[AL78]

Random teams:

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I'm not sure if I played this optimally, but I was happy I made it after the bad spade break. If East doesn't split his honors, I am playing high going for a 3-2 break and then running the hearts, so would have gone down. It wasn't bid at the other table, and thanks to the fortunate layout, the heart grand is makeable.

[KingCovert]

AL78, on 2019-November-28, 15:13, said:

Random teams:

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I'm not sure if I played this optimally, but I was happy I made it after the bad spade break. If East doesn't split his honors, I am playing high going for a 3-2 break and then running the hearts, so would have gone down. It wasn't bid at the other table, and thanks to the fortunate layout, the heart grand is makeable.

It's a nice, fun auction!

You really should just run the 9 of spades though. If spades are breaking 3-2, you'll get out for 1 loser anyways as you'd just cash AK in the 2nd and 3rd tricks. You'd know whether to cash the king based on whether both opponents follow on the 2nd trick of spades. If they don't, you can take the finesse up to your Ace Ten. You're always losing to QJXX offside.

[johnu]

On the theme that you can always do better, the club finesse you took at trick 9 was a practice finesse. You can win the club switch with ♣A, cross to dummy with ♠2 to draw trump, cash the ♥9 to pitch a losing club, and claim with a high club and trump.

[AL78]

Ha ha, I didn't spot that, there is always something I miss .

[Cyberyeti]

KingCovert, on 2019-November-28, 15:50, said:

It's a nice, fun auction!

You really should just run the 9 of spades though. If spades are breaking 3-2, you'll get out for 1 loser anyways as you'd just cash AK in the 2nd and 3rd tricks. You'd know whether to cash the king based on whether both opponents follow on the 2nd trick of spades. If they don't, you can take the finesse up to your Ace Ten. You're always losing to QJXX offside.

Embarrassing when the ♠9 loses and the diamond return gets overruffed, cashing the ace first seems reasonable.

[AL78]

Cyberyeti, on 2019-November-29, 07:43, said:

Embarrassing when the ♠9 loses and the diamond return gets overruffed, cashing the ace first seems reasonable.

That did cross my mind at the time, but for that to happen requires West to hold seven diamonds to the KQ, with such a holding they might have overcalled 3D.

[FelicityR]

AL78, on 2019-November-29, 11:20, said:

That did cross my mind at the time, but for that to happen requires West to hold seven diamonds to the KQ, with such a holding they might have overcalled 3D.

I would be overcalling 3♦ with the West hand at this vulnerability. If my partner can't say anything in second seat over the opponents' opening bid of 1♥, it looks odds-on the opponents are heading towards game, perhaps even slam here as actually happened.

I'm not quite sure what the 2♦ bid meant - just lead directing...hmmm...?

[Cyberyeti]

AL78, on 2019-November-29, 11:20, said:

That did cross my mind at the time, but for that to happen requires West to hold seven diamonds to the KQ, with such a holding they might have overcalled 3D.

The reason for that not to happen would be them having most of the missing quacks as well, so the hand is less offensive, Q, Jxx, KQJxxxx, Qx sort of thing.

[AL78]

FelicityR, on 2019-November-29, 14:40, said:

I would be overcalling 3♦ with the West hand at this vulnerability. If my partner can't say anything in second seat over the opponents' opening bid of 1♥, it looks odds-on the opponents are heading towards game, perhaps even slam here as actually happened.

I'm not quite sure what the 2♦ bid meant - just lead directing...hmmm...?

It means "I have a pretty suit so I'll bid it". Crap overcalls are two a penny at my club (unfortunately, I rarely have the means to punish them). It didn't work as a lead direct given they ended up on lead.