A slam not bid. Wednesday morning August 15, 2007

Lead: seven of spades; four of clubs or two of diamonds.

The lead matters. Given South's bid, North will lead a diamond to the ace. West has a tough choice in spades vs clubs. The finesse is 50%. Spades breaking 3-3 is 35%. After a spade finesse loses and both sides follow, spades breaking 2-2 rises slightly to 40%. The alternative is take a club, lose a club, then trump a club. The odds after that sequence are 52-48% that the remaining cards will be divided evenly; meaning declarer will be able to throw two spades on the now developed clubs. This is clearly a pick-your poison offering. As the cards lie, losing the finesse and dumping your last club on the developed sixth trick works. The proper play is to help yourself a bit by running off a few hearts before tacking any decisions. North will be in some pain on his third discard (assuming he pitches diamonds on the first two) while South will go on autopilot with diamonds.

Wednesday morning August 15, 2007

Lead: ace of spades.

The ace of spades lead followed by the 10 is a gamble that partner can trump the second trick. Instead, it ensures a lay-down 6D. Any club lead sets the contract, since declarer won't be able to establish the spades in order to discard clubs.

You asked how it could be bid.

Lead: ace of hearts.

The play is routine, however everyone this day ended up in 4S making 6. I would have thought the diamond slam would have been easier to bid, but 6 spades makes all day.

Hand of the Day. Nice playing.

Lead: 7 of clubs.

The queen of clubs on the board wins, the seven of spades passed around to West, who takes the king and leads back another club, which is held by East's 10. A third club comes back, South's ace winning. The Dangerous Opponent has been identified and it's West. The queen of spades forces out the ace from East, who in turn slips back a high heart. There is no sense waiting, so South takes the ace, then runs off four good spades; so far taking four spades, two clubs and a heart. I wouldn't risk going down one for a finesse of the jack, and either would you. South plays the ace of diamonds followed by the king; virtue and clean living are rewarded! The queen of diamonds falls, three no trump comes home with an overtrick while holding 21 high card points! Points schmoints.

Great bid by West.

Lead: queen of hearts.

With South properly crowding the bidding space with his 4H bid, there's no time for John's quebidding to slam class. East sluffs a club on the ace of hearts, draws trump in two rounds, loses the ace of diamonds and claims. Five hearts doubled goes down 2 for -500, a great bid if you can get away with it.

Saturday morning August 18, 2007

Lead: eight of hearts

What would you do with North's hand as opener? Four hearts doubled is down 1 for a fantastic score. Seven hearts doubled down four is a great sacrifice at -1100. Unfortunately, it would be a next-to-bottom with our EWs today; five of whom stopped at four spades making 7 for a 710 score. If North doesn't open some number of hearts, East should open 2C. Linda and I play step bidding; partner replies 2S showing 9-12 points (2D = 0-4 without an ace; 2H = 5-8; 2S = 9-12; 2NT = opening bid.). At the two level the team knows it will be circling slam. The full bidding; 2C-2S, 3S-4D, 4H-4S, 7S-all pass.

Saturday morning August 18, 2007

Lead: ace of hearts.

This time South replies using the more traditional 2D "waiting" response to the opening 2C, then rebids diamonds to show a real suit (5 cards, headed by at least a queen). When the board comes down North is pleased to have six trumps, five clubs and a diamond.

Monday afternoon August 20, 2007

Lead: ace of spades.

Whack, whack, re-whack. From East's perspective, what started out as a sacrifice at 6H turned into a fine bid! North is pegged with 8 spades for the bid, leaving five cards left in her hand. Trump was drawn in three rounds, ending up in East, who then has only one way to play the hand. King of clubs followed by a finesse which wins, followed by the ace of clubs, then ruff a club in hand, establishing the good club on the board. The diamond queen is finessed, followed by the ace; the good club takes the last diamond from declarer's hand and the last two cards are cross-ruffed. Well done!

Monday afternoon August 20, 2007

Lead: 3 of clubs.

The play is routine regardless of the lead. East's jump-shift promises 15-18 HCP, which have to be in diamonds and spades. After getting a one-ace response, West leaps to 6H, corrected nicely by East to 6NT.

Monday afternoon August 20, 2007

Lead: ace of diamonds.

What a remarkable hand! It makes six spades, six hearts and six clubs, as well as 3NT; three slams, different suits, 27 HCP. Remarkable. You can't bid it.

Monday afternoon August 20, 2007

Lead: King of hearts.

Oh, my. LEAD THE 10 OF CLUBS! East takes the ace, returns the FOUR of clubs (indicating a diamond lead after the ruff) which is ruffed. A diamond comes back and the contract is set before declarer can take a breath. In this case, the heart ace is won, the ten of diamonds discarded. If declarer plunks down the ace of spades, she will be rewarded, making 6.