[mikl_plkcc]

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The optimal contract was 3NT. 3♥ would have gone -4. Which call was wrong?

[billw55]

South's pass is not bridge.

[eagles123]

south way too strong to pass! got to be 3NT or double surely!!

[Zelandakh]

mikl_plkcc, on 2013-May-23, 07:16, said:

Which call was wrong?

All of them.

[billw55]

Zelandakh, on 2013-May-23, 07:30, said:

All of them.

I think west was ok

[ahydra]

Pass?

PASS?!?!?!?!

Come on, South, you have 23 HCP! Either X, or bid 3NT. But don't pass! Do you really think partner will reopen with a 2-count (e.g. Jx xxx J10xx xxxx where 3NT has good chances)?

Also, 5C is wimpish too. I would bid 6NT [expecting a little more opposite]

ahydra

[Vampyr]

South was obviously waiting to convert partner's takeout double.

[cherdano]

4♣ might actually be the worst call.

[Hanoi5]

Vampyr, on 2013-May-23, 08:46, said:

South was obviously waiting to convert partner's takeout double.

It surely looks like that but, with 23 HCP's, those great spades and a 3rd seat preempt you shouldn't try it with an unknown.

[gszes]

P P 3h

Even though there are only 17 HCP left out there I see no
reason to assume p has less than their fair share (6-8)
x seems wrong when we are practically forcing p to bid 4
of a minor. The practical call here is 3n and we would not
be even the tiniest bit upset if p were to pull that to 4s:)))

I completely do not understand the 4c bid when 3n for the minors
is a complete standout and may allow us to play in what may be
our best spot. Showing only 1 suit here makes no sense.

[FM75]

EW - 100% on all bids.

South pass - 0, X = 10, 3N 8
With 7 top tricks in your own hand, LHO passed, RHO preempted, AQJx of trump, partner is not doubling. Sure double by you would be take-out, but you need partner to bid. If he does not, your best score is going to be about 250. You are odds on to make 600.

North 4♣ - bold, but do the math. LHO has 10-, you have 7, and RHO has 11-. Partner has 12+ and passed. Do you have a WTF agreement?
X = 8, 2m = 4 Let partner decide - it has to be takeout. If he has a hand and ♠, you would have heard about it. If he had a hand with a minor - well what would 3N mean? If it means pick a minor, 9.

South 5♣ - Huh? what could he be bidding 4♣ on - Jxx x KQxx(x) QJxxxx(x) ?
6♣ 10
5♣ 6
4♥ 8

[1eyedjack]

I don't think that we should be identifying individual players in forum posts where they may come under ridicule. Pretty sure it is a breach of forum regs, quite apart from etiquette.

Anyway I think that the play of the hand in 5C is interesting. It is trivial to make at double dummy:

Route 1: Unblock Clubs, Ace of Hearts, low Heart ruff, Play out all trumps discarding Diamonds, cross to Ace of Spades, run Heart Queen discarding diamond, and later take further diamond discards on Heart Jack and Spade Queen, by which time West is squeezed into giving the overtrick. At single dummy, the risk is that the Ace of Hearts might get ruffed by West.

Route 2: Unblock Clubs, AK of Spades, ruff Spade, draw trumps, Finesse Heart Q, cash major winners discarding Diamonds. That brings in 11. There are actually a couple of routes to 12 despite using the Spade ruff as entry. Perhaps the most elegant is to strip East of his non-heart cards, then finesse the Q of Hearts and then exit with a low Heart forcing East to exit with Hearts and provide you with a second heart finesse. At single dummy, the risk is that East may have at most two Spades. Probably a higher risk than Diamond void, which leads us to ...

Route 3: Exactly as it was played at the table up to the completion of trick 9, and then just exit with low Heart at trick 10 (again forcing them to give you a second Heart finesse). At that point the play is an open book and not finding it is unforgivable really, given the bidding. Doesn't make the overtrick of course. At single dummy, which is a higher risk between Diamond void in East or Heart void in West (comparing routes 1 and 3) is a point on which I am not sure.

3N by South on K of Diamonds (ducked), Q of Diamonds (ducked) and diamond continuation at trick 3 then requires some careful declarer play to make 10 tricks, which is possible but it would not surprise me if a few tables made just 9 (played by North is rather an easier ride). So an overtrick in 5C may well net some matchpoints. At IMP of course it makes diddly squat difference whether you make 5C or 3N.

So yes, the bidding is bizarre, but it is not the only bizarre action and arguably not contributory to any "disaster".

[gnasher]

1eyedjack, on 2013-May-29, 14:54, said:

3N by South on K of Diamonds (ducked), Q of Diamonds (ducked) and diamond continuation at trick 3 then requires some careful declarer play to make 10 tricks

Careless play might work too: win ♦A, heart finesse, cash all the winners you have, look disappointed when ♠J doesn't fall, play a spade or diamond.

[blackshoe]

gnasher, on 2013-May-30, 02:35, said:

Careless play might work too: win ♦A, heart finesse, cash all the winners you have, look disappointed when ♠J doesn't fall, play a spade or diamond.

Hm. Is "look disappointed" legal?

[Winstonm]

The analysis of the bidding matches the analysis of the play. Automatic 3N first time. Automatic win A of diamond on opening lead. Unblock clubs. Lead a low diamond. Claim.

[gnasher]

blackshoe, on 2013-May-30, 10:46, said:

Hm. Is "look disappointed" legal?

It's legal if you are, in fact, disappointed.

If you gain an advantage through looking disappointed, and you could have been aware at the time of looking disappointed that it could well damage the opponents, then the director will award an adjusted score. But only if looking disappointed is an irregularity.

[gnasher]

Winstonm, on 2013-May-30, 13:25, said:

The analysis of the bidding matches the analysis of the play. Automatic 3N first time. Automatic win A of diamond on opening lead. Unblock clubs. Lead a low diamond. Claim.

Claim nine tricks, you mean? West cashes his other diamond and exits with ♠J. (Any spade will do, but unblocking ♠J now saves having to remember to do it later.)

[kuhchung]

I remember seeing a hand on the forums from a long time ago when they preempted 3 something and second seat had this rock crusher in high cards. I think the colors were reversed, and some very strong posters suggested pass and just go plus. That has stuck with me for a long time.

[Vampyr]

gnasher, on 2013-May-30, 16:12, said:

It's legal if you are, in fact, disappointed.

My regular partner looks at my dummies, no matter how suitable, as if they are something he has scraped off the bottom of his shoe. Please someone say I can tell him this is illegal.

[ArtK78]

kuhchung, on 2013-May-30, 21:35, said:

I remember seeing a hand on the forums from a long time ago when they preempted 3 something and second seat had this rock crusher in high cards. I think the colors were reversed, and some very strong posters suggested pass and just go plus. That has stuck with me for a long time.

"I think the colors were reversed,..."

That is a fairly important distinction.

Any call other than 3NT by South over 3♥ is not bridge.