Recap of 2/25/2013

On Monday, we had a home game (thanks for hosting Chris) with the regular movement (everyone is your partner (only) once during 7 rounds of 4 boards each).  It is disappointing that BBO cannot do that – partners for each round are random with sometimes the same partner 3 times out of 7 while never playing with (or even seeing at your table) some other players.  There was the usual collection of large swing boards – let’s see if we can learn anything.  Three times there were 8 card suits and all three delivered double digit swings.  Since we were not on BBO, I don’t have movies for this blog.

The first round of the auction was the same at both tables.  With a perfect hand (that pard almost had) I thought 4♥ might make, or might be a good save.  Wrong!  9 tricks was the limit.  3NT was ‘only’ down 2, so -200 at both tables, lose 9 IMPs.  I admit 4♥ was pushing for a miracle that never came.  Nothing to the play of 4♥ and I should have bid only 3♥.

 

 

 

 

 

Here I was East.  Very interesting first bid by North.  Dan chose to walk the dog (and duly suckered me in), treating his hand as weak with long clubs.  My teammate with the same cards decided it was worth 2/1 game force.  Our teammates arrived in 4♥ undoubled, -200.  So, I was slated to lose 8 IMPs, but if you heard the tempo and saw the bids at my table (3♥ bidder VERY disappointed to hear 3♣, 3♣ bidder very disappointed to hear 3♥ ), you might have slightly more sympathy for my double.  When Dan played A♣, then a small ♣, 10 tricks were there and 14 IMPs away (-710 and -200).

This is the first of the 8 card suit double digit swings.  On the auction (no spade raise by partner), I thought it quite possible that 3 spades were cashing and that partner might contribute a club and/or diamond trick or 2.  Dream on.

 

 

 

 

 

The next 8 card suit came on the very next hand.  The auction began the same at both tables.  It seems quite likely there are 12 pointed suit tricks, but there might be (and were) fast losers.  At my table, South passed, -420.  Our teammate tried 5♦ and then settled for 5♠.  But, with the ♥10 lead, 3 tricks are quickly cashed, -50 at the other table and 10 IMPs away.

Nothing to the play.  10 tricks are easy, 11 tricks aren’t going to happen on a heart lead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since partner was a passed hand, I took some liberty with a ‘weak’ jump overcall.  The auction died in 3♥, which easily goes down if E-W can figure out how to get a club on the table.  We didn’t.  I won the spade and returned my singleton diamond, scoring a ruff with my natural trump trick and setting up the diamonds in the process for club discards.  But…win 10 IMPs when our teammates bid the game and scored it up!

When declarer correctly played partner for the ♦J when it was returned for the ruff, 10 tricks became easy.  I don’t know the play at the other table, but they brought in the diamond suit for club discards and won the same 10 tricks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think this one is very close.  Pard could Texas me into game, or invite.  I could accept or not.  I have good trumps and some 10s but poor shape and very weak spades, so I settled for 3.  

With the ♥Q coming down and partner’s ♠10, the game was riding on the ♦Q.  When it proved to be offside, 9 tricks was the limit.  We were patting ourselves on the back for staying out of game.  Lose 8 IMPs!  Our teammates tried 2♣ (DONT) over 1NT and after South heard a Texas transfer of 4♦, wanted to present them a problem and bid 5♣.  When that was doubled, E-W problems were over and N-S problems had just begun.  -500

 

 

 

 

I think the auction and the play of this hand was extremely interesting.  This is the third 8 card suit of the day.  I was South, and with 5 losers outside of diamonds and 2 more in the trump suit, I felt 4♦ was more than enough to bid.  My opponent holding these cards at equal vulnerability tried 5♦.  My reasoning on 4♦ was if partner can produce a trick, I can payoff -500 against +420/450/480 and if partner has no trick, perhaps he has no defense either and they can make 7.  I didn’t want to explain -1100 to the teammates.

If the ♥6 is the likely singleton, there is work to do to bring home 12 tricks in spades.  Draw a couple of trump, unblock dummy’s last heart, diamond ruff (noting the fall of the ♦A), ruff your last heart and try to cash the established ♦K.  But, as expected, north ruffs, you overruff and play your hearts.  In the process, South is known to be precisely 2=1=8=2.  So, there is no squeeze.  North is down to 5 clubs, South with the 2 he started with.  The only issue is the play of the club suit.  And your spots are sufficiently strong that you have 12 tricks on any lie of the cards, you just have to know WHAT lie of the cards.  If south has ♣J10 or ♣Kx, ♣A and another will see you to 12 tricks.  With any other holding, starting with a small club and covering what south plays arrives at 12 tricks because north will be end played upon winning his club trick.  In fact, you can start with a small club even if south holds the 2 death holdings.  With ♣Kx he might go up, although he shouldn’t.  With either ♣ Kx or ♣J10 you can succeed by next playing the ♣A.  But, the basic strategy of starting with a small club, cover South’s card to end play North, ducking the club return seems best, even though ♣A on the first or second round of the suit works against the 2 noted cases.  Small club and duck the return is what Bill Heid did, down 1.  5♦ at the other table was doubled +500, win 11 IMPs.  What bad luck for Bill and his teammates.