KurtGodel

If we are in a partnership where you can double their bids with Txxxx and partner couldn't find a double of either 2♦ or 2♠ then it might just be plausible to lead a club. IRL I would just lead a heart like a human being.

After the hand I realised that I should have led A♦, but I just wanted to know how clear it was. As it happened we had a trump trick (p had JTx of trumps), which is why I mention GIB's strange beliefs. Leading the ace of diamonds takes it 2 off, as you can now switch to a club through dummy's tenace.

[hv=pc=n&s=sqh98763daq73cj42&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1hp1sp3hp3sp4sp4np5cp6sppp]133|200|5C = 0/3[/hv] What would you lead if a) you were playing vs. GIB (which seems to think 4♠ here shows 3 card support) b) expert humans?

No I wouldn't, but the person who held this hand didn't bid game, I can see their partner not bidding 3♠ with that hand. I guess the better argument is that AKxx x xxxxx Axx and now grand is on a finesse, although I guess you might even bid more than 2♠ with that.

Grand could be cold: AKxx x xxxxx AQx, very difficult to find out about what you need to know for slam to be good. You need to find out about fourth trump and honours in clubs (preferably the ace).

Your thoughts on how to play this hand? [hv=pc=n&w=sk987ha9da653cq93&e=st3hkq743dkqjckt5&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=p1hp2c(any%20bal%20GF%2Fnat)p2n(11-13%2F17-19)p3sp3nppp]266|200[/hv] 9♦ lead, which could be from xx, xxx, or xxxx.

Bidding 1NT with the south cards is ridiculous, you don't have a very good club stop, and you certainly don't have a very positional one. Apart from that you have a very 'suity' hand (full of aces and kings). Secondly, the cue definitely is not 11+, it would be perfectly appropriate to bid 2♣ with KJxx xxxx KQxx x. South didn't make a takeout double either...

Just out of curiosity where does this number come from? I know you sit on a bigger database of hands than pretty much everyone else, just wondering what kind of comparison you used.

Probably too tough for newer players, they might also seem a little dated to a 12 year old. Tbh a lot of my bridge education came from playing against randoms on BBO with friends, and when I realised that wasn't constructive I just bought every book I could get my hands on. I would recommend Eddie Kantar's "Take all your chances" and its sequel.

This is an underbid! I think in practice he would have in fact made it after seeing that trumps were 4-0. But really, what does it take to draw one round of trumps before you claim? I just about managed that.

What can you do with such a talented and handsome player sitting West? Jokes aside, I might have tried 5♥ with the North hand. You did get kind of fixed by us on this board though.

Not adding much new stuff but: 1. 3D, p showed both minors or something approximating that, so I'm bidding something I'm likely to make. 2. I have a good hand with shortage in their suit, if only we had a bid for that sort of hand...

I feel like a lot of the time it is right to lead a spade, partner will have doubled.

Surely we have to double. Partner still can have some hands where game is making. Either they have a fit, in which case we probably do, or they don't, in which case I'm very happy to defend 2Hx. Some times partner will leave it in when it's cold, but with two aces and a king I'll take my chances.

I thought it was standard to play that x shows 4 hearts and 2♥ shows 5+. We can't bid 2♠ as we could bid that with just an eight count with five spades. So that leaves us with the strong option of 2♣. I don't play that as GF, just forcing to suit agreement, but even if it were GF I would bid it.

I didn't work it out for myself, but I agree with PhilKing.

This is gold.

I see what you mean, I originally thought that I'm only really beating it with a heart if p has ♥AK, but in fact AJ will do too. I feel like if I had ♥K it would have been clear to lead a heart.

Well partner said that it was 'clear' to lead a heart. I led a spade thinking he might be ruffing it, he thought that he would have doubled with a spade void. I thought that he would double with ♥AK and pass with a spade void, since with the former we are beating 6NT but with the latter we are not. There was a bit of discussion afterwards and the players present agreed that this sort of logic definitely applies vs. a grand slam.

Sorry, just realised what is going on here. Way way too sleepy. My apologies. Didn't mean to offend.

If partner takes the ace then declarer has 2♠, 2♥, 3♦ and 2♣. Partner is defending well by ducking. In fact partner must know that declarer has both the A♣ and a major heart honour (we didn't cash one of ♥AK after winning the first diamond), so they know that rising with the ace will guarantee the contract will make. Edit: partner might think that it is obvious that he has ♠A, and has not bothered to signal. Maybe they are giving count?

My partner thought so to. I'll wait a bit to see what other people before I say for why I don't think this is necessarily true.

If declarer has: Kxx AJx KTxxx AT you need to play Q♣ otherwise declarer has: 1♠, 2♥, 3♦ and 3♣ tricks. This seems like a pretty likely layout to me, everybody has their bid for one thing. Your layouts where partner has A♣ mean they pre-empted vul on a pretty rotten suit. What's more even if declarer did have ♣Jx, they are going to get this right after your partner pre-empted with no honour in diamonds, spades or hearts.

You are playing with an international against two internationals in an IMPs pairs game.[hv=pc=n&s=sjt543hq863d7cq62&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=pp1s2c2dp6dppp]133|200[/hv] They are playing some sort of multi, so they could not have opened a weak 2♦. Your lead?

Scoring? Strength of NT rebid? 4/5cM? Leads? With the limited information available I'll just play a heart.