worse than 4-2. If the defense does now take their two diamonds, we get the same +420 as everyone else unless someone can score a spade ruff.

I would never recommed this at IMPs. Just take your 10 tricks and don't risk a bad spade split. But at match points, I figure the probablity of gain outways the risk. Agree?

[JLOGIC]

Agree and nice analysis. Of course if the opps are not terrible, RHO will discourage clubs so LHO will of course shift to diamonds but it's worth a try, and 99 % of opps are terrible so it will probably work. Gaining a trick on hands like this is what weak field MP is all about.

Too bad it was flat though, the opps are down only 1 in 5 clubs and it seems pretty easy to bid.