Just wanted a nice, easy hand ...

[GaryFisch]

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... for my first hand in a session, so soon after dinner. You know, a nice 1NT with 7 cashing tricks and no more possible. But instead I found myself declaring a rather complex game.

 

The bidding proceeded:

 

West North East South

Pass Pass Pass

1C 1D 2D Pass

2H Pass 4H All Pass

 

Partner's 2 diamond bid, apparently, was natural (we hadn't discussed this). Four hearts is a logical contract.

 

North led the diamond 3, and maybe I should play second hand low, but I hoped for the J to be with North, so I put in the 9. No such luck. South won the J and continued with the 7. I agonized a bit over this - should I ruff or discard? I finally decided that the hand had too many variables to give up an early trick needlessly. There are finesses possible in 3 suits, as well as squeeze and endplay opportunities, so I ruffed low. Next I took the spade finesse. I figured that 1) It was likely to work, 2) It would set up the J10 if it failed, and 3) It might help me in playing the other suits.

 

The Q held, and I cashed the spade A. Then I decided to take the finesse through South. I couldn't bring in a 4-1 trump break, so I played for South to have Qxx. You may notice a few things wrong with my play. First, I had 3 chances to cash a high club before taking the finesse - I can always cross to dummy later. If the club Q falls, though, I can play safe against any 3-2 by cashing the high trumps, then the club and spade winners. Second, North would hardly have underled the diamond AK, so South had one of these and the J. It was very likely that North had both the heart Q and club K, so the finesse, if any should go through North.

 

Anyway, North took the trump J with the Q, and at this point I'll show you the full deal.

 

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Doesn't North's overcall, on 8 HCP and a ratty 4 carder, look strange?

 

North returned the diamond 8, and, after some thought, I ruffed the A with the trump A. I finessed the spade J, which held (discarding the club 4 and missing a 4th chance to cash a high club!). I then ruffed the last spade, drew the last trump with the heart 10, and led the club from dummy. Would you believe that my brain was so muddled by now that I actually considered finessing, where the AK would give me 10 tricks? Fortunately, South made life easy by playing the Q. Second hand high, covering a low card with an honor! But if I had needed 11, the way to get them is still to play from the top. Here's what's left.

 

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North, who "should" have both minor honors remaining, has shown up with 4 spades, 3 hearts, and 4 diamonds. Therefore, the club Q should drop under the AK.

 

What do BBO players have against sound bidding??? That's one of my pet peeves. :o

 

Looks like the best way to play this hand is to throw a club on the second diamond. If North wins, and returns a spade (best), I finesse the Q, ruff out the diamond A, play the spade 10, covered by the K and ruffed in dummy, cross to the trump A, finesse trumps through North, draw the last trump, and claim. If North holds up the diamond K, I win, and almost any play guarantees 10 tricks (best is to finesse both majors through North).

 

Any thoughts?

 

GaryFisch

[pclayton]

Hi welcome to the forums.

 

Seems like you kept your head in the hand all the way through with a lot of twists and turns.

 

Your partner's 2♦ is just as strange as the 1♦ overcall.

[GaryFisch]

Hi welcome to the forums.

 

Seems like you kept your head in the hand all the way through with a lot of twists and turns.

 

Your partner's 2♦ is just as strange as the 1♦ overcall.

Thanks, and the reason I didn't try to set up ♦ was because I thought North had to have AKxxx for the overcall, despite the underlead. Maybe North was hoping for Qx with partner. I guess, though, one can believe an opponent's play, especially the opening lead, more than his/her bidding.

 

My theory is that players bid strangely here to confuse opponents, thinking they can get away with it, since there are so many players here, and contact is only virtual. They figure the opponents won't remember their play if they ever meet again. It'd be hard to get away with unsound bidding in a club, where people get to know your tendencies.