[Gerben42]

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This hand is both a GIB problem and a play problem. First of all, GIB doesn't seem to know the concept of exclusion key card Blackwood (it says 5♣ shows 19 - 22 TP and no other information. 4♣ wasn't much better). Rather he thinks I am cuebidding and cuebids back. Anyway, not only have you reached an excellent contract, you also got GIB to tell you where the ♠A is After the unsurprising lead of ♣A, what is your plan?

[Bbradley62]

In Unusual vs Unusual, shouldn't 3♣ primarily show hearts, whereas 3♦ would have shown spades? Or is this done differently than I learned it long ago?

[ahydra]

This contract looks pretty hopeless (rather than "excellent"): hearts are likely to break 4-1 or 5-0, so you need 3-4 ruffs in North which just isn't going to happen. The only legit chance looks to be to ruff and play a low spade, hoping West has 1=2=5=5 with a singleton spade ace.

If only South had the heart 10, then this 19-point slam might be in with a chance!

ahydra

[Cyberyeti]

ahydra, on 2011-May-14, 15:32, said:

This contract looks pretty hopeless (rather than "excellent"): hearts are likely to break 4-1 or 5-0, so you need 3-4 ruffs in North which just isn't going to happen. The only legit chance looks to be to ruff and play a low spade, hoping West has 1=2=5=5 with a singleton spade ace.

If only South had the heart 10, then this 19-point slam might be in with a chance!

ahydra

How about ruff, A♦, ♦ruff, ♥ to Q, ♦ ruff, Q♠ intending to cross to A♥ and hook the spade, which makes against any 1255 I think.

[gnasher]

Lead a spade towards dummy. If LHO plays low and the queen wins, ruff two diamonds and a heart in dummy. We just lose one trump.

If LHO wins the first spade and continues spades, play him for a singleton honour in hearts.

If LHO wins the first spade and plays some other card, guess - we could play him for 1=2, 1=1 with a singleton honour, or 2=1 with a singleton honour.

[Gerben42]

Bbradley62, on 2011-May-14, 12:59, said:

In Unusual vs Unusual, shouldn't 3♣ primarily show hearts, whereas 3♦ would have shown spades? Or is this done differently than I learned it long ago?

Well I play it that way, but luckily GIBs bids get explained Also when you make a bid yourself, it is shown how GIB will take it, which made it hard to bid over 3♦ because all bids were "you are strong but otherwise, your guess is good as mine".

[ArtK78]

Yes, GIB bids get explained, but often the explanation doesn't match the hand.

[cloa513]

Bbradley62, on 2011-May-14, 12:59, said:

In Unusual vs Unusual, shouldn't 3♣ primarily show hearts, whereas 3♦ would have shown spades? Or is this done differently than I learned it long ago?

Indeed the bid with this hand is 3 or 4♠, those cues are for relatively balanced moderate hands 9-11 (+ for non-passed hands), only 9 when the HCP are totally outside the minors.

[Quantumcat]

gnasher, on 2011-May-15, 03:42, said:

Lead a spade towards dummy. If LHO plays low and the queen wins, ruff two diamonds and a heart in dummy. We just lose one trump.

The ace and jack of spades are still out. If West has them he will make the jack anyway, but if East has it, you are banking on East holding at least four hearts (he can overruff dummy).

[cloa513]

I remember this hand so its a kind of a cheat answer. Its a reasonable contract not fantastic. Count on West to have the singleton ace of spades and singleton heart (pathetic opponent bidding by the way). Ruff out the diamonds before touching spades using club ruffs as your entries.

[gnasher]

Quantumcat, on 2011-May-17, 23:03, said:

The ace and jack of spades are still out. If West has them he will make the jack anyway

Yes, I'll go down if West is 3055.

Quote

, but if East has it, you are banking on East holding at least four hearts (he can overruff dummy).

No, I'm catering for East's holding four hearts. If it turns out that the shapes are, rather surprisingly, 2255 and 2343, I won't bother to ruff a heart - I'll just draw trumps instead.

[Quantumcat]

gnasher, on 2011-May-18, 01:18, said:

No, I'm catering for East's holding four hearts. If it turns out that the shapes are, rather surprisingly, 2255 and 2343, I won't bother to ruff a heart - I'll just draw trumps instead.

The 2NT bid could be made on 5-4 in the minors, given the vulnerability. A couple of times I've thought to myself, if it goes 1♠ 2♠ passed to me, I'd be quite happy reopening 2NT, so I figure I may as well do it right away.

Anyway I get your meaning now, if a spade to the queen nets you the two pips, then you'll play another one and hope that the hearts are 3-2.

What will you do when the queen nets one pip and one jack? Now if you play hearts West will ruff, and if you try and draw a trump West will pop in and "helpfully" draw another one for you.

[gnasher]

Quantumcat, on 2011-May-18, 01:57, said:

The 2NT bid could be made on 5-4 in the minors, given the vulnerability. A couple of times I've thought to myself, if it goes 1♠ 2♠ passed to me, I'd be quite happy reopening 2NT, so I figure I may as well do it right away.

Anyway I get your meaning now, if a spade to the queen nets you the two pips, then you'll play another one and hope that the hearts are 3-2.

What will you do when the queen nets one pip and one jack? Now if you play hearts West will ruff, and if you try and draw a trump West will pop in and "helpfully" draw another one for you.

No, that's not my meaning. When If I play a spade to the queen, if I get the two small cards, I will play ♦A, ♦ ruff, ♥K, ♦ ruff, ♥A. Then:
- If LHO ruffs with the ace, I ruff the hearts good
- If LHO shows out, I ruff the hearts good
- If LHO ruffs with the jack, I congratulate RHO for his clever duck from Ax.
- If LHO follows, I play another spade, then ask them what their shapes were.