Bad Break

[lamford]

[hv=pc=n&s=s532haj54dk6ckq54&n=sakq986hk97d54cj2&d=s&v=b&b=7&a=1np3nppp]266|200[/hv]

16-board match. Inter-cities Online Championship.

 

Partner raises your weak NT, imaginatively, to 3NT. The lead is the three of hearts (fourth best) to the queen and your ace. You play a spade, and West shows out, pitching the six of clubs (count if anything). You lead the jack of clubs which holds, East playing the three and West the seven, and a club to East's nine, your queen and West's ace. West exits with a second heart, the two. Over to you.

[Cyberyeti]

What system of overcalls are EW playing ? It appears W is 0544 does he have an overcall for that and if so, what is the range for it ?

[lamford]

What system of overcalls are EW playing ? It appears W is 0544 does he have an overcall for that and if so, what is the range for it ?

They were Warsaw and stated at the start of the match that they were playing Polish Club, 5-card M, Wilkosz twos and Multi-Landy and reverse carding. No CCs are normally displayed in this esssentially friendly event. If you ask, they would just say, "standardowy", I expect. And I don't think they would bid 2H with ♥Txxxx even if within range.

[Cyberyeti]

They were Warsaw and stated at the start of the match that they were playing Polish Club, 5-card M, Wilkosz twos and Multi-Landy and reverse carding. No CCs are normally displayed in this esssentially friendly event. If you ask, they would just say, "standardowy", I expect. And I don't think they would bid 2H with ♥Txxxx even if within range.

 

OK, so no 2 suited bids.

[lamford]

OK, so no 2 suited bids.

Yes, 2H would be hearts and a minor, but would not be bid at red with Txxxx, regardless of the minor-suit holdings.

[Cyberyeti]

They were Warsaw and stated at the start of the match that they were playing Polish Club, 5-card M, Wilkosz twos and Multi-Landy and reverse carding. No CCs are normally displayed in this esssentially friendly event. If you ask, they would just say, "standardowy", I expect. And I don't think they would bid 2H with ♥Txxxx even if within range.

 

OK, so no 2 suited bids. If they're playing reverse signals, looks like W might well be 0535 in which case 2 more top spades will give him a problem

[pescetom]

[ Sorry I don't know how to post a spoiler, but I'm probably wrong anyway :) ]

 

 

 

 

 

If we can trust the hearts so far and I see it right we can make +2 here?

After the lead of 3♥ we play 9 and if East shows out as expected then the 4.

It looks as if West has something like ♦T873 so we can cash the K♥ too, and also the K♠.

Now we play ♦ and it doesn't matter if East raises with A♦ or not, we still win K♦ K♣ 5♣ J♥ A♠ (maybe even another if East hangs onto A♦ at all costs).

[Cyberyeti]

The problem here is that if W is 0535, W must discard 2 diamonds on the ♠AK whether he holds ♦A or not or it's trivial. The danger is that you don't know whether the end position is:

 

[hv=pc=n&s=sha4dk6cq5&w=sht86dac87&n=s986hKd54c&e=sjhdqjt9ct]399|300[/hv]

 

or the same with the ace of diamonds and a small one swapped

 

edited, I see it now, you keep ♥K not 9. and exit with a spade pitching a club, what can E do to you

[lamford]

edited, I see it now, you keep ♥K not 9. and exit with a spade pitching a club, what can E do to you

No, you should win the king of hearts in dummy not the 9, or when dummy cashes spades, West can keep three diamonds including the putative ace, and you cannot make. Now you can cash the spade winners. West does best to discard a diamond and a heart, not two diamonds, and you now have to guess where the ace of diamonds is. If East has it the winning line is to play a diamond to the king. If West has it the winning line is to endplay West in hearts or clubs. West could be 0-5-5-3, 0-5-4-4 or 0-5-3-5. For the last two, I think the ace of diamonds is favourite to be onside for the first one it is favourite to be onside, and West's discard would likely have been a club. The disadvantage of playing a diamond up is that it will go three off when it is wrong. Close!

[Cyberyeti]

No, you should win the king of hearts in dummy not the 9, or when dummy cashes spades, West can keep three diamonds including the putative ace, and you cannot make. Now you can cash the spade winners. West does best to discard a diamond and a heart, not two diamonds, and you now have to guess where the ace of diamonds is. If East has it the winning line is to play a diamond to the king. If West has it the winning line is to endplay West in hearts or clubs. West could be 0-5-5-3, 0-5-4-4 or 0-5-3-5. For the last two, I think the ace of diamonds is favourite to be onside for the first one it is favourite to be onside, and West's discard would likely have been a club. The disadvantage of playing a diamond up is that it will go three off when it is wrong. Close!

 

Sorry, misread the OP slightly, thought trick 1 had gone to the J rather than Q-A.

 

Effectively playing the 9 of hearts then a spade is deciding E has the diamond ace and makes an overtrick in that case, you need to play the K if you think W has it.