[Cyberyeti]

A couple of mildly challenging boards from our session tonight:

Hand 1: Game all dealer W

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Hand 2: Game all dealer E

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We got lucky on the first, how do you play the second in 6♥ on the lead of a) Q♠, b) J♦ ? I'll reveal our auctions later.

[mike777]

1)
2c=2h(deny a or k, unlimited tiny pts)
4h=p

or

2c=2h
3h=4h

2)


1h=2c
2h(6)=3h
etc...should get you there.

[CSGibson]

hand 2: On the Q of spades lead, I win the K, cash the K of hearts. If hearts are 5-0, I come to hand with a club to take the diamond finesse, hope it works. If hearts are 4-1 or better, I come to hand with a club to ruff a spade, then ace and a diamond, ruffing with the 9, pulling trump.

On the J of diamonds lead I'm not as sure at trick 1 whether hooking and paying off to some 7-1 & 6-2 breaks with the K off is right, or giving up on picking up a trick when hearts are 5-0 and the K of diamonds is on. My instinct is to play the ace, cash the K of spades and K of hearts, come to hand with a club, ruff a spade, and trump a diamond with the 9.

[Cyberyeti]

mike777, on 2013-February-15, 20:34, said:

1)
2c=2h(deny a or k, unlimited tiny pts)
4h=p

or

2c=2h
3h=4h

2)


1h=2c
2h(6)=3h
etc...should get you there.

Hand 1: So partner actually had 5 clubs to the Q and 6♣ was cold.

Hand 2: Dealer E, so unless you regularly pass 14 counts ...

To CSGibson, 7-2 fits don't often get 5-0 breaks

[CSGibson]

(hand slaps forehead) This is why my computer should stop me from posting crap after 1AM.

[mike777]

2) east dealer I start with 1nt so:


1nt=4d
4h=4s(rkc in h)
5d=5s(grand try)
5nt(ks)=6h(deny KC and KD)

[awm]

(1) 2♣ strong - 2♥ negative - 3♥ - 3♠ - 3NT. I think east may as well show his good four-card spade suit at the second round and this gets us to a 3NT contract which is pretty cold. Obviously 4♥ is excellent also.

(2) 1♣ - 1♥ - 2♣ - 2♦ checkback - 3♦ - 3♥ - 4♥ - keycard - two without - king ask - no minor king - 6♥

On the play of board 2, I am going to try and ruff a spade in dummy (not taking any diamond finesse). On the spade lead I will win the king, diamond ace and ruff, ruff a spade, heart king. If hearts break I am safe to ruff a diamond high; if LHO started with four hearts I will try club to ace since diamonds 6-2 seems more likely than clubs 5-0. On a diamond lead I will play similarly. This line seems safe unless: (1) diamonds are 7-1 with the one in north (2) spades are 8-1 with the one in south (3) hearts are 4-0 with north holding four, and also clubs are 5-0 with north being void.

[Cyberyeti]

It seems the 2♥ negative has an issue here on hand 1 as it makes it much more difficult to find a club or heart slam opposite say xxxx, xx, xx, Qxxxx or even xxxx, Jx, xxx, Qxxx where the club slam is good.

Our auction had a different problem:

2♣-2♦(old fashioned 0-7)-2♥(kokish)-2♠(semi forced)-3♣(♥/♣)-4♥

now it wasn't clear to me whether this was worse than 3♥ or just different in that he was sure he wanted to play in hearts while 3♥ wanted to find out if I was 5-5 and in that case play in clubs. I visualised xxxx, xxxx, Kxx, xx where the slam just requires a 2-1 trump break, and we wound up in 5♥. I got a trump lead, played a spade back and a second trump was returned, I discarded my diamond on the Q♠ drew trumps and played ♣ AKx not finding them 3-3 but getting second prize when Q10 dropped doubleton and my 6♣ made the contract.

On the second, this was easy as we play SJS:

1♣-2♥(GF, rock crusher with ♥ or HHxxx♥/Hxxx♣ opening hand +)
3♣(5+♣, better than small stiff ♥)-3♥(single suited type, suit setting)
3♠(A/K/1/0)-4♣(A/K)
4♦(A/K/1/0)-4♠(KC)
5♦(2 w/o Q♥)-5N(anything else)
6♥(no)

I got Q♠ lead, played a club to the A ruffed by N (who had ♥10xx), fortunately ♦K was onside and there was no further problem.

[mike777]

1) yes finding minor suit slams are difficult, with your examples very difficult in 2/1.

[rmnka447]

Hand 1

2 ♣ - 2 ♦(waiting)
2 ♥ - 2 ♠(2nd neg.)
3 ♣ - 3 ♥
4 ♥

Hand 2

- - 1 ♣
1 ♥ - 2 ♣
2 ♠ - 2 NT
3 ♥ - 4 ♥
4 NT - 5 ♥
6 ♥

[Zelandakh]

Hand 1
1♣ = 15+ nat/bal or 18+ any
... - 1♦ = most non-GF
1♠ = unbal GF or 18+ 3-suited
... - 2♣ = double negative, ~0-2 (downgrade)
2♥ = nat, GF
... - 2♠ = nat
2NT = nat
... - 3♥ = nat
4♥

Hand 2
2♣ = 10-14, 6+ clubs or 5♣4M
... - 2♦ = 4+ hearts
2♥ = 0-2 hearts
... - 4♦ = 6+ good hearts, 0-1 diamonds, SI
5♦ = good for heart slam, 2 key cards, no ♥Q
... - 5♠ = K ask
5NT = ♠K
... - 6♣ = K ask
6♥ = no minor king

[ahydra]

1)

2C (many strong options, one of which is hearts) - 2H (negative)
4H - pass

2)
1C - 1H
2C - 2D (fake a suit to make partner bid again)
3D - 3H (this should be GF, right??)
4H - 4NT
5H (2 no Q) - 5NT (ask kings)
6H (no kings, or just the SK) - pass

I wonder about overtaking the SK with the Ace to ruff two spades easily. I can now ruff a diamond, draw trumps and claim (and hope that if trumps either don't break 4-0 or there is a singleton CK). You look to be an entry short to try setting up clubs (unless when you play CA, C to Q, the king pops up on your left).

ahydra