[Free]

Scoring: IMP

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East starts the bidding:
pass - 1♦ - 4♥ - 4♠
Dbl - 5♦ - pass - pass?
Dbl - All pass

Do you agree with North's pass?

Now East has doubled for penalties twice. Do you play him for 4 or 5 ♦? How do you play after LHO leads ♥A?

[FrancesHinden]

I just about agree with North's pass, but I strongly disagree with South's 5D bid. North is pretty close to a redouble of 5D.

I would pass 4Sx, but if I wasn't passing 4Sx I would bid 4NT to offer clubs as well as diamonds (which on this hand gets us to 6C). 5D has the air of someone not prepared to let partner play the hand.

As for the play, I'm not sure. I don't think it's obvious that East has 4 or 5 diamonds, he may have doubled slightly in pique that we pulled 4Sx.

I don't see what we can do if diamonds are 5-0, because RHO must have some spade length as well which gives him not enough clubs. I think we shall just be off. So let's worry about 4-1 and 3-2 breaks.

One simple line is to go flat out on the DK being onside: 10 of diamonds to the Queen, ace of diamonds, claim (possibly for an overtrick). This goes off if LHO has Kx, KJx or singleton DK.

Another is to take two top spades at once, planning to discard the second heart then run the D10. If LHO ruffs we shall probably take the diamond finesse next. This loses if LHO has a singleton spade together with Kx, KJx, Kxx or any singleton trump. It also loses if LHO has a spade void and not xxx or Jxx in trumps. It loses heavily if LHO is 0814 because we go loads off.

I think this is very close, because LHO might well have led a singleton spade but then again RHO might not have doubled without something in diamonds. I think I take an immediate diamond finesse as I'm worried about 6-0 spades, but I can see being persuaded otherwise.

[Free]

Only 1 reply? Is it too difficult?

[pclayton]

I like ruffing the ♥ and immediately passing the 10♦. This gains when LHO has a 1=8=1=3. Assuming the 10♦ wins; I'll ruff a spade and try the ♦A.

I can't afford to squander the 10♦ with a 2nd ruff; I will lose 3 trump tricks to east's ♦KJ8x.

[ArcLight]

I belive the method required is called Coup en Passant -
leading a side suit card in order to make a trick with a trump that is not the highest but is favorably situated behind a higher trump in an opponent's hand.

Assume West has 8 hearts, (could be 7), and east 3 (or 4)
Assume East has 4 spades, and 4 diamonds, leaving West with 2 and 1.
East has 4+4+2 = 3 Clubs

Ruff first heart,
run Dime 10 covering
Spade to ace
Spade K, discard Heart
ruff spade
Club Ace
club to 10
ruff spade (now same length as East, east is probably out of Spades)
club to J
play spade - over ruff
Q of Clubs to K, continue Clubs

If at any point East ruff Clubs, he is out of Spades and will either lead Hearts or Diamonds (nah!).
Ruff the heart, and play another Club.
Let West ruff 2 clubs and lead hearts which you ruff, because eventually he will be longer than you and lead into your tenace.
You will lose 2 clubs to ruffs thats all.

[later edit - I just got home and want to add one thing]
Once the spades are good, you can continue leading them and discard after East.

[pclayton]

ArcLight, on Jun 5 2006, 12:13 PM, said:

I belive the method required is called Coup en Passant -
leading a side suit card in order to make a trick with a trump that is not the highest but is favorably situated behind a higher trump in an opponent's hand.

Assume West has 8 hearts, (could be 7), and east 3 (or 4)
Assume East has 4 spades, and 4 diamonds, leaving West with 2 and 1.
East has 4+4+2 = 3 Clubs

Ruff first heart,
run Dime 10 covering
Spade to ace
Spade K, discard Heart
ruff spade
Club Ace
club to 10
ruff spade (now same length as East, east is probably out of Spades)
club to J
play spade - over ruff
Q of Clubs to K, continue Clubs

If at any point East ruff Clubs, he is out of Spades and will either lead Hearts or Diamonds (nah!).
Ruff the heart, and play another Club.
Let West ruff 2 clubs and lead hearts which you ruff, because eventually he will be longer than you and lead into your tenace.
You will lose 2 clubs to ruffs thats all.

This isn't really an elopment (en passant). All you are doing is running your side suit tricks and letting RHO score the ♦KJ.

[ArcLight]

Phil,
I thought that was the term for scoring your small trumps. Perhaps I am mistaken. I guess technically you also have some big trumps, so its not scoring only small trumps. Kind of a trump reduction.

OK, I used the wrong term.

[Free]

Trumps were 5-0, RHO having 5. GIB says the only way is to play ♠A at trick 2 (probably making the contract my setting up ♠s). At the table, North bid 6♦ which was doubled (but the player told me he wouldn't double 5♦) and went -3 when he tried running the ♦T at trick 2.