Bid and play it

[Lord Molyb]

[hv=pc=n&s=sk652hakq72dakct5&n=saq109h985d7cak643&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=4ddp]266|200[/hv]

If you reach 7♠, the lead is a diamond. Upon playing a trump to the queen, east shows out. What's the best line at this point? (this is probably easier than the bidding)

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=skt95hakq72dakct5&n=saq62h985d7cak643&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=4ddp]266|200| Lord Molyb writes "If you reach 7♠, the lead is a diamond. Upon playing a trump to the queen, east shows out. What's the best line at this point? (this is probably easier than the bidding)"

My guesses. Bidding with a courageous South:

---- -- (4♦) _X

(_P) 4♠ (_P) 4N

(_P) 5♠ (_P) 5N

(_P) 6♣ (_P) 7♠

Play: ♦A, ♠Q, ♣K, ♥A, ♦K, switching from suit to suit, hoping for a revoke or two :) [/hv]

[ahydra]

I must admit it would be hard to resist 7S after North shows two keycards, the SQ and the CK. This is just unlucky.

 

North's hand is pretty good though. Might he try 5D rather than 4S? Looking for strain at the 5-level is hardly sane, but partner doesn't need much for slam. If North bids 5D, you might get to 7H instead of 7S - or were hearts 4-1? :)

 

ahydra

[CamHenry]

The legitimate line to make it (absent Nigel's hoped-for revokes) is a lot more obvious having recently re-read the Menagerie books. Think of how the Rabbit would play it, and imagine Karapet as West. Despite his five trumps, he has to do a lot of under-ruffing. I therefore need to remember that his outstanding trumps are J874.

 

My plan is to get my ruffs in at the end; I need to combine a trump coup (or pseudo-coup*) with ruffing a ♣ low. I therefore need LHO to hold at least 3 clubs. That means RHO has at least 3 hearts (assuming he has exactly 8 diamonds) and therefore LHO has at most 2 hearts. Unfortunately, even double-dummy, there are no hands W can now have that make the contract achievable without an error (e.g. W plays small when I run the ♠9, or W ruffs a ♥ with the J).

 

There's no chance the first round of trumps was T-J-Q-x, was there?

[nige1]

The legitimate line to make it (absent Nigel's hoped-for revokes) is a lot more obvious having recently re-read the Menagerie books. Think of how the Rabbit would play it, and imagine Karapet as West. Despite his five trumps, he has to do a lot of under-ruffing. I therefore need to remember that his outstanding trumps are J874.

My plan is to get my ruffs in at the end; I need to combine a trump coup (or pseudo-coup*) with ruffing a ♣ low. I therefore need LHO to hold at least 3 clubs. That means RHO has at least 3 hearts (assuming he has exactly 8 diamonds) and therefore LHO has at most 2 hearts. Unfortunately, even double-dummy, there are no hands W can now have that make the contract achievable without an error (e.g. W plays small when I run the ♠9, or W ruffs a ♥ with the J).

There's no chance the first round of trumps was T-J-Q-x, was there?

When LHO has 5 ♠, even if she covers ♠T, unless she is in your thrall, IMO, you still need a revoke :(

 

Declarer (having peeked into a defender's hand) might succeed against a sleepy LHO by running ♠5 at trick two :) The appeal committee might not buy the giraffe's explanation, however, that "trumps were splitting badly all day" :(

[PhilKing]

When ♠ are 5-0, even if LHO covers ♠T, IMO, you still need a revoke.

 

No - you can make it if West underruffs with the ♠8 and ♠7. :P

[ArtK78]

If you make dummy's third best spade the 7 instead of the 6, then the contract may be makable. Otherwise, J87xx of spades in the West hand will have to score a trick unless West falls asleep.

[nige1]

No - you can make it if West underruffs with the ♠8 and ♠7. :P

Curses :angry: :angry: Picky replied while I was editing my post :)

[Lord Molyb]

whoops, put the ♠109 in the wrong hand, 7 is makable now as the cards lie (goes down against lho with 0-1 hearts)

[Lord Molyb]

[hv=pc=n&s=sk652hakq72dakct5&w=sj8743ht4d63cj987&n=saqt9h985d7cak643&e=shj63dqjt98542cq2&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=4ddp4sp4np5sp5np6cp7sppp&p=dqdad3d7s2s3sqd2h5h3hkh4dkd6h8d4hahth9h6hqs4s9hjckc2c5c7cacqctc8c3d5s5c9h2cjc4d8h7s7std9c6dtsks8s6sjsa]399|300[/hv]

 

@Poster saying that the original diagram makes if you switch the 6 and 7 of ♠, you're correct but it's a lot more double dummy. :)

[MrAce]

[hv=pc=n&s=skt95hakq72dakct5&n=saq62h985d7cak643&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=4ddp]266|200| Lord Molyb writes "If you reach 7♠, the lead is a diamond. Upon playing a trump to the queen, east shows out. What's the best line at this point? (this is probably easier than the bidding)"

My guesses. Bidding with a courageous South:

---- -- (4♦) _X

(_P) 4♠ (_P) 4N

(_P) 5♠ (_P) 5N

(_P) 6♣ (_P) 7♠

Play: ♦A, ♠Q, ♣K, ♥A, ♦K, switching from suit to suit, hoping for a revoke or two :) [/hv]

 

Are you serious with this auction ? Really ?

 

How did you know pd doesn;t have QJxxxx x xx Qxxx ? Are we passing 4♦ dbl with this ? Guess what, you found 16 hcp all working, and AQT9 spades instead of AQxx and still not having a free home run.:)

[Lord Molyb]

I just used his auction because I forgot the original auction :P

[nige1]

Are you serious with this auction ? :)

No :)

[PhilKing]

I would tend get to the dizzy heights of 4♠ with some conservative bidding.

 

Aces and kings have their uses though, and passing a take-out double with a mighty trump stack of ♦7 strangely attractive, since there is no slam upside in removing to 4♠. Dummy will rarely be shapely when they do not raise, so taking the money is not ridiculous.

[biggerclub]

Despite the troubling 3 losers in hearts (not to mention another loser in diamonds), I have to bid 5d. I have an AQ more than expected and cannot signoff.

 

Partner needs the equivalent of at least 16+ HCP for this dizzying double. Translates to a typical 6 loser hand. Since I have only 5 losers, a grand slam is likely. (6+5=11, 24-11=13 tricks) However, we already know that this is not a likely hand because of the 4-level opening pre-empt.

 

Partner with a K more than promised can bid 6H and I can pass, knowing that I fully expressed my values. Plus with a super-pre-empt in the auction, I will not be as aggressive in seeking a grand slam because suits are breaking badly. Add to that the chances that the pre-empt keeps some pairs out of slam altogether and 6 should be a good score. Unless I am in a team match against world class experts.

 

If Partner is a Losing Trick Count player, we may well end in a grand anyway. Partner reads me for a max of 7 losers for my cue bid, adds in her 4 losers and concludes we have 11 losers, or 13 tricks. Now -- who will be the genius to figure out that 7NT is the right spot? Unless H's are 4-1.

 

:-/