12 black cards!

[Rossoneri]

You pick up this hand as East: [hv=d=n&v=n&s=sa76542hd7cakj743]133|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

The bidding goes (from North):

1♦ - 1♠ - 2♥ - 3♠

4♥ - 4♠ - 4NT - P

5♣ - 5♠ - 6♥ - P

P - ?

 

What do you bid now?

 

Also, do you agree with the bidding by East so far, if not how would you bid differently?

[rogerclee]

I would've bid 5H instead of 4S (very little point in trying 5D). Now this auction is a little weird since we have two keycards, but the odds of making 6S are so good (as they were the last two rounds of bidding!) that I would just do that. It's not like we're getting rich from defending 6H, and they could easily make (sounds like LHO is void in spades?).

[lmilne]

wow, yeah give partner Kxxx spades and out...

 

would've def bid more than 4S. 6S now for sure.

 

edit: kinda looks like LHO has a spade void and is backing us to have the spade ace rather than his partner. so RHO might have a spade trick. still, if this is the case 6S is probably a good dive vs 6H.

[Rossoneri]

Not sure if this information will tilt the choice, but 4NT was meant as RKCB.

[Hanoi5]

I think I'd bid 6♠, now. East's bidding might be a ruse to get doubled in 6♠ and make it, and that way it is ok.

[Phil]

Considering 6♠ on a real good day makes, and on a bad day its about the equivalent of their game, how can I not bid it?

[Jlall]

Hate 4S, woulda bid 6S to begin with. I guess I was walking the dog, so now I bid 6S since that was my plan it seems?

 

Don't understand roger's 5H bid, is partner supposed to bid 6S with the SK?

[655321]

Agree with everyone, 6♠ looks clear. It is better to score +1660 than -980.

 

Also I would have bid more than 4♠ earlier.

[rwbarton]

Just because LHO bid 4NT and then 6♥ doesn't mean they can't be off two cashing aces; maybe LHO would have signed off in 5♥ if we hadn't bid 5♠ but wants to bid 6♥ as insurance now.

 

I would have just bid 6♠ the second round. I'll do that now, I guess.

[the hog]

I would have bid 6S over 3S. Was East trying to be funny?

[jjbrr]

Agree with everyone else. 4♠ strikes me as the last thing I would choose to bid. I'm not sure if I would choose to show my ♣ or just bid slam or something, but 4♠ is sort of lol. Anything besides 4♠ has to be better.

[gnasher]

Despite all the complaints about 4♠, it seems to have worked out quite well. I'd rather be playing 6♠x than waiting for partner to lead to 7♥.

[Rossoneri]

Thanks for the replies guys. On hindsight, I thought 4♠ was a gross underbid as well, which was why I was not very happy with this sequence.

 

In any case, I bid 6♠ and the X appears on my left.

 

K♦ led and now partner tables his hand:

[hv=d=n&v=n&w=skq93h4dt8632c952&e=sa76542hd7cakj743]266|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

How would you play the hand now after a heart continuation from South?

 

Hint:

South has 2 trumps, North has 1. On the first round of clubs, South produces the 6 and North the 8.

 

[Cyberyeti]

Thanks for the replies guys. On hindsight, I thought 4♠ was a gross underbid as well, which was why I was not very happy with this sequence.

 

In any case, I bid 6♠ and the X appears on my left.

 

K♦ led and now partner tables his hand:

[hv=d=n&v=n&w=skq93h4dt8632c952&e=sa76542hd7cakj743]266|100|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

How would you play the hand now after a heart continuation from South?

 

Hint:

South has 2 trumps, North has 1. On the first round of clubs, South produces the 6 and North the 8.

Spade to dummy, diamond ruff high, spade to dummy, diamond ruff, ace of clubs, how much information do I have ?

[OleBerg]

After 3♠ from partner, I will always go to 6♠.

 

My main priority however, is to buy the contact, not to do it at the 6-level.

 

Whether a direct 6♠ or walking the dog is best, is both a matter of technique and psychology.

 

Walking the dog, they might already have doubled me in 5♠, but maybe now, it is a little less likely they will double me in 6♠. But I need to know my opponents to choose strategy.

 

Edit: Maybe a direct 5♠ is the best way to buy the contract, as the opponents are in a forcing sequence, but low on aces. And if they believe I am stoopid, which is often the case, I might still get a "walk the dog" effect, when I bid 6♠.

[Rossoneri]

How then, would your bidding strategy differ if:

a) Opponents were average tournament players

B) Opponents are world-class internationals?

 

Cyberyeti: read the hidden text

[OleBerg]

How then, would your bidding strategy differ if:

a) Opponents were average tournament players

B) Opponents are world-class internationals?

 

Cyberyeti: read the hidden text

:D I would need to know something about their style, but the more old-fashioned they are, the more likely it is, that I would walk the dog.

 

B) I would be so outgunned I would try something desperate, probably 5♠. If however, I should advice a young, up an coming world class player, I would advice her to bid 6♠.

[Cyberyeti]

How then, would your bidding strategy differ if:

a) Opponents were average tournament players

B) Opponents are world-class internationals?

 

Cyberyeti: read the hidden text

I did, need to know how the diamonds split which it doesn't tell me, there may be no guess to make.

[Hanoi5]

I'm finessing. South is probably 2=8=2=1. If he had a singleton ♦ (I have to ruff the first diamond with the Ace) then it's 2=8=1=2, and no finesse, but I'm sure it's the first one.

[pooltuna]

How then, would your bidding strategy differ if:

a) Opponents were average tournament players

B) Opponents are world-class internationals?

 

Cyberyeti: read the hidden text

I did, need to know how the diamonds split which it doesn't tell me, there may be no guess to make.

You have to assume N started w/6♦ to even have a prayer of making. If RHO only has five he would never start the auction with 1♦ holding 1552. Your real problem is deciding whether RHO would start with 1♦ holding 1561 (♠x ♥KJxxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣x) vs 1462 (♠x ♥KJxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣Qx). Given the existing auction we need to know how the opps play 2♥ and how they play an immediate 4♥ call by our LHO. I suspect LHO's inability to call a natural 4♥ in this auction would favor a holding of xx AQTxxxx x Qxx which means RHO was planning to reverse his hand with a 1561 hand that I would probably open 1♥ so IMO it is still a tossup as to whether or not to finesse.

[Bbradley62]

You have to assume N started w/6♦ to even have a prayer of making. If RHO only has five he would never start the auction with 1♦ holding 1552. Your real problem is deciding whether RHO would start with 1♦ holding 1561 (♠x ♥KJxxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣x) vs 1462 (♠x ♥KJxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣Qx). Given the existing auction we need to know how the opps play 2♥ and how they play an immediate 4♥ call by our LHO. I suspect LHO's inability to call a natural 4♥ in this auction would favor a holding of xx AQTxxxx x Qxx which means RHO was planning to reverse his hand with a 1561 hand that I would probably open 1♥ so IMO it is still a tossup as to whether or not to finesse.

Tuna: Isn't the point that we want to finesse if North has 3 clubs and play to drop if North has 2 clubs? Your analysis (which I'm not necessarily agreeing with) only allows for the North to have 1 or 2 clubs, so why would you ever finesse?

[655321]

You have to assume N started w/6♦ to even have a prayer of making. If RHO only has five he would never start the auction with 1♦ holding 1552. Your real problem is deciding whether RHO would start with 1♦ holding 1561 (♠x ♥KJxxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣x)  vs 1462 (♠x ♥KJxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣Qx). Given the existing auction we need to know how the opps play 2♥ and how they play an immediate 4♥ call by our LHO. I suspect LHO's inability to call a natural 4♥ in this auction would favor a holding of xx AQTxxxx x Qxx which means RHO was planning to reverse his hand with a 1561 hand that I would probably open 1♥ so IMO it is still a tossup as to whether or not to finesse.

Tuna: Isn't the point that we want to finesse if North has 3 clubs and play to drop if North has 2 clubs? Your analysis (which I'm not necessarily agreeing with) only allows for the North to have 1 or 2 clubs, so why would you ever finesse?

Yes, the only issue is do you play North to be 1453 (South 2821) and finesse, or play North to be 1462 (South 2812) and play for the drop. Ruffing a diamond will rule out one of these holdings. Tunafish's post makes no sense.

[dburn]

If you ruff a diamond, South will show out. His original spade holding was ♠J8.

[655321]

If you ruff a diamond, South will show out. His original spade holding was ♠J8.

I forgot there is such a thing as a 9 card suit.

 

So we need to decide between 1363 (2911) and 1462 (2812).

[pooltuna]

You have to assume N started w/6♦ to even have a prayer of making. If RHO only has five he would never start the auction with 1♦ holding 1552. Your real problem is deciding whether RHO would start with 1♦ holding 1561 (♠x ♥KJxxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣x)  vs 1462 (♠x ♥KJxx ♦ AKQJTx ♣Qx). Given the existing auction we need to know how the opps play 2♥ and how they play an immediate 4♥ call by our LHO. I suspect LHO's inability to call a natural 4♥ in this auction would favor a holding of xx AQTxxxx x Qxx which means RHO was planning to reverse his hand with a 1561 hand that I would probably open 1♥ so IMO it is still a tossup as to whether or not to finesse.

Tuna: Isn't the point that we want to finesse if North has 3 clubs and play to drop if North has 2 clubs? Your analysis (which I'm not necessarily agreeing with) only allows for the North to have 1 or 2 clubs, so why would you ever finesse?

yeah I keep getting my LHO and RHO mixed up so you are left with RHO needing to hold 1453 or 1462 and ruffing a ♦ should clear that up unless I still haven't had enough coffee this morning