[pescetom]

MP

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In West you are playing 7♣, opponents silent.
Lead ♦T, plan your play?

[shyams]

DA
low D ruff with C2
Three trumps
Back with HA**

Beyond this, it becomes complicated only if diamonds split 5-2 and trumps were 4-1.

**Edit: If opponent trumps are 3-2, I can play HKQ before I return with HA. This generates a lot more info for me.

[akwoo]

Agree with shyams. If diamonds are 5-2 we have an attempted squeeze coming.

[mikeh]

Win in dummy, spade ace, spade ruff, club to hand, spade ruff, cash the club Jack, heart to hand, pull trump and claim

3 tricks in spades, three hearts, three diamonds and 4 clubs.

[apollo1201]

I do not play Xfers so there is a risk partner bids 2NT over 1 something.

I decided for 1D, planning to pass 1M or 1NT (partner should not bypass a major even with a bal hand). So as to maximize my chances of finding a decent spot at tje 1 level.

Now weird stuff hapoenned, LHO (very good player) bids 1NT and partner bids 2NT…

[pescetom]

 shyams, on 2026-October-24, 20:41, said:

DA
low D ruff with C2
Three trumps
Back with HA**

Beyond this, it becomes complicated only if diamonds split 5-2 and trumps were 4-1.

**Edit: If opponent trumps are 3-2, I can play HKQ before I return with HA. This generates a lot more info for me.

You under-ruffed at trick 2

[pescetom]

 mikeh, on 2026-October-24, 21:18, said:

Win in dummy, spade ace, spade ruff, club to hand, spade ruff, cash the club Jack, heart to hand, pull trump and claim

3 tricks in spades, three hearts, three diamonds and 4 clubs.

You can hardly win in dummy, but otherwise you are right, of course, all it takes is to ruff spades twice in safety.
Surprising how many got it wrong, including the only local player in the clubs grand (he pulled two trumps and then tried the spades hook).

[jillybean]

I don’t find it surprising that players get this wrong. I do find it encouraging that even experienced players sometimes get it wrong.

[akwoo]

I read mikeh's solution, recognized that he had it right and I had it wrong, and briefly considered giving up bridge. It's clear I'm so far behind that I'll never ever be anywhere near as good as he is. And, not just in bridge but in general, I'm starting to notice mental decline.

[mikeh]

akwoo, on 2026-October-26, 08:48, said:

I read mikeh's solution, recognized that he had it right and I had it wrong, and briefly considered giving up bridge. It's clear I'm so far behind that I'll never ever be anywhere near as good as he is. And, not just in bridge but in general, I'm starting to notice mental decline.

We’ve all been there. Indeed, I’ve ‘given up bridge’ twice, both times for several years during which I’d play maybe six or seven sessions a year.

I’ll never be as good as I’d like to be. Hamman was once asked, and I’m paraphrasing, what it’s like to have mastered the game, and replied that he’d let the questioner know if he ever did master it. Age catches up to us all: to me the challenge is doing the best that I can, even if it’s not as good as it used to be and will never be as good as I would like it to be.

[akwoo]

The other disappointing thing about bridge is that I'm at the skill level where I could plonk down 6 figures and instantly be 'world-class'.

[jillybean]

akwoo, on 2026-October-26, 10:14, said:

The other disappointing thing about bridge is that I'm at the skill level where I could plonk down 6 figures and instantly be 'world-class'.

Do you mean hire a pro team?
What fun is there in that?

As far as I can tell, only an elite few are going to make it to the Bermuda Bowl. I have no delusions of making a national team, but I want to play the best I can and be the best partner I can, and I'm having a pile of fun doing it.