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Hey, you passed a forcing bid!


Phil

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[hv=pc=n&s=sqj85h9642dat4ct4&n=sa92hkdkq8632caj5&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=1hppdp1sp2dp3dp3sppp]266|200[/hv]

 

So you passed what is probably a forcing call. Won't be the first time. You explain, "its matchpoints".

 

The opening lead is the J, K, A.

 

A low spade is returned. You play the Q and it holds the trick. Now what?

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I'd cross to dummy in diamonds, then lead a low spade from dummy. That will give me 10 tricks if RHO is 35(23), and nine if he's 3514. If RHO has K10xx and five hearts I will go down - he wins, plays a low heart to force dummy, and has two hearts to cash when he ruffs an early diamond.

 

We make only 130 in diamonds, so if I could think of a way to guarantee nine tricks I'd do that, but I can't.

 

I know you weren't inviting comments on the pass of 3, so I won't make any. But I still thought them.

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I don't like dake's line, chances are huge that someone will ruff the 2nd or 3rd , draw K, and play 3 more rounds of defeating the contract immediately.

 

Ruffing a first reduces that chance significantly.

 

Why did we play Q?

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[hv=pc=n&s=sqj85h9642dat4ct4&n=sa92hkdkq8632caj5&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=1hppdp1sp2dp3dp3sppp]266|200| So you passed what is probably a forcing call. Won't be the first time. You explain, "its matchpoints". The opening lead is the J, K, A. A low spade is returned. You play the Q and it holds the trick. Now what?[/hv]
3N looks like a reasonable punt at MPs. RHO seems to hold K, so Phil may have done the right thing again. In 3, after winning Q, I guess to ignore trumps and play diamonds immediately (starting with Q in case they are 4-0). If somebody ruffs early, you hope it is the long trump hand. You should be able to get rid of round losers on the diamonds. With luck, you come to 9-11 tricks.
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I'd cross to dummy in diamonds, then lead a low spade from dummy. That will give me 10 tricks if RHO is 35(23), and nine if he's 3514. If RHO has K10xx and five hearts I will go down - he wins, plays a low heart to force dummy, and has two hearts to cash when he ruffs an early diamond.

Sorry, I can't count. If he's 3514 I go one down - he wins the second spade, forces dummy, ruffs the second diamond and cashes two hearts.

 

I think the correct line is to cross to a club and lead a low spade from dummy. Now if he wins and forces dummy I can return to hand with a diamond to draw trumps.

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Sorry, I can't count. If he's 3514 I go one down - he wins the second spade, forces dummy, ruffs the second diamond and cashes two hearts.

 

I think the correct line is to cross to a club and lead a low spade from dummy. Now if he wins and forces dummy I can return to hand with a diamond to draw trumps.

 

If u are going to play for 3-3 , why are u so obsessed with going to dummy and playing small from dummy ? Just play small to A at trick 3. Your line seems to fail when 4-2 . No need for KTxx Kxxx is enough to defeat you.

 

If it was me at the table, i would play to Ace and another to hand. Where is J lead coming from ? JTx or Jx ? I will duck the second if RHO plays small regardless of 3-3 or 4-2 . Pay him off if he found the defense to play low from QTxx(x). But u make when 3-3 and when 4-2 rho has 4 of them. This line fails when LHO has 4 and 3 , playing on s after A would work. If LHO has less than 3 and has 4 they always defeat us.

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I was trying to avoid losing a trick to the small trump when RHO is 3523 or 3514. Against those shapes, I make ten tricks, whereas a spade to the ace gives only nine - you lose two trumps and two hearts. However, that extra trick is unlikely to matter much.

 

Playing a spade to the ace doesn't work against 4513 or 4522 - he just ruffs the third diamond, cashes the spade, and plays a low heart (or queen and another). That doesn't require anything special from the defence - East isn't going to play his partner to have led the jack from Jxx.

 

A spade to the ace doesn't work against many 4612s either - he just ruffs the third diamond, cashes the spade, and cashes Q10. It does gain when the hearts are specifically J10-AQxxxx. This seems unlikely, but maybe it's right to cater for it anyway.

Edited by gnasher
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Playing a spade to the ace doesn't work against 4513 or 4522 - he just ruffs the third diamond, cashes the spade, and plays a low heart (or queen and another). That doesn't require anything special from the defence - East isn't going to play his partner to have led the jack from Jxx.

 

A spade to the ace doesn't work against many 4612s either - he just ruffs the third diamond, cashes the spade, and cashes Q10. It does gain when the hearts are specifically J10-AQxxxx. This seems unlikely, but maybe it's right to cater for it anyway.

 

Reading is required, i didnt say run after A, i said play 3rd from dummy. Him playing small doesnt matter, u simply duck it and block the suit unless he played a genius low from QTxx. You make when he has 6-4 and u make % 99 of the time when he has 5-4 and fails to play low from QTxx after pd led J, u always make if the leader had JTx, u make same way when are 3-3.

 

You simply lose 3+`. As u said making +1 is not the goal in this deal. +140 is pretty decent as u also mentioned.

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Reading is required, i didnt say run after A, i said play 3rd from dummy. Him playing small doesnt matter, u simply duck it and block the suit unless he played a genius low from QTxx. You make when he has 6-4 and u make % 99 of the time when he has 5-4 and fails to play low from QTxx after pd led J, u always make if the leader had JTx, u make same way when are 3-3.

 

You simply lose 3+`. As u said making +1 is not the goal in this deal. +140 is pretty decent as u also mentioned.

 

Sorry, I missed your second paragraph. You're right.

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So what happened this hand, Phil ?

 

This was the actual auction. I took an unusual line not suggested by anyone. When the Q held, I tried three diamonds, ruffed by LHO who punched dummy with a heart. I ruffed, and tried a 4th diamond (pitching a heart), also ruffed by LHO who played a club. Rose ace and played the 5th diamond, ruffed high by RHO (I pitched a club) who played a trump back won in dummy. I was +140.

 

I have no idea about the merits of this line, but it does seem to give me some extra chances against a 4-2 spade split (unlikely I know with the trump shift). It seemed +140 was going to be really good here, and it was a tie for top against a lot of +130's and -50's in diamond contracts.

 

At the time, I didn't notice the relevance of the 9, but it does seem to provide some security against heart forces to dummy

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This was the actual auction. I took an unusual line not suggested by anyone.

I never let my friends down

I've never made a boob

I'm a glossy magazine, an advert in the tube

I'm the urban spaceman, baby; here comes the twist--

I don't exist

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