Recap of 3/25/2013 IMP individual

It is a lot easier to capture interesting hands on BBO, but yesterday was shuffle and play.  We did  not have as many spectacular hands, but there were still a number with interest.  The first one came on board 4 with a very interesting 3NT, cold on any defense.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think both tables arrived in 3NT via the same auction.  3NT is cold as the cards lie, yet the board was pushed with both tables -1. 

 

I was South going down in 3NT.  After the ♣A wins trick 1, you have 8 easy top tricks (1+2+3+2).  3-3 diamonds, of course make 9, but that never happens, so how do you get a heart or a spade trick with those spots?  Easy, I see after the fact.  Win trick 2 with the ♣K (although there are SO many routes to 9 tricks I lost count – it makes no difference where you win the trick!).  Not only that, after winning the ♣K, it makes no difference what card you play to trick 3, including an unthinkable club!?!  Anyway, more realistically, assume you lead a spade at trick 3 and LHO wins the ♠J and clears clubs.  RHO must discard on the club and amazingly, he is caught in a 3 suit squeeze.  In reality, both tables discarded a low spade.  Both Easts later realized how declarer could have easily made it (by simply leading spades and ducking when the  ♠K comes up).  They felt they could/should have beaten it legitimately by discarding the ♠K, but they cannot beat it, even if they do discard the ♠K.  With the low spade discard, after winning the ♣Q, simply lead a spade and, when the ♠K pops up, duck and there are your 9 tricks (because the 13th spade becomes trick #9 with plenty of transportation).  Neither declarer did that.  Instead, we started playing diamonds, looking for the easy 9 tricks.  I ducked the 3rd diamond  (wrong – my heart spots were not quite good enough for this play) as LHO struggled and arrived at a heart discard (West can’t throw a club without eliminating the club threat, and they can’t throw a spade without setting up spades).  If, instead of losing my diamond now, I simply win the 3rd round of diamonds, cash ♠A, ♥A, ♥K and then lead a diamond off dummy, RHO will only be able to cash their ♥Q and give me trick 13 with the ♥10. All-in-all not that hard of a hand.  If diamonds are not 3-3, hope that spades are.  As minor suit cards are played, both LHO and RHO come under pressure in the majors such that no line of defense can touch the contract.  

 Next up board 11

With the club lead, declarer took his 7 tricks and the rest were ours, -2.  I decided in 3rd seat that the preempt was likely to be more effective than 1♣, so I opened 3♣.  At the other table, North opened 1♣ and after the 1NT overcall was soon defending 3♥X, +530 for our teammates.  That and our +100 gave our side 12 IMPs.  One hand doesn’t prove a thing.  Is this a more effective 1♣ or 3♣ opener?  3♣ worked this time.

Board 18 was a bit amazing.

The only thing I can say about the bidding is that it really happened.  I was East.

Partner’s 1♥ overcall was creative.  It created 10 IMPs our way.  I simply raised to 2♥ and all of a sudden we were defending game.  Without the overcall, our teammates auction was a simple 1♣-1♥-1NT all pass, +150 when they made 3.  That went well with our +300 when they went down 3 with less than optimal bidding and play.

I was East and succumbed to temptation in this next hand and paid dearly.

 

Normally, unlike most competitive bridge, we have table talk to discuss systems/conventions since it is an individual and we are only playing to have fun.  Our teammates had a similar start, but the interference over 1NT was Hamilton 2♣, over which most people play systems on.  Here, South bid 2♥ (transfer) and played 2♥.  It didn’t play too well on the 7-0 split, down 3.  

I thought I had a little extra playing strength resulting in my 3♥ bid.  If I worked out North was 2=3=2=6 I could have held it to down 1 by playing ♥AQ in the middle of the hand.  Instead I played ♥A2, playing North for 3=2=2=6 to lose an extra heart trick, so my -500 paired with teammates -150 to lose 12 IMPs.  I simply need to pass 3♣ and collect +100.

We won 12 IMPs on this next hand after I finally decided on a reopening double and pard passed for +500!

This isn’t exactly my idea of a 1st seat red vs. white 3♣ bid, but …

As West, I had to decide whether to reopen or not.  Then partner had to decide to defend or not.  Doubling worked well, defense worked well…on another hand both bids could be wrong.  Our teammates collected +110 playing 2♥ and with our +500, win 12 IMPs.

Now comes the hand of the day.  I have kibitzed some of the national and world championships and seen this bid work before, but I never had it work against me.  That is, don’t check on the trump Q, bid grand and get the hoped for trump lead to pick up the Q and score the grand.  I was West…

 

I assume this was the auction at the other table.  This was our auction up through 5♦ showing 3 key cards.  As noted above, the grand made with ease on the heart lead with 10 red tricks and AKA outside.  Rather than ask for the heart Q with 5♠, my partner “showed” the ♥Q with 5NT.  I showed the spade king with 6♠, and all of a sudden we were in a precarious 6NT which also made 7 with 2 finesses, saving an IMP vs the more normal 6♥ contract.  Lose 12.

Next up, an interesting declarer play that I got wrong.

 

 

I believe they had the same auction at the other table.  After the singleton club lead (at the other table), the contract can never be made and, in fact, was down 2.  However, I got the ♦Q lead.  I ducked, won the diamond continuation, unblocked the ♥K and ruffed a diamond.  Then a small spade from dummy, ♠9, ___?  I played what seemed normal to me, the ♠J.  Manfred politely pointed out that had I played the ♠K, and followed with another spade, that I make the hand.  Initially I just thought ‘right, with this deal, but on another deal…’  But Manfred was right.  The ♠K is the right play.  If spades are 3-2 with the ace onside, I am home.  Playing the ♠J with spades 3-2 and the ♠Q onside, I am not home.  There are many issues involving ruffs, trump promotions, upper cuts and possibly losing a diamond (that I lost at trick 1) plus a club and 2 spades or 3 spade tricks.  With some very good fortune, I can survive the ♠K losing to the ace, but I essentially needed that same good fortune when the ♠J lost to the ♠Q and good fortune was not in play today.  So down 1, win 2 IMPs against down 2 at the other table, but win 11 if I made the right play.  Darn.

 Last hand was a stunner.  Woolsey, Meckwell and Hamilton are all played depending on who your partner is for a given round.  On this hand, the player holding my hand used a rare Hamilton bid – Double.

As South, double for me would not have been penalty, but I wouldn’t have used a penalty double if it were available.   No attractive lead. No source of tricks.  Only 15 HCP.  Enough complaining.  Our table was 1NT-P-P-P and I led the ♠Q.  A good enough lead.  Declarer is up to 6 tricks at trick 1.  When I pitched wrong, I endplayed myself and let him score a king for -90 at our table.  Our teammates got the same automatic 6 tricks in 2♦X, but poor defense was not happening with the exposed kings and shape in dummy, so -300, lose 9 IMPs.