[ibraves]

This hand came up on in a Swiss teams game yesterday. IMP Scoring, 7 board matches converted to VPs. You're near the top in a weak field. Opposition are reasonable.

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what's your choice. If you choose to dbl when would you bid 3N and if you bid 3N when would you double?

Spoiler

I chose to double, figuring I probably needed 9 tricks off the top or some extras from partner to make 3N. In addition if partner can bid spades that will probably have better play. In any case partner ended up declaring 5!c which is hopeless. 3N makes with ease.

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[Cyberyeti]

3N makes with ease because the clubs work, it's far from cold on a heart lead ducked and is going -3 if it fails.

Both hands seem to have the ♠98 and less relevantly the ♦2 btw

5♣ is far from hopeless without seeing the other hands depending on the exact spade pips but needs more than 3N.

[ArtK78]

It looks like a double to me - 4 good spades, controls, Kx of hearts.

If partner bids 4♣, I am raising to 5. It will need a lot of luck to make.

[sfi]

3NT looks like it needs the singleton QC to have good play. If you pick up clubs for no losers in any other way, you only have 4 tricks and need to rely on the spade finesse.

Double looks normal.

[Cyberyeti]

sfi, on 2015-March-09, 07:26, said:

3NT looks like it needs the singleton QC to have good play. If you pick up clubs for no losers in any other way, you only have 4 tricks and need to rely on the spade finesse.

Double looks normal.

Of course double dummy they lead a diamond and you have 2 finesses to take with one entry.

[sfi]

That too, but if I just needed a sub-optimal heart lead I'd be willing to play 3NT.

[PhantomSac]

Definitely X

[broze]

East had Txx of spades; West had AQxx. The lead against 5C was the 3♦ showing a singleton or a doubleton (low from xx). North has a stiff ♣Q. Is there anything better than hoping to find South with KJ tight in spades?

[Cyberyeti]

broze, on 2015-March-09, 16:21, said:

East had Txx of spades; West had AQxx. The lead against 5C was the 3♦ showing a singleton or a doubleton (low from xx). North has a stiff ♣Q. Is there anything better than hoping to find South with KJ tight in spades?

There is I think.

Win the diamond, draw trumps and lead a heart, south presumably has 7 hearts and 3 clubs and at least one diamond. If he has a second diamond, he might well return it although should return a heart.

If you think he has 2 spades, cash the heart if it isn't returned and play ♠Ax trying to find him with Kx/KJ if Kx, he can't jettison the K or you simply play towards the 10, and if he keeps it, he's endplayed with it to give you a ruff and discard to dispose of the diamond.

Edit, just realised cashing A♠ is right whether S has stiff K or Kx, playing the A then a spade to the 10 if the K drops or not is the right line.

[broze]

Cyberyeti, on 2015-March-09, 16:56, said:

There is I think.

Win the diamond, draw trumps and lead a heart, south presumably has 7 hearts and 3 clubs and at least one diamond. If he has a second diamond, he might well return it although should return a heart.

If you think he has 2 spades, cash the heart if it isn't returned and play ♠Ax trying to find him with Kx/KJ if Kx, he can't jettison the K or you simply play towards the 10, and if he keeps it, he's endplayed with it to give you a ruff and discard to dispose of the diamond.

Edit, just realised cashing A♠ is right whether S has stiff K or Kx, playing the A then a spade to the 10 if the K drops or not is the right line.

Ah yes! Of course if North does have a second diamond and you cash the SA and the King drops you need to endplay South with a diamond - neat! Only losing to the other-worldly AQJTxx KJ xx xxx lol

[Cyberyeti]

broze, on 2015-March-09, 17:42, said:

Ah yes! Of course if North does have a second diamond and you cash the SA and the King drops you need to endplay South with a diamond - neat! Only losing to the other-worldly AQJTxx KJ xx xxx lol

That's not going to happen for 2 reasons, a) that's not a 3♥ bid b) green v red wouldn't you bid 4♥ with xxxx, xxx, QJ10xx, x ?

I wasn't intending the diamond endplay although I would also go down on that layout: (spots approximate)

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I was just intending to play ace and another spade, if the J comes in I have 3 spade tricks to dispose of the diamond, if it doesn't I don't lose a spade and can give up a diamond.

[broze]

I was obviously being tongue in cheek. And I am talking about when they return a second diamond when in with the AH. Now you need the diamond endplay.

[Cyberyeti]

broze, on 2015-March-10, 08:09, said:

I was obviously being tongue in cheek. And I am talking about when they return a second diamond when in with the AH. Now you need the diamond endplay.

Or you simply lead a low spade from hand without cashing the ace, the K beats air and you have 2 spade tricks and an endplay.

[rmnka447]

Put me down as a doubler also.

This time it didn't work out. But I'll accept that result rather than have to explain to our teammates why we're going down in 3 NT when partner has 4 ♠s and 4 ♠ is cold.

[broze]

Cyberyeti, on 2015-March-10, 10:42, said:

Or you simply lead a low spade from hand without cashing the ace, the K beats air and you have 2 spade tricks and an endplay.

Except you have already used your only entry to hand to play a heart up...

[Cyberyeti]

broze, on 2015-March-10, 15:32, said:

Except you have already used your only entry to hand to play a heart up...

Sorry from dummy, I forgot the weak hand declared, simply leading a small spade away from the ace will do the job if the preempter only has K♠ and hearts left.