Matchpoint Decision

[eagles123]

[hv=pc=n&s=s954hak54d97cq842&n=sq73htdakqjt86ca7&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=2dp2hp3dp3nppp]266|200[/hv]

 

north showed a strong 2 in diamonds (2 diamonds originally was 21/22 bal or strong 2 in any suit) and south's 2H was just a relay

 

lead: J clubs

 

 

weak field weak opps

 

thanks

 

Eagles

[Cyberyeti]

At MPs I play low, he has no way of knowing whether to switch to hearts or spades, you might have Kxx(x) in both majors and a heart switch might be critical.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&s=s954hak54d97cq842&n=sq73htdakqjt86ca7&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=2dp2hp3dp3nppp]266|200| eagles123 writes 'north showed a strong 2 in diamonds (2 diamonds originally was 21/22 bal or strong 2 in any suit) and south's 2H was just a relay. lead: J clubsweak field weak opps'

+++++++++++++++++++

Agree with Cyber (Yet igain). At imps, take your 10 tricks. At MPs, ducking loses only when

1. East has ♣K

2. East has 3-5 ♠s to ♠A or ♠K

3. East finds the ♠ switch.

Admittedly, West's failure to double 2♥ suggests a ♠ rather than ♥ switch :( [/hv]

[rmnka447]

You should know if ♣ J lead denies any higher honors or not. If the opponents are playing coded 10s and 9s, J would deny a higher honor. If not, the lead could be an inner sequence lead from KJ10x(…).

 

In any case, I agree with cyber and nige1, duck at MPs and rise at IMPs. The only exception might be if you feel you've had a very, very MP game and don't want to risk a zero when the cards lie wrong. Then rising probably won't get you worse than an average minus MP result.

[eagles123]

You should know if ♣ J lead denies any higher honors or not. If the opponents are playing coded 10s and 9s, J would deny a higher honor. If not, the lead could be an inner sequence lead from KJ10x(…).

 

In any case, I agree with cyber and nige1, duck at MPs and rise at IMPs. The only exception might be if you feel you've had a very, very MP game and don't want to risk a zero when the cards lie wrong. Then rising probably won't get you worse than an average minus MP result.

 

 

you can take it from me the opponents would never have even heard of coded 10s and 9s

[Tramticket]

weak field weak opps

 

You are in a good contract (I bet that half this weak field don't find 3NT). You have received a favourable lead (a spade lead might be found - particularly if north declares 3NT). I suspect that +400 would score above 50%.

 

And one possibility against your very weak opps is to rise with the ace, run your diamonds and wait for them to screw up on the discards.

 

Against competent opps I play the 7.

[Cyberyeti]

[hv=pc=n&s=s954hak54d97cq842&n=sq73htdakqjt86ca7&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=2dp2hp3dp3nppp]266|200| eagles123 writes 'north showed a strong 2 in diamonds (2 diamonds originally was 21/22 bal or strong 2 in any suit) and south's 2H was just a relay. lead: J clubsweak field weak opps'

+++++++++++++++++++

Agree with Cyber (Yet igain). At imps, take your 10 tricks. At MPs, ducking loses only when

1. East has ♣K

2. East has 3-5 ♠s to ♠A or ♠K

3. East finds the ♠ switch.

Admittedly, West's failure to double 2♥ suggests a ♠ rather than ♥ switch :( [/hv]

 

Most of the hands where he would double 2♥, he'd also lead one, the club lead implies he doesn't have a really good long major, you have 6 spades and 5 hearts so the heart switch may well look attractive if E has say 4 of each.

[FelicityR]

At MPs I would be "semi-reckless" and play the ♣7. It's more likely that the person on lead has led from a high honour (A)K than a (Q)J, and given that there are 2 high honours in ♠s outstanding, and only one in ♣s, I would take the gamble with a partner who understands the MP game.

[mcphee]

I pop ace, low is the way to go down when I have 10 tricks. Had they found a S lead we may have had just 9.

[KingCovert]

Honestly, I just take my tricks in this case, You're flirting with disaster, it's matchpoints. You take your par on boards like this and look to win the round on a different hand. When you're holding 4-5 spades with the Ace or King, you're going to switch to spades. Your partner can't be expected to run enough hearts to defeat the contract. They're return to your spades later, and then when you don't think you can take any more, you'll switch to hearts.

[eagles123]

Thanks all for feedback. I played low and LHO had led from KJTxxx so that was that. We got a 95% board, if I had hopped, we get a 80% board (yes it's that level). so, I think I made the wrong decision even though it led to a better result. When I was thinking about it after, I thought there was another negative factor of playing small against weaker players, in that they're more likely just to blindly switch to their best suit rather than thinking about the overall hand, which would make a spade switch more likely than a heart. but anyway, my MP-itis worked out okay!

[gszes]

what is the common bidding sequence that gets us to 3n??? hmmm not entirely sure eh -- that means we are in a GREAT contract and we have been lucky (say what) enough to avoid a possibly lethal spade lead. I rise take my ten tricks and hope to get even luckier in the discarding phase.