04 August 2011

Sticky spot

A T 9 8
K Q J 5
T 9
8 3 2
Q 7 5 3
A 8 4
K Q 8 7 2
4

After South opened 1, two of us passed and partner doubled back in. South continued a spade and my 2 ended the auction. 4 lead.

Wonderful. Thanks to that spade bid we're now in the wrong spot. Imagining the hearts breaking is probably too hopeful. Still South can't know his partner lead is a singleton so I'll just win the Jack with the Ace like I don't have a choice and play a diamond. There's no point drawing trumps... I'll end up with 4 trumps a spade and nothing else.

North leaps in with the Ace and at great speed fires back a small heart. Well I'll Ace that and draw another round just to have a look. No break there, North started with 5. Time for some optimism. The K and Q hold so I continue in order to force the defence. North ruffed but instead of clearing the trumps tried a club. Now I'm home making 2 diamonds, 4 hearts a spade and a club ruff. Messy.

Here's a different sort of bidding problem. I'll give you an auction and you tell me at what point you would have done something different. Here's the hand, you're South:
-
T 9 8 5 4 3
Q 9 8 7 6
J 2

SouthWestNorthEast
- - 1 Pass
Pass X XX 2
2 Pass 2 Pass
Pass Pass

Partners redoubled showed "good cards" but you don't really have any specific agreements. South was playing a 15 - 17 1NT and 2/1 (so semi-forcing 1NT response) at the time but if that's not your cup of hot water with dead leaves, answer like it was your system.

3 comments:

  1. I think I'd bid 2H and pass 2S, just like you did.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'd double 2C to get both red suits in play.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Dana R
    I'm always worried about double with this sort of holding. It gets both suits in but it also gets neither suit in. Will partner be able to bid game with AJx in a red suit?.

    ReplyDelete