A strange duck

[wuudturner]

Playing in a challenge set, best hand.

 

Yes, my 3♣ bid was a little pushy, but it pushed them up a level.

 

[hv=pc=n&s=s87hqtdq7caqjt942&w=saq94h754dt985ck3&n=st653hak932dkc876&e=skj2hj86daj6432c5&d=n&v=n&b=5&a=p2d3c4dppp&p=s8s9stsjdad7d5dksks7s4s6s2dqsqs5hqh7h2h8cac3c6c5hth4h3]399|300[/hv]

 

A spade lead seems the least risky, so I tried that. Of course it fared poorly. My partners know I always find the worst lead on every hand. But when East cashes the diamond ace to drop the king, and then the spade king and a third spade, I know partner has the AK in hearts. Just ruff the spade, then cash the heart queen and the club ace. A second heart to partner's AK will still take our 5 defensive tricks to set the contract by 2 tricks.

 

Partner ducked the second heart, apparently under the firm impression that I had the jack, because I led the queen. But it can NEVER cost for partner to overtake the heart. Surely the defensive simulations should have made that clear.

 

Instead of down 2 tricks, East made 4♢.

 

I'm still crying. :(

[smerriman]

But it can NEVER cost for partner to overtake the heart. Surely the defensive simulations should have made that clear.

The simulations do show that it never costs to overtake the heart.

 

Sadly they also show that it never costs to duck :(

 

Not because it makes any assumption that your play of the queen shows the jack; even the trick before that, every single simulated hand show you had to hold both queen and jack to make up your bid.

 

Not getting GIB to relax assumptions about your bids, at least late in the hand where you have enough time to test every alternative, is one of GIB's biggest flaws :(

[the hog]

With this north hand and a partner who bids 3C VULNERABLE, my opponents would not be playing 4D.

[johnu]

Good duck by North to avoid being endplayed.

[the hog]

Who is endplayed? Cash 3H and exit a C, which declarer can do for himself anyway.

[smerriman]

Who is endplayed?

You, by johnu.