[biggerclub]

If this is not expert enough for this forum, please feel free to move it, but I think it's plenty hard.

MPs. Regional Open Pairs.

---

I don't necessarily condone either partner's bidding, but that's what it was. (Not trying to spark a "too strong for 2, too weak for 1 debate" but not opposed to input on that topic either.)

Opening lead is K♦ from an unimaginative player. He has the Q♦ something like 99.8% of the time.

So, S grabs the A♦ and leads a ♥. East drops the 8♥. What should S play?

edited to correct hand, and especially NS V. Also Exchanged T♥ for 7♥.

[rhm]

If East is past the beginner stage he would go in with ♥A8 if a diamond ruff loomed.
Nevertheless play the ♥K.
West is a passed hand and is unlikely to hold the ♥A.

Rainer Herrmann

[Fluffy]

The natural contract seems to be 2♠ 1 down after a 2♥ opening.

We need to score 4♥ , 2♣, 2♦ to beat them. ♥K gives us our best chance, but it means that RHO has probably made a mistake. So it depends on RHO's level.

[dboxley]

biggerclub, on 2015-October-30, 22:50, said:

If this is not expert enough for this forum, please feel free to move it, but I think it's plenty hard.

MPs. Regional Open Pairs.

---

I don't necessarily condone either partner's bidding, but that's what it was. (Not trying to spark a "too strong for 2, too weak for 1 debate" but not opposed to input on that topic either.)

Opening lead is K♦ from an unimaginative player. He has the Q♦ something like 99.8% of the time.

So, S grabs the A♦ and leads a ♥. East drops the 8♥. What should S play?

edited to correct hand, and especially NS V. Also Exchanged T♥ for 7♥.

I would open 1H, Jimmy Cayne would open 2H. It can't be right to pass. But anyway, I would play the HK and not worry too much about it. Ducking the opening lead only works if LHO led from KQx.

[kenrexford]

dboxley, on 2015-October-31, 09:24, said:

I would open 1H, Jimmy Cayne would open 2H. It can't be right to pass. But anyway, I would play the HK and not worry too much about it. Ducking the opening lead only works if LHO led from KQx.

The round one duck works if RHO started with maybe AKx-Axx-xx-Kxxxx or similar.

[biggerclub]

kenrexford, on 2015-October-31, 13:41, said:

The round one duck works if RHO started with maybe AKx-Axx-xx-Kxxxx or similar.

As hopeless as the contract appears, considering the ♥ suit in isolation, I was trying to hold my losers in that suit to 2. I have little hope of landing the contract, but -1 may be significantly better than -2.

I considered ducking entirely when the 8♥ shows <I see now that 8♥ is actually lowest outstanding> and then going back to dummy -- actually hoping that the OPPs put me back in dummy at some point -- so I can lead another ♥ toward the KJ7xx and then worry about what to do next. But for whatever reason, I put in the J and it held as the 9 came down on my left.

The subsequent defense was terrible as my lead of the T♠ was won with the K by LHO. Who emerges with a ♣ (thank you God!). When next in the dummy I lead a ♥ to the K which holds as LHO shows out. I get home with 2♦s, 2♣s and 4♥s.

But I am still not sure what is the best chance for 4 ♥ tricks given that the auction suggests a larger than a priori probability of 4♥s with RHO.

As to the opening bid . . . I told a friend/mentor that if I ever opened a weak 2 and took 3 tricks on defense could double . . . my card fees for the next session.

Edited: To add comment about size of 8♥.

[WesleyC]

Ducking trick 1 might win legitimately if LHO has led from KQx, has some extra chances if its KQxx (as Ken mentions) and also gives LHO the chance to make a mistake and switch.

[biggerclub]

WesleyC, on 2015-October-31, 19:29, said:

. . . and also gives LHO the chance to make a mistake and switch.

There was not a mistake that they did not make on this one. IMO.

[jodepp]

Anyone care to unblock the ♦9 at trick one?

The auction: If south wants to pass that hand, I'd say fine. If playing a strong club I think 1♥ looks right. It's not my type of suit for 2♥, but I'm a curmudgeon.

North's 1♠ is totally misguided, unless playing in a 'devil-may-care' style. It worked though when South was able to buy it at 2♥. If this was matchpoints I'd say put up the ♥K and play for down 2 if not vul. The opponents appear to have the balance of power and a club fit, so -100 rates to be a good score.

[biggerclub]

jodepp, on 2015-November-01, 15:50, said:

play for down 2 if not vul.

Here we are V.

[rmnka447]

biggerclub, on 2015-October-31, 13:57, said:

As to the opening bid . . . I told a friend/mentor that if I ever opened a weak 2 and took 3 tricks on defense could double . . . my card fees for the next session.

If you think about it, with a 6 card suit, there's a continuum that starts with pass, continues on to a weak 2, then to an opening one bid. This hand falls just about on the cusp between the two. So you need to decide if the hand is an opening 1 bid or not.

If the hand were ♠ xxx ♥ KQJ10xx ♦ x ♣ Axx, would you open 1 ♥ or 2 ♥? I'd guess most good players would choose 1 ♥ even only with 10 HCP and 2 QTs. I'd have no problem opening 1 ♥ with this hand.

The actual hand has 6 ♥ to 2 honors but not a particularly good suit. OTOH, it does have 2 QTs. Is it a 1 level opener? If not, then logically, it ought to fall into the range of a weak 2 bid. If you say it has too much defense for a weak 2, then does that mean you wouldn't open 2 ♥ with something like ♠ Axx ♥ Q10xxxx ♦ x ♣ Axx -- again 10 HCP and 2 QTs?

Pay your money and take your choice!!

[Dinarius]

I see South's hand as too weak for a one level opening. I always open two hearts though.

As to the play of the existing contract. I go up the King hearts and (hopefully) then play a small heart.

D.

[kenrexford]

WesleyC, on 2015-October-31, 19:29, said:

Ducking trick 1 might win legitimately if LHO has led from KQx, has some extra chances if its KQxx (as Ken mentions) and also gives LHO the chance to make a mistake and switch.

Heck, he might switch to a club away from the King, legitimately. Suppose RHO shows attitude (for some idiot reason) and LHO thinks we have a doubleton diamond, ducking to enable a hook later to ditch something. The likely candidate might be Axx in clubs. probable candidate, perhaps, as QJ in spades on Dummy does not scream ditching a third-round loser there.

[biggerclub]

rmnka447, on 2015-November-02, 12:44, said:

. . . then does that mean you wouldn't open 2 ♥ with something like ♠ Axx ♥ Q10xxxx ♦ x ♣ Axx -- again 10 HCP and 2 QTs?

Pay your money and take your choice!!

Never opening 2♥ with that hand. When I see two Aces, even without the Q I think 1 bid. I don't always do it, but I always look to see if there is any reasonable case to be made. One point of pre-empting, to me at least, is to warn partner that I am not there with her for defense.