[flytoox]

Playing 2/1 in the MP pairs, I picked up:

S: A863
H: A85
D: T765
C: Q2

Opps are silent, pd opened with 1C, auction continues :

N S
1C 1S
2H 3D(1)
3S 4S(2)

(1) Hoping pd could bid NT
(2) Knowing spade is 4-3 fit, but this could be the only playable contract.

LHO leads C3. Pd put the dummy down:
S: QJ5
H: K964
D: K
C: AKJ64


plan your play.

[bestguru]

this is what I would do at the table:

I see 4 quick tricks in hearts and clubs if they break no worse than 4-2, so I need 6 trump tricks.

I'll win the lead with Q♣ and lead a low ♦ to the K. I expect opps to win with the A and return a trump. I win with the A and cash A♥♣, then cross ruff keeping my K♥ as an outside entry to dummy.

edit: Don't know what the keeping the K was about; I need to cash it early. I really should think before speaking.

[pclayton]

Looks right to play: Q♣, spade to Q (assuming it holds), heart to K, spade toward J. If THAT holds; start on clubs trying to pitch red cards. Best they can do is ruff in and make the other spade if they want; if they knock out the heart, I can take the heart pitch on the 4th club and eventually ruff the diamond in dummy and ditch the last on the 5th club.

If LHO hops up with the K and exits passive (♥ or ♣), I have 10 tricks and the transportation to cash them. If LHO hops K♠ and goes for the dummy tap; take the tap; cash Q♠, heart to hand, A♠ (all fine if they break 3-3); if 4-2; try to ditch diamond on 3rd club, and later a heart,

If Q♠ loses to the K, its gets a little nasty. If they return a spade, I think I need to win and try the A♠. If RHO has 4 spades and clubs arent 3-3, I'm probably toast. If they choose to tap dummy, I might be able to scramble 10.

Sorry, best I can do is 6 permutations on a hand.

[luke warm]

i like phil's line... win club Q and low toward dummy's spades, then see how far i can push the clubs

but i can't see us reaching any contract other than 3nt or depending

This post has been edited by luke warm: 2005-January-07, 19:24

[Flame]

Im not good with 4-3 fits and so i cant find better then already given, but i think its a mistake playing on 4-3 here, you play mp dont even give the opponents the extra information about stopers just bid 3nt, you have 10xxx in diamond, on most hands it will be enough, playing for most hands is what mp is all about.

[HeartA]

Flame, on Jan 7 2005, 08:41 PM, said:

Im not good with 4-3 fits and so i cant find better then already given, but i think its a mistake playing on 4-3 here, you play mp dont even give the opponents the extra information about stopers just bid 3nt, you have 10xxx in diamond, on most hands it will be enough, playing for most hands is what mp is all about.

Agree with Flame. I would bid 3N after North's 2H (reverse).

[pbleighton]

3NT for me too.

Peter

[the hog]

Sorry guys, you can't take your bid back once dummy appears. The question clearly says "Plan your play".

Win the CQ and play a S up. Follow pretty much the same line as given by Phil.

[flytoox]

I strongly disagree with 3N bidders. This dummy has DK, but, as the card lies, it still goes down. If pd has a small diamond, then it goes down 100%. Another point, as some posters have already pointted out, this is MP, 4M will score more than 3N if both makes exactly.

The line given by phil and other posters are same as mine. And it succeeds with the actual layouts.

I won the lead with CQ, leading small trump toward dummy's Q. East took SK and cashing DA and then gave his pd a club ruff. West exited with HJ, small from dummy and East overtook with HQ. I won with the HA. And played a small trump to dummy's SJ, west discarded a diamond. BY far opp's hands are crystal clear. West start with 2 spades, 1 club, and 5-5 red suits. So I finesse east for ST, drawing out trumps, and then finesse west for HT to make 4S for a nice 77%.

Still I lost the game and I wont mention those hands I played badly.

Scoring: MP

---

[luke warm]

fly, i'd be in 3nt because my system puts me there... also, 3nt seems to make on a low diamond lead (double dummy, yes), but down if ♦A is led

1h : 1nt (1h because i don't like strong 1c opening here : 1nt=10+)
2c : 2nt
3nt

well done btw

[flytoox]

luke warm, on Jan 8 2005, 02:01 PM, said:

fly, i'd be in 3nt because my system puts me there... also, 3nt seems to make on a low diamond lead (double dummy, yes), but down if ♦A is led

1h : 1nt (1h because i don't like strong 1c opening here : 1nt=10+)
2c : 2nt
3nt

well done btw

Yes, if you bid 3N here you will make it as a small diamond will be led most of the time. Trouble comes when pd has only a small diamond.

I think 3N is not excluded, but 3D asking for more information is more desirable.