hatchett

After a club to the A you can make it but three rounds of ♠s and a heart does not endplay east. He wins the J and exits with his third ♣.

[hv=d=s&v=b&s=st5hjt652dkq3ct53]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv] P 1♣ 1♠ P P X P P ?

I don't like double. I don't like pass, although I think pass is better than double. 1NT looks like a stand out call, treating the hand with as a so-so 18 count; due to the stiff A and knowledge of my main suit breaking badly.

I thought the strict definition of a vice required one hand to be squeezed out of one card of a pair of touching honors such as QJ, JT etc. This does not happen here, so I am not convinced this is a vice.

Double. No real second choice for me.

I feel strongly 4NT is to play. This could easily be a situation where both 4♠ and 4NT are making, or 4NT could even be the cheapest save against 4♠; say you hold Axx xxx xxx xxxx. 4NT is an attractive double shot.

Agree with Mikeh, although my comments might not have been so polite, so I won't comment further.

Penalty is normal, analagous to (1♥) X (1♠) X. Both are common positions for the ♠ bidder to be having a joke.

(i) He could only psyche the pass occassionally otherwise it would become an agreement (ii) Very few people ask whether LHOs pass would be forcing if they redoubled and then redouble. (iii) Presumably people that redouble opposite a possible 5 card suit have a better hand/trumps.

The sequence (2♥) X (XX) Pass is a matter for agreement. I think pass for penalties and and pass no clear bid are both commonly played. Both treatments have advantages and disadvantages. I assume a game force with 4♠ can still bid 3♥ here so 3♠ and 4♠ should show 5+♠ normally. The sequence (1♥) X (2♥) is more complex. Traditionally a responsive X shows a hand that wants to compete without 4♠; 2♠ shows a hand that wants to compete with 4♠, 3♠ could be just a 4 card suit, invitational values, and a game force with 4♠ can bid 3♥, leaving 4♠ as again showing typically 5+♠ . There is plenty of scope in the second sequence for more advanced treatments. A fairly simple scheme for instance could be after (1♥) X (2♥) X shows 4♠ over which partner can bid 2♠ with a minimum with 4♠, 3m with a 5 card suit and 2NT without a 5 card suit 2♠ shows 5♠ and a desire to compete 2NT shows both minors (broadly equivalent to the steam age responsive double) 3♠ inv with 5♠ The advantage of this scheme is that the size of the spade fit is better defined and it enables you to stay low when you only have a 4-3 ♠ fit rather than jumping to 3♠

You have to make a move KQ9x xxx Axxx Qx is an good grand and presumably he will have more than this.

My friend from England sent me this hand from the Evening Standard last week. [hv=n=sq432ha75dkq6cat8&s=s8hkqt2da73ckqj76]133|200|Scoring: IMP[/hv] You bid to 6♣ (uncontested) by south. The lead is the J♠ ducked. The ♠10 is continued which you ruff. The author suggests rather than drawing all the trumps and hoping ♥s play for four tricks, you should draw two rounds of trumps (all follow) and then play on the heart suit gaining when a hand with Jxxx♥ has only 2♣s. Can you find a better line than the author? Hide answers to give others a chance.

How you continue depends on how you play the double. I prefer to play the double as more take-out orientated rather than doubling on any balanced 15 count. Playing opposite myself I would bid 4NT and raise whichever minor partner bid to the 7 level. Partner's never going to be co-operating in any grand slam since he's fairly junky outside of ♠s.

Only quite good? You obviously have very high standards for your grands!

because it picks up the small chance of LHO having stiff J or T.

Agree with Inquiry and Mikeh. 4NT is clear.

Some people play 2 other minor, 2♦ in this case as both majors.

I agree, I start with a ♠ to the 9.

Surely partner can't have a 0544 hand than can't act over 1NT but can act over 3S? The hand I'm worried about is a 2533 or such like with 10-13(14) opposite which seems more likely on this auction, unless I am misunderstanding the 3S call.

Low ♠ towards the J feels natural

♣A. Low ♦.

1. 3NT. 2. I'd prefer to have set up a forcing pass here. Then I would have a comfortable pass.

Lowerline has got part of the way. You do need I think Kxx ♠ or better and trumps 4-2. To make 10 tricks you need to score 6 trumps, 2 ♠ and 2 ♦. From an entry consideration it is convenient to make the unnatural play of winning the ♥ switch in hand, crashing two honors in the process. The hand with Kxx ♠ must have no more than 1 ♥ left after the trump switch if we follow this line since we will only be able to draw one more round. If RHO has Kxx ♠ it follows he must have a 3316 shape. This is possible but there is a good chance he would have bid ♣s since he would be known to hold Kxx ♠ and at least KQJTxx♣ and possibly as much as AKQJxx♣. (winning the heart switch in dummy I think plays RHO for 3316). If we give LHO Kxx ♠ this would mean LHO must be Kxx xx QJTx ???? and RHO Jxxxx xxxx x ???. So try win ♥A. ♠ ruff, ♣ ruff, ♠ ruff and now a ♦. If RHO ruffs, it's easy trumps are now 1-1 so ruff a ♣ return say, draw the remaining trumps and cash the three side suit winners. If RHO discards a cute ending develops we win the diamond ace, cash the ♥K, and cash two ♠. We are left with a losing heart, however, we can exit with with the fourth ♦ and when LHO wins he must exit with a club allowing us to score our small trump! This hand is board 102 of the US trials final and LHO did actually hold Kxx xx QJTx KTxx !