[microcap]

First question---you hold

Scoring: BAM

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. You pass as dealer, LHO opens normal weak 2♠. Partner doubles, RHO passes and back to you--what's your choice?

Second question--you are declaring 6♥ now with opps quiet after the 2♠ bid. Dummy hits with

Scoring: BAM

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so there are chances. You take the Q♠ lead with dummy's ace, then cash the♥ Ace to see what's happening. That rat LHO plays out, leaving RHO with Q1087♥. Can you make it? Have fun.

[Free]

Are there only 12 ♥'s in a deck of cards anymore? Where's the 13th??

[hotShot]

I bid 3♥, i consider this hand below partners expectations. After your RHO passes, he is either weak or has no fit. If there is no fit, your partner has wasted values in ♠, if RHO has fit, but feels to weak, your partner is short in ♠ too. So I don't upgrade my hand for the shortage in ♠. But it is close, change ♥ J to Q and I'll bid 4.

I don't think i can make it, so I play for minimum down. This means I down play trump any more! So I play small ♦ to the Q, A♣. Now I play small ♠ to ruff with my small trumps. If RHO ruffs i cain with 9 or J if not I'll use ♦ or ♣ to go to dummy to play ♠ again. If it works I'll get: 3♦, 2♣, 1♠, 2♥, 3 ruffs = 11.

[hotShot]

Free, on Feb 23 2005, 12:47 PM, said:

Are there only 12 ♥'s in a deck of cards anymore? Where's the 13th??

the 13th was given to the 2nd trick.

[mr1303]

Am I playing good/bad 2NT? If so I'll bid a good 3♥, and see what partner wants to do after that.

[microcap]

Hot Shot is correct- the 13th heart was played at trick by RHO. You are not playing good/bad 2nt or lebensohl over weak two bids. Another way to phrase the question--what assumptions must you make in order to make this hand?

[inquiry]

hotShot, on Feb 23 2005, 08:50 AM, said:

I bid 3♥, i consider this hand below partners expectations.

One plays lebehnshol after 2♠X so 3♥ shows a little something (with just hearts and weak, bid 2NT then correct 3♣ to 3♥.

As to play. Yuck, but you still can make with a lot of luck. You have to catch WEST with seven spades (you didn't say if hte king fell on trick one, but if not, maybe they lead Q to show solid sequence of queen from KQ. Play three rounds of clubs, ruffing. If nothing untold happens here, your plan is to elope with your trurmps... on a hand something like this....
[FONT=Courier]

Scoring: IMP

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play three rounds of clubs, ruffing small. Lead a spade, ruffing however big to win the trick, if EAST ruffs with the Queen, pitch, pitch a club. For here, we assume EAST pitch a diamond. Cash three diamonds ending in dummy to reach this position.

Scoring: IMP

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[microcap]

Actually, the hand makes with a more prosaic distribution. If RHO is 2-5-3-3, the line goes as follows. After the K♥, ruff a spade in hand. K, then A♣ and ruff a club. Now ♦q, then to the AK♦ You have taken 9 tricks and the hand looks like this:

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Now play the Good diamond. If RHO ruffs with the 10, 8, or 7, overruff cheaply and ruff your last club with the boards K♥ while RHO underruffs. Now you get your 12th trick over RHO. If RHO ruffs with the Q♥, dump your club, take the K♥, and you have the J9 over the 108.

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[inquiry]

microcap, on Feb 23 2005, 12:44 PM, said:

Actually, the hand makes with a more prosaic distribution. If RHO is 2-5-3-3, the line goes as follows. After the K♥, ruff a spade in hand. K, then A♣ and ruff a club. Now ♦q, then to the AK♦

Yes, this is the same line when EAST is 1-5-4-3.. You will always make as long as east has 3♦ and 3+♣s. If east is 2-5-2-4 or 2-5-4-2 you have no chance (first case you can not cash your three diamonds, second case you can not ruff a cubl cheaply in dummy).