goobers

Read TrumpAce's post. Geezus. Sorry p, down 1 for me.

I don't see how we can endplay N as long as S holds the HT :P

Well HQJ need to be doubleton and I think you have no choice but to hope spades are 3-3

Instead of 'mutant swan,' how about we call it ugly duckling?

Favorable, 2nd seat Axx Qxx x AQTxxx (1H) - 2C - (2S) - 3C (4S) - ? It's imps and your opponents are weak, if it matters.

Very instructive, thanks.

So if you were 6331 instead, would you bid it?

Why is this not a textbook weak 2? I have 6 hearts to 3 of the top 5 honors. I don't even have a 4 card major or any voids, if you're into that kind of stuff.

When RHO preempts! Look him in the eye, and then bid on air!

Assuming a sane declarer, I will try a diamond. I will not play him for 2 quick losers in clubs after he bids blackwood.

Started playing precision with a partner, and we've had this issue: 1C* - 1D* 2S - ? We agreed that an immediate jump to 4S should be 4 card support and absolutely no controls, 3S should be a good raise in context of the 1D negative. What do we do with 3 card support and a bust? Before in standard, we'd open a strong 2C, and responder would show a double negative at some point. Is there a standard precision treatment for this, or otherwise a good agreement?

Might want to rethink that ... If the 10 drops doubleton on my right, I can also pick up the suit by taking a backwards finesse. I believe those are the only two lines for 4 tricks; is that right? I really can't think of anything else to do.

For 4 tricks, you need clubs 3-2 with the CQ onside. For 3 tricks, cash the K, and then lead low, planning to play the 9.

Two of dummy's small trumps will go under your ace and queen. If you cash the ♣A and ruff a club, dummy will be down to KJ9 in trumps and 5 red cards. You've got 5 tricks by now and will score KJ9 of trumps whatever happens from now. I see it now. It's not that the KJ9 trump is boss, as LHO still has Txx trump. The point is, since I don't need to regain the lead until trump are played again, I only need to cover 3 of the sub-ten trump (2 on the AQ, one via ruffing), not the 4 I originally thought I needed. As long as opponents are on lead, not me, the KJ9 will take 3 tricks. Yes, once you shorten dummy's holding to the same length as LHO's holding and then exit, they are endplayed.

This suit is considered crappy? :)

Cash SQ, CA, club ruff, SK, exit a side suit.

Can we do anything about spades being 3-1? I feel like I'd just lead a 3rd club and hope the hand with 3 spades also has 3 clubs... Edit: Line included (probably like many others) DA, CA, CQ, pitching J. If it holds then we're done. If not, LHO wins CK. If he returns a heart, duck oh crap i have to go catch my bus -------------- lol I was thinking about this on the bus, I think this line ensures the contract as long as clubs are 3-2. DA, CA, run the CQ pitching diamond. Assume it loses to LHO. If he leads a heart, you duck. Now the defense is helpless. If they come back with trumps, just play high trumps from your hand, drawing trump. Your HA is the entry back to the good clubs. If they continue hearts, you win the ace perforce, ruff a club high in your hand, and ruff your 3rd heart in dummy. Losing CK, SA, and a heart. I haven't thought about what happens when clubs are 4-1 (aside from the fact that you'll be going down if E has 4 clubs to the K.) Edit: I think you're always down if clubs are 4-1. The key is to duck the first round of hearts when opps lead the suit. (We can permute the line so that they return a spade to the ace, then lead a heart.) They cannot cope with both the threat of a heart ruff and the entry to the good club suit. (I guess the other key point is to advance the CQ, pitching the DJ, which took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out.)

I'm not sure what difference it makes regarding west's lead on hand 2. Can't I always strip the hand and throw them in with CQ no matter which black suit they choose to lead?

I believe Kantar also endorses splitting with highest. If my memory serves me correctly, his example was declarer leading through your QJT9, and stating that playing the 9 really doesn't tell partner too much. I don't know if he had any 2 or 3 honor examples... I'll go flip through that book again.

I'm no expert, but I've always understood double as jdonn described it, club showing.

Does it? What are your final cards in the South hand as you are running all your trumps? And what are you discarding from dummy while you are doing this? (i.e. same question for North, in effect...) but Hey, you're not getting off THAT easy .... what are the odds of success on your line of play ?? I think it works, you will have cashed 3 hearts, 6 spades. On the final spade, LHO has to come down to 3 cards. Assuming he has both the DK and the heart guard, his hand is either reduced to xx K or x Kx. So he will be squeezed in the reds (you will know when you cash DA). Obviously I don't know if this is optimal, and I don't know the odds Edit: Oh, I have to make 3 pitches off dummy, I forgot about that :) Edit2: Duh, just pitch 3 diamonds off dummy. So, are you saying that this line succeeds only when both (1) West started with 4 ♥ and (2) West holds the King of ♦, and that it fails otherwise? Either opponent can hold both guards.

Does it? What are your final cards in the South hand as you are running all your trumps? And what are you discarding from dummy while you are doing this? (i.e. same question for North, in effect...) but Hey, you're not getting off THAT easy .... what are the odds of success on your line of play ?? I think it works, you will have cashed 3 hearts, 6 spades. On the final spade, LHO has to come down to 3 cards. Assuming he has both the DK and the heart guard, his hand is either reduced to xx K or x Kx. So he will be squeezed in the reds (you will know when you cash DA). Obviously I don't know if this is optimal, and I don't know the odds Edit: Oh, I have to make 3 pitches off dummy, I forgot about that :) Edit2: Duh, just pitch 3 diamonds off dummy.

I guess you run the spades (I think the percentage play is to drop stiff K), hoping to squeeze LHO out of heart/diamond guard. If it looks like that fails on the run of spades (DK doesn't drop, LHO is still guarding hearts), you can still hook the club. Though I suspect in real life I would lead the DQ off the board, see if RHO hesitates, then go up and then finesse the club. Does that squeeze thing work? I'm not sure if I got it right.

Is it a good read?

Excellent! That was the intent of this problem. I hope people are convinced :P Oh, awesome.