Leaderboard

[hv=pc=n&s=saqj2hadkqjt9c432&n=sk65hkq7654dcak65]133|200[/hv] In 7♠ I receive the Q♣ lead. I see that I can make it with just one ♦ ruff if ♥ are 3-3, or if trumps are 3-3 with two ♦ ruffs in dummy as I can establish the ♥ with one ruff. But looking at a combined void and singleton I don't fancy such even splits. It must be better to hope that the A of ♦ is onside. So I pass the KQJ of ♦ pitching a ♣ and two ♥ as both defenders follow. It would have been so much easier if West had just covered with his A. I now could ruff the fourth round of ♦ and make it if they are 4-4, but again 5-3 is more likely and an overruff looms. So I switch gears and cash the A ♥ followed by AK of trumps. Everyone has followed suit so I try the King ♥ pitching a club as both follow. On the Q♥ I pitch a ♦ as does West. I lead a trump back to my hand as West pitches a ♣. Now the last trump squeezes West in ♣ and ♦ as it pulls Easts last trump. The full hand: [hv=pc=n&s=saqj2hadkqjt9c432&w=s43h32da8765cqjt9&n=sk65hkq7654dcak65&e=st987hjt98d432c87]399|300[/hv]

Is that an opinion or a statement of fact B-)

I play this way in many partnerships and generally prefer it. The issue is that even if you open 1nt with all 5332 hands in range, opener having a five card major is a rare event. So you end up “fishing” with puppet a lot without catching many fish. Puppet wins when you have a 5-3 major fit with both hands balanced AND this major fit plays better than 3nt. Puppet loses when you have a 5-3 major fit that plays worse than 3nt. But puppet also loses when opponents double puppet stayman for the lead (and you would’ve bid 1n-3n otherwise). And puppet loses when opponents double responders major suit bid (1nt-3c-3d-3M instead of 1nt-2c-2x). And puppet loses when the puppet auction helps opponents defend better by giving more info. And all the losses above can easily happen even when opener has NO 5-card major, which is the vast majority of the time. With that said, it’s important to be able to show shortage on 3-1 major hands because here the 5-3 major fit is a big win (but 3nt could be bad even if opener has no 5M, so I prefer to show these directly and not bid puppet).