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Worth a double?


Well...is it?  

47 members have voted

  1. 1. Well...is it?

    • Pass
      17
    • Double
      30


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Lets say a heart lead. Surely with the strong hand to declarer's right it's best to lead a suit off dummy. A diamond is probably best since you have better spots. If you try a diamond he will certainly play the queen (if he plays low he is too good) and then it's 300.

No it's not.

West wins the queen and returns a small trump. -500.

 

If you try a spade then they can set you 500 by tapping dummy with a heart, and later playing A and a club.

 

If you try a spade, it's 800 if west remembers to play the 10.

 

FrancesHinden:

I'd have thought the defence are 100% likely to lead ace and a club against 5Cx, which I agree leads to a fairly easy 300 whether you play on diamonds or spades (diamonds looks normal).

 

East is on lead, and with nothing in dummy's potential diamond suit, how can he lead trumps? Won't happen.

 

Stephen Tu:

Wouldn't drawing just 1 round of trumps and ruffing two minor suit losers be a much better line than having to guess spades? (pitching club if North ruffs in).

 

Yup. When the defense plays diamond&diamond, you are laydown that way. You can also set up a diamond trick with your spots. Shifting to clubs is a much stronger defense.

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Tough call but I would pass; I would expect my p to dbl with as little as 6hcp and 4. Since partner did not bid, the hand may some freeky distribution. It is not comforting that p may have 4 in hand, opps may have control of the other suits,I have to bear a forcing defense and possibly playing at the 3 level in a minor suit. Opps may pick up a +200.

 

I would pass and let p speak if he can. (pass!)

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Yup. When the defense plays diamond&diamond, you are laydown that way. You can also set up a diamond trick with your spots. Shifting to clubs is a much stronger defense.

 

Yeah, I guess it's probably best to play 3 diamonds right away, not play trumps at all, to prevent the club from being removed.

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Wouldn't drawing just 1 round of trumps and ruffing two minor suit losers be a much better line than having to guess spades? (pitching club if North ruffs in).

I make no claims to having found the best line, like I said it was gravy at the end of a match we were losing. I don't feel like thinking about it but presuming you are right that only gives more credence to the idea that the opponents really want to be sacrificing here.

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Lets say a heart lead. Surely with the strong hand to declarer's right it's best to lead a suit off dummy. A diamond is probably best since you have better spots. If you try a diamond he will certainly play the queen (if he plays low he is too good) and then it's 300.

No it's not.

West wins the queen and returns a small trump. -500.

Ok I win in dummy and play the king of diamonds, now they make me ruff a heart in dummy? Like I said, they are too good. I guess the sacrifice is gaining a little instead of a lot against a player of your caliber.

 

I completely agree with Frances as well that a trump lead is likely. East doesn't want cards in diamonds, he wants his partner to have them. And he knows dummy is short in hearts, a trump lead is quite likely (the stiff ace blocking the suit is sort of an anamoly from East's perspective.)

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Yup. When the defense plays diamond&diamond, you are laydown that way. You can also set up a diamond trick with your spots. Shifting to clubs is a much stronger defense.

 

Yeah, I guess it's probably best to play 3 diamonds right away, not play trumps at all, to prevent the club from being removed.

That won't work on the actual lie. West ruffs in and can play a trump to east for another diamond ruff high in front of dummy. I have no doubts MFA would find this defense :P

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Just curious, what is the principle that makes people believe that partner has 4 spades? With 4, she could've made a negative double (or whatever methods you use).

 

If she was too weak to act, then are you playing the odds that partner has 4? They have a fit, we have a fit?

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