Texas Email Quiz-3

[mike777]

"5. Both

 

Jx Kxxx xx JTxxx

 

2C 2D*

2S ??

 

Promises at least one Ace or king.

 

 

 

6. Favorable (so its not a bidding quiz)

 

xxx x QJ9xx xxxx

 

1C X 1H P

2S p 6H all pass

 

Your lead?"

[Apollo81]

(5) 3♣ wtp (i cant think of any alternative call)

 

(6) spade

[Codo]

(5) 3♣ wtp (i cant think of any alternative call)

 

(6) spade

I see no alternative.

[ewj]

I'd be tempted by 2NT on the first one, would rather have a better suit than JTxxx.

 

Bizarre bidding and really not sure what to lead. I guess the bidding suggests that declarer is void in one of partner's suits, and it's way more likely to be clubs, so I guess a spade is a good shot.

[Free]

I do: lead ♦Q

[Finch]

3♣ seems obvious on the first.

On the second it's horrible, a trump could be right but I can't face picking up partner's trump holding that way. I suppose I agree with a spade, but it seems a guess which pointed suit is going to be right.

[whereagles]

1. 2NT. Keep it low.

 

2. Tough... I feel a diamond is right, but spade can setup a trick before clubs are established.. hum............ well, ♦Q

[pclayton]

1. 3♣. Slightly better than 2N.

 

2. ♠

 

Spade needs pard to have the AQ (and the suit cashing - it probably will unless LHO is 5-6) or KQ and an entry. Diamond needs pard to hold the Ace with the K in dummy or the K with an entry. I really don't believe RHO is bidding this way open in the diamond suit, but it is Texas so I can't be sure :huh:)

[Finch]

Spade needs pard to have the AQ (and the suit cashing - it probably will unless LHO is 5-6) or KQ and an entry. Diamond needs pard to hold the Ace with the K in dummy or the K with an entry. I really don't believe RHO is bidding this way open in the diamond suit, but it is Texas so I can't be sure :huh:)

I would have thought our most obvious way to beat this is not cashing two quick tricks but either via a trump trick plus a side suit trick. When we have four low clubs and partner has made a take-out double a club trick in partner's hand is vanishingly unlikely (if opener is 4216 we might need to lead a trump as I mentioned before.)

 

It's wildly unlikely we are cashing two diamonds, but we might have the ace to take before declarer's singleton goes on a spade (say). Against that, it's very likely that one of declarer and dummy have a singleton diamond and I don't expect to be setting up diamond tricks. However, spades could well be 4432 round the table making a slowish spade trick more likely.

 

If partner has the AQ of spades he won't double, because double sounds very much like a club void.