[badderzboy]

Scoring: IMP

Bidding

N......E......S......W
P.....1♥...2♠(1)..3♥
3♠...4♥....4♠....P
DBL?
Ace heart lead
followed by a club

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(1) Intermediate jump overcalls (typically an opening hand)

How do u play the hand?

Steve

[inquiry]

I call the director and report the insufficient 2♥ bid.

The auction is kind of hard to believe. East has three hearts to the ACE (unless you tell me they don't play five card majors). Presumably a singleton club (must have distribution), and felt he had enough to bid both 3H and to make a penalty double... and his partner opened!!

West also has a diamond card, because with that, EAST with AKQ of diamonds would have bid 4♦ on the way to 4♥. So WEST has at least 6 hcp in the red suits. We have 20 hcp in our hands. That leaves EAST with a max of 14 if he has the ♦AK and both black queens, and WEST may have diamond king or ace instead of the queen (giving 7 or 8 points).

Therefore, despite the double, I play EAST for the spade queen. If he has 3 to the queen, all is well and good. But what if he has four? You may need a trump coup, which will not necessarily be easy if they play five card major, as you need two ruffs (one heart, one club will do it), so EAST has to be 4-5-1-3 which is impossible as EAST has to have two diamond honors for his bid. But if he is 4-4-2-3 you make on the trump coup.

But let's just go for 3-2 trump split. :-)

[han]

Strange 2H bid.. I will assume that this is 3H.

The 4S bid is a bit much, seems I should leave this decision to partner. Is there anything about my hand that partner doesn't know about? I don't think so.

What is their 1NT range? (I will assume 15-17). In Acol, I believe that opening 1H on a four card suit (which appears to be the case) denies a 4-card minor. Therefore neither player has club shortness, and we have some room to investigate.

I insert the jack of clubs (which probably draws the queen) and win in hand. Now I am tempted to play the diamond jack. If this draws an honor from west then it is clear to finesse east for the spade queen when I get in. If East wins the diamond and it looks like (s)he has the AKQ, then I finesse West for the spade queen (East would likely open 1NT with the queen).

I had to make a lot of assumptions.

[helene_t]

Hannie, on Jan 5 2005, 09:29 PM, said:

[....] In Acol, I believe that opening 1H on a four card suit [...] denies a 4-card minor [....]

No, that would be Dutch Acol which is not the same as Acol. 1NT is usually 12-14 but might depend on the vulnerability.

[badderzboy]

Sorry Ben, I've corrected the 2♥ to 3♥ bid!

I assumed as East - West play a weak NT (12-14) that East was at best 5-3-3-2 and I needed him to have 2 low spades so I decided to play West for Qxx of spades as any other combo and I am down 1.

The only way I could see making the contract was if the spades were 3-2 as I must lose 2 diamonds and a Heart unless I can get rid of a diamond on Club BUT
I'd need to draw trumps first and not lose to Q♠ on the way..

I did play the J Clubs covered by the Q and then J♠ and let it run! It did so a low spade to the King and a Heart ruff - draw the last trump with A♠ and played off Clubs which broke 3-3 as well to make 4♠+1 690.

The reason I posted was I can't believe this was the best line just lucky it worked.

Scoring: IMP

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PS East should have opened 1NT and I would bid 2♠

Steve

[han]

helene_t, on Jan 6 2005, 12:34 AM, said:

Hannie, on Jan 5 2005, 09:29 PM, said:

[....] In Acol, I believe that opening 1H on a four card suit [...] denies a 4-card minor [....]

No, that would be Dutch Acol which is not the same as Acol. 1NT is usually 12-14 but might depend on the vulnerability.

Ah, thanks Helene!

If the opponents are playing a 12-14 notrump then I can see no reason to play west for the spade queen.

[EricK]

Is it just me, or does the bidding show that North doubled South's bid?

Does that mean that North is confident that South will make it

Eric