Oops! (A bridge post)

[Bob78164]

Let's see if you can make better decisions than I did on this hand.

With everybody vulnerable at matchpoints, you hold:

S: J965, H: KJ962, D: A74, C: Q

Partner, the dealer, opens one diamond, and RHO passes. Your call?

[slam]

I'm sure this isn't the problem part of the auction. 1H

[Bob78164]

I'm sure this isn't the problem part of the auction. 1H

LHO, passes, and partner bids three spades, a splinter showing a singleton or void spade, good heart support, and slam interest. RHO passes. Your call? --Bob

[DevilKitty100]

Oops. (I glossed over it.)

[slam]

I bid 4NT. I generally play 1430 Roman Key Card Blackwood.

A slam seems very likely and a grand isn't impossible (give my partner void, AQxx, KQJxx, A and a grand is essentially laydown). Note that if partner has both minor suit aces, either minor suit K will be take care of my 3rd diamond (that club Q could still prove valuable).

[Bob78164]

I bid 4NT. I generally play 1430 Roman Key Card Blackwood.

A slam seems very likely and a grand isn't impossible (give my partner void, AQxx, KQJxx, A and a grand is essentially laydown). Note that if partner has both minor suit aces, either minor suit K will be take care of my 3rd diamond (that club Q could still prove valuable).

LHO passes and partner bids five spades (showing two key cards and the queen of trump). Note, by the way, that he can't have both minor suit aces because you're looking at one of them. Also, your partner's hypothetical hand needs three more cards. RHO passes. It's your call. --Bob

[slam]

My comment about the minor suit kings got a little confused in the translation. What I meant to say was - If partner has the club ace, then either minor suit king takes care of my third diamond (which might help set up the diamond suit so I don't have to ruff all my spades).

[slam]

I bid 4NT. I generally play 1430 Roman Key Card Blackwood.

A slam seems very likely and a grand isn't impossible (give my partner void, AQxx, KQJxx, A and a grand is essentially laydown). Note that if partner has both minor suit aces, either minor suit K will be take care of my 3rd diamond (that club Q could still prove valuable).

LHO passes and partner bids five spades (showing two key cards and the queen of trump). Note, by the way, that he can't have both minor suit aces because you're looking at one of them. Also, your partner's hypothetical hand needs three more cards. RHO passes. It's your call. --Bob

The extra 3 cards will be in the minors. They aren't necessary for the point I made.

Ok, we'll play 6H off one key card. Note that he could have bid 5NT if he also had a spade void. This may not be cold, but I probably have good play for it.

[Bob78164]

I bid 4NT. I generally play 1430 Roman Key Card Blackwood.

A slam seems very likely and a grand isn't impossible (give my partner void, AQxx, KQJxx, A and a grand is essentially laydown). Note that if partner has both minor suit aces, either minor suit K will be take care of my 3rd diamond (that club Q could still prove valuable).

LHO passes and partner bids five spades (showing two key cards and the queen of trump). Note, by the way, that he can't have both minor suit aces because you're looking at one of them. Also, your partner's hypothetical hand needs three more cards. RHO passes. It's your call. --Bob

The extra 3 cards will be in the minors. They aren't necessary for the point I made.

Ok, we'll play 6H off one key card. Note that he could have bid 5NT if he also had a spade void. This may not be cold, but I probably have good play for it.

I didn't bother with Blackwood. I couldn't imagine a hand he could have that would be worth a splinter that without two aces and the queen of trump.

His hand: S: 4, H: AQ85, D: QJ863, C: AK9.

Your hand: S: J965, H: KJ962, D: A74, C: Q

The opening lead is the three of trump. Plan the play. --Bob

[slam]

I win the trick cheaply in my hand. Unblock the club queen. and play a spade.
Let me know what heart spots I've seen.

[slam]

LHO passes and partner bids five spades (showing two key cards and the queen of trump). Note, by the way, that he can't have both minor suit aces because you're looking at one of them. Also, your partner's hypothetical hand needs three more cards. RHO passes. It's your call. --Bob

The extra 3 cards will be in the minors. They aren't necessary for the point I made.

Ok, we'll play 6H off one key card. Note that he could have bid 5NT if he also had a spade void. This may not be cold, but I probably have good play for it.

I didn't bother with Blackwood. I couldn't imagine a hand he could have that would be worth a splinter that without two aces and the queen of trump.

His hand: S: 4, H: AQ85, D: QJ863, C: AK9.

Your hand: S: J965, H: KJ962, D: A74, C: Q

The opening lead is the three of trump. Plan the play. --Bob

But without bothering with Blackwood, how do you know that you're not missing a grand?

[minimetoo26]

This only makes minimally more sense to me than the Ozzie Osbourne post.

I need to learn bridge.

[Bob78164]

I win the trick cheaply in my hand. Unblock the club queen. and play a spade.
Let me know what heart spots I've seen.

The 10 popped up on your right. Everyone follows to the club queen. LHO wins the spade and leads a second trump. Trumps are 2-2. --Bob

[macrae1234]

I believe you said 10 hearts popped up
Win heart k
Cash Club Q
Cash Diamond ace
9 of hearts to Q you say hearts ar 2-2
cash AK of clubs pitching diamonds
trump a diamond high if everyone follows I have adummy entries with my 2 of hearts to bring down the king and a lose only a spade with trump left as an entry if 4 diamonds to k on right I have ruffing finesse with 4 to the k on left I am down

[slam]

Looks like they've found their best defense - leading trump at every opportunity.

I don't see much left here but to cash the diamond Ace (if the K falls singleton, I make the contract). Ruff a spade to dummy and lead the diamond queen for a finesse. I could play for the diamond king to fall doubleton on my left, but that seems against the odds. At least I maneuvered to pick up the stiff king offside.

If they hadn't been so aggressive leading trump, I probably could have arranged a cross-ruff to come to 12 tricks by taking 4 minor suit tops and 8 trump tricks.

[Bob78164]

Looks like they've found their best defense - leading trump at every opportunity.

I don't see much left here but to cash the diamond Ace (if the K falls singleton, I make the contract). Ruff a spade to dummy and lead the diamond queen for a finesse. I could play for the diamond king to fall doubleton on my left, but that seems against the odds. At least I maneuvered to pick up the stiff king offside.

If they hadn't been so aggressive leading trump, I probably could have arranged a cross-ruff to come to 12 tricks by taking 4 minor suit tops and 8 trump tricks.

That was my line. You successfully applied the Rabbi's Rule, as did I. But it wasn't the best line.

MAC's line is best. Play it as a dummy reversal. Cash the queen of clubs and ace of diamonds, then cross to the board with a trump to cash clubs, pitching diamonds. If nothing good has already happened, trump a diamond high.

If everyone follows to both diamonds, return to the board with a third trump, trump another diamond establishing the suit, concede a spade, and dummy's high. If LHO has a small singleton, the diamond suit comes home via a ruffing finesse. If RHO has a small singleton, the hand has no play.

This is better than the line we used because you bring the hand home whenever diamonds are 3-2 (unless something truly ugly happens in hearts or clubs). --Bob

[slam]

Yes, Mac's line is better. This is what happens to me now that I don't play in tournaments anymore.