Do you play for 12 or 13 tricks?

[42]

After some bad results in a bigger tourney, this hand arose:

 

[hv=d=e&v=n&n=sa3hakj1098da72caj&s=sk84h76dj106ckq1042]133|200|Scoring: MP

bidding:

2♦! pass 2♠! dbl

pass 3♣ pass 4♥

 

2♦ was any weak 2 in a major

2♠: inviting if partner holds the ♥

 

lead ♦9[/hv]

 

Bidding comments?

How do you play the hand? How do you expect the ♥ distribution?

 

I'll post the other 2 hands later

 

Caren

 

The lead was ♦9 instead of ♦ K, sorry

Edited September 14, 2005 by 42

[Chamaco]

It depends from the field.

 

If the field is strong, many players will have bid the slam.

As a result we are playing against the slam bidders.

We have to hope that the heart finesse fails, so that the slam goes down (on a diamond K lead), so I bang down AK of hearts.

 

If the field is weak, not so many players will have bid the slam, hence, it should be odds on to finesse through the 2s bidder (west in this case, I assume declarer is north).

[Fluffy]

would play ♥AK

[Free]

The title suggests LHO has Qxx :) But I'd just play ♥AK and go for 12 tricks.

 

Calling for TD is quite useless imo, since 2♠ is often used as preemptive weapon. With 2-2 in the Majors, you know opponents have a fit, so why not immediatly lift them to at least 3♠?

[david_c]

It depends from the field.

 

If the field is strong, many players will have bid the slam.

As a result we are playing against the slam bidders.

We have to hope that the heart finesse fails, so that the slam goes down (on a diamond K lead),

That doesn't sound right - if slam makes then we're going to lose to the slam bidders, and if slam goes down then we're going to beat the slam bidders, no matter how many tricks we make at our table. Aren't we actually playing against the other 4♥ (or 5♥) bidders?

[david_c]

How do you expect the ♥ distribution?

That would depend on the opponents' style. Perhaps it would be worth asking how weak a multi can be in this position.

 

But anyway, West seems to be advertising at least 3 hearts. And really, if he has a genuine 2♠ bid with so few points, I'd be very surprised if he didn't turn up with four of them. It's possible to make all the tricks if West has ♥Qxxx and four clubs, but I'm not at all tempted to play that way. So I suppose cashing the top two hearts is right.

[Echognome]

I ask about their agreements regarding 2♠. If like many play, it shows 3+ hearts, count me as a finesser. I'll play for all tricks that way and lose out if there is Qx on my right. Note that Qx should be a negative for a 2♠ bid that is already missing AK of spades. I'm playing East for something like:

 

QJ10xx

x

KQxx

xx

 

As per the bidding, I wonder if using some form of Lebensohl might not be useful here. Then North can make a much stronger try for slam and we know we are in a game forcing auction.

[42]

The tourney was a big one with high prizes in Verona, also strong players in the field.

 

When we played the hand, there were only 3 other scores on the sheet, all made just 4♥ +2

Here are the E/W hands:

[hv=w=sj5hq43dkq854c963&e=sq109762h52d93c875]266|100|[/hv]

 

I found it more likely that W had 4 ♥s because he tended to be very weak when I saw dummy...

 

In Germany we are not allowed to open the E-hand. Without the opening it is easier to bid the slam :) Why didn't W lead a ♠? Seems that he knew his partner, or? That is why I wonder if I should have been calling the TD.

[Echognome]

Why did West lead period? I thought it was North's hearts. Hence why I was playing East for KQ of diamonds. :)

[Chamaco]

The tourney was a big one with high prizes in Verona, also strong players in the field.

 

......

 

In Germany we are not allowed to open the E-hand.  Without the opening it is easier to bid the slam  :lol:  

 

In Italy it is illegal to open a Multi 2D with less than 6 hcp, not even as a Psyche.

 

see:

http://www.federbridge.it/Regolamenti/doc/...einterventi.pdf

(page 9).

 

Strictly ONLY the meanings listed in this document can be used (weak 2 in either major, strong balanced, Acol 2 in a minor or strong 3 suiter) for a multi-meaning 2D opener, and one cannot deviate, not even as a psyche.

 

Instead, one can indeed open a NATURAL weak 2 even with zero hcp.

 

Had you called TD and notified that opps opened a Multi 2D with less than 6 hcp, your opps would have been penalized.

 

(BTW, not claiming the rules are right or wrong, just telling which rules are aplied in Italy)

[Finch]

...if it was played as an Italian event. Or was it an EBL event, when different regulations apply?

[42]

It was an Italian event...

The dot on the i was, that WEST told me after the hand, that I have always 13 tricks...

 

I think I must change my politics of not argueing. Perhaps I look like a shy mouse and opps find they can do it with me. In this special event, another player made a very fishy claim without explaining his way of playing, just tried and we accepted. As I said in the beginning, the tourney went not well so far and I had no hope of a changing, so did nothing.

But somehow I am disappointed of this unethic behaviour, which of course happens also elsewhere.

[cherdano]

The title suggests LHO has Qxx :lol: But I'd just play ♥AK and go for 12 tricks.

 

Calling for TD is quite useless imo, since 2♠ is often used as preemptive weapon. With 2-2 in the Majors, you know opponents have a fit, so why not immediatly lift them to at least 3♠?

But when you use 2♠ as a preemptive weapon, it is certainly not invitational for hearts? On this hand, either the explanation was wrong, or 2♠ was a psych.

Anyway, I would have finessed.

[Finch]

The explanation I always give for 2♠ is

 

"to play there opposite a weak two in spades, wishes to play in at least 3♥ opposite hearts, no other indication of overall strength"

[Free]

The explanation I always give for 2♠ is

 

"to play there opposite a weak two in spades, wishes to play in at least 3♥ opposite hearts, no other indication of overall strength"

Yeah, same here :P