SteveMoe

No doubt it's much easier to lambaste posters when you depend on double dummy analysis for a specific 52 card layout. Your criticism misses the point. Why don't you consider only South and East hands and justify why a shift to a low ♥ is the odds on play knowing only those cards? Yeah, I thought so. You are resulting and you don't even know it. Thanks to rhm and Nige1 for their collaborative responses. While playing 3 rounds of ♦ from the South hand doesn't work here, it seems much better than trying to take 2 trump tricks by ducking. The major suit spots are unknown at the time South has to choose what to do.

100% South - ♦A then ♦6 trick 2

Start with ♥3 toward the ♥9. Finesse the expected ♦ return from North. Too many forks and not enough food for more.

Pass. Balanced values opposite a (strong) takeout will generally benefit from passing. Make the hand Kxx x KQxx Q10xxx and 4N is more appealing. I won't bid at the 5 level unless 1) I am sure we belong one level higher or 2) my ODR is skewed to bidding. Neither here.

I will double and over partner's: 4♠: rebid 5♥ showing fit, control, and an escape at 5♠ 4N: I will rebid 5N asking partner for their better minor - I expect 2-1-5-5 and hope for xx x Axxxx Qxxxx :rolleyes: 5♣: rebid 5♦. 5♥ is too rich here. 5♦: Pass - if partner's ♦ are really 2 cards longer than ♣ (no 4N bid) and 3 or fewer ♠s, I fear we will not benefit from shape advantages. 5♥: Partner had a strong pass! 7♦ for me. 5♠: 6♥ exploring 7♠ 6♣, 6♦: Raise to 7.

Playing aggressive doubles, South should Double. Above 3♥, doubles are more cards than a clear commitment to the other major (at least 3 cards in all unbids and sound values). With 6 HCP and 4 card ♠ opposite partner's double might or might not make game. North should reason that if partner has sound values outside ♥, EW are in trouble. North should also reason that partner could be under pressure with values and no clear direction. Taking 5 or 6 tricks on defense might be easier than 10 on offense. North could PASS. I believe North's decision is close to a coin flip. What tips it to pass and defend for me is that both NS have shortness in the SAME suit (North knows this, not South). That suggests declaring will be more difficult than defending.

An older treatment (Mathe Asking bid) over 1M-3M was to rebid 3N (some use Step 1 instead) by opener to ask for a short suit. That allows other bids to be control showing. Frankly playing some from of mini/maxi splinter handles the short suit by responder better. I find control bidding best.

Double, not 2♣. Pass now. Partners values give us the balance of power and we likely have 2♦ tricks to the good. 2N is too small a window and a contract we don't want to play. At this vlunerability if we have game values our way, we expect a lucrative penalty.

♣A, then ♥K, ♥3 to the ♥J. If the finesse holds and both follow, draw the 3rd round of trumps and clear ♦ endingin hand. (If the trump finesse loses, a ♠ switch by East is less threatening). Finesse the ♣J.

2016 Laws of Duplicate Bridge (ACBL Source: http://web2.acbl.org/documentlibrary/play/Laws-of-Duplicate-Bridge.pdf) LAW 41 (p 53) COMMENCEMENT OF PLAY ... D. Dummy’s Hand ... Declarer plays both his hand and that of dummy. LAW 42 (p 54) DUMMY’S RIGHTS A. Absolute Rights ... 3. Dummy plays the cards of the dummy as declarer’s agent as directed (see Law 45F if dummy suggests a play). LAW 43 (p 55) DUMMY’S LIMITATIONS Except as Law 42 allows: ... 1. © Dummy must not participate in the play, nor may he communicate anything about the play to declarer. ... LAW 45 (p 57) CARD PLAYED A. Play of Card from a Hand Each player except dummy plays a card by detaching it from his hand and facing* it on the table immediately before him. B. Play of a Card from Dummy Declarer plays a card from dummy by naming the card, after which dummy picks up the card and faces it on the table. In playing from dummy’s hand,declarer may, if necessary, pick up the desired card himself. C. Compulsory Play of Card -1. A defender’s card held so that it is possible for his partner to see its face must be played to the current trick. If the defender has already made a legal play to the current trick, see Law 45E. -2. Declarer must play a card from his hand if it is ---(a) held face up, touching or nearly touching the table; or ---(b) maintained in such a position as to indicate that it has been played. -3. A card in the dummy must be played if it has been deliberately touched by declarer except for the purpose either of arranging dummy’s cards or of reaching a card above or below the card or cards touched. -4. (a) A card must be played if a player names or otherwise designates it as the card he proposes to play. ---(b) Until his partner has played a card, a player may change an unintended designation if he does so without pause for thought. If an opponent has, in turn, played a card that was legal before the change in designation, that opponent may withdraw the card so played, return it to his hand, and substitute another (see Laws 47D and 16D1). -5. A penalty card, major or minor, may have to be played (see Law 50). D. Card Misplayed by Dummy If dummy places in the played position a card that declarer did not name, the card must be withdrawn if attention is drawn to it before each side has played to the next trick, and a defender may withdraw and return to his hand a card played after the error but before attention was drawn to it. If declarer’s RHO changes his play, declarer may withdraw a card he had subsequently played to that trick (see Law 16D). ... F. Dummy Indicates Card After dummy’s hand is faced, dummy may not touch or indicate any card, except for purpose of arrangement, without instruction from declarer. If he does so, the Director should be summoned forthwith and informed of the action. Play continues. At the end of the play the Director shall award an adjusted score if he considers dummy suggested a play to declarer and the defenders were damaged by the play suggested. LAW 46 (p 60) INCOMPLETE OR ERRONEOUS CALL OF A CARD FROM DUMMY A. Proper Form for Designating Dummy’s Card When calling a card to be played from dummy, declarer should clearly state both the suit and the rank of the desired card. B. Incomplete or Erroneous Call of a Card In case of an incomplete or erroneous call by declarer of the card to be played from dummy, the following restrictions apply, except when declarer’s different intention is incontrovertible: -1. (a) If declarer in playing from dummy calls “high”, or words of like meaning, he is deemed to have called the highest card. ---(b) If he directs dummy to “win” the trick he is deemed to have called the lowest card that it is known will win the trick. ---© If he calls “low”, or words of like meaning, he is deemed to have called the lowest card. -2. If declarer designates a suit but not a rank he is deemed to have called the lowest card of the suit indicated. -3. If declarer designates a rank but not a suit ---(a) In leading, declarer is deemed to have continued the suit in which dummy won the preceding trick, provided there is a card of the designated rank in that suit. ---(b) In all other cases declarer must play a card from dummy of the designated rank if he can legally do so. If there are two or more such cards that can be legally played, declarer must designate which is intended. -4. If declarer calls a card that is not in dummy, the call is void and declarer may designate any legal card. -5. If declarer indicates a play without designating either a suit or a rank (as by saying “play anything” or words of like meaning), either defender may designate the play from dummy.

We count 5 top winners (3♠ and 2♣). Need to develop 4 more winners before they cash 5 tricks. A ♣ finesse might give us one more. If we can find the ♦J we can possibly add 3♦ tricks. (4 will be available with good breaks). That leaves the ♥ suit. The spots suggest ♥ are a possible weakness. Yes we could develop a trick by finessing the A and then the Q, but the risk of losing multiple tricks in the suit seems high. Since we don't want LHO to lead a ♥ through dummy, we will lead a low♦ toward our Q10. Should we win the opening lead with the ♠Q? Ducking preserves an entry to dummy. There is only one sure entry as it is ♣A. Ducking also puts us in the wrong hand for leading ♦ (Leading low to the Kx gains when RHO holds the ♦A). If we find ♦ 4-2 the wrong way, we will only get 3 ♦ tricks and won't get the third without a dummy entry. We'll need one more from the round suits. Win the ♠Q and lead small to the ♦K. If the ♦A wins, when next in your hand lead the ♦4 toward the ♦10. (If RHO wins the ♦A, pitch your blocking ♦K). If this finesse wins, cash the ♦Q. If it loses, you have the ♣AJ as the dummy entry for the remaining ♦ tricks. In fact, continue the avoidance play by finessing the ♣J. If after all that we have only 8 tricks, we need to get one trick from ♥. Best to lead toward the ♥K from hand. If that loses, play RHO for the Q. If we find ourselves stuck in Dummy after the ♦ cash, consider leading the small ♥ toward the ♥J. Holding only the Q, RHO might not rise. Your J will force the Ace. If RHO plays the Q, a ♥ to the K promotes your J, if you can get to it by then.

Holding ♥AK opposite partner's Vulnerable first seat preempt suggests partner has values in the black suits (give the opponents full credit for their ♦ holding). EW down 1 is probable and down 2 or more possible if partner is anything but 7222. Double is clear and protects our equity from 4♥ if making. Bidding 5♥ cannot be right with my shape and ♥ values. Too likely 9 or 10 tricks are the limit our way. Give me a ♦ void and I would bid 5♥ with little reservation (expecting complimentary shortness in a black suit in partner's hand).

Yes, I read: No Major GF Diamonds. Could read: No Major or GF Diamonds. Which is it?

4♠

The bidding suggest RHO is short in ♦ and long in Majors. Pitch ♥10 and win opening lead cheaply in hand. Hook♦8. Draw trumps if 2-1 or 1-2. If 3-0, repeat finesse to ♦ 10 say, and finesse/clear ♥. (If lose to ♦K we need the ♣ finesse.) Now ♣A then ♣x leaves manageable x-ruff position, even if trump K is with LHO. Yes, when ♦K is still out (trumps 3-0) we need ♣ to be not longer than 3 with RHO.