[inquiry]

Scoring: IMP

T1. ♦8 A 3 2

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West    North   East    South
                Pass    1♠      
2♥      2N!     Pass    4♠      
Pass    6♠      Pass    Pass    
Pass    

2NT was a Constructive 4=card ♠ raise or better and forcing 1 round, despite the strong holding in ♥ and having only 3-card support (it was a very good 3 card support). 4♠ showed (gasp) enough to be game opposite a minimum such holding. Lucky after this overbid I didn't end up in seven.

WEST bid some number of ♥ at each table. More than half the field got to 6♠. Some made, some didn't. How would you do?

After you cast your vote, explain your further line of play (next tricks, etc).

Ben

[WGF_Flame]

I'll play the K of spade and then A of club and small club. west will take this , and no return make things hard for me (ill finesse heart ofcourse)
a little danger can be if west overcalled with something like xxx kj10xxx xx kj then if he drops the K on the A of clubs and east win the second with the Q coing back with a club, ill need to ruff high and lose if it was a "trick" and east got 4 spades. but that wont happend in real life.

[helium]

i whould play small spade to jack and hart to finnes,trow a club on ♥ace and ace of club ruff a♣ruff a ♦play last ♠from dummy ruff a club and draw tromf

[luis]

Am I wrong of this is a squeeze?
Take the dA and now draw trumps. Then duck a club. If they take the trick and return a club then either clubs are 3-3 or LHO will be squeezed in hearts & clubs or RHO will be squezed in diamonds and clubs.
If they take the trick and return a heart then there is a double squeeze, LHO guards hearts and RHO guards diamonds so nobody can guard clubs.

Is this line 100% I didn't think enough.....

[Free]

I guess you shouldn't try the ♥ finesse, his 2♥ bid can be very weak, and you have entries short. Also, it seems like the enemy shortages are well positioned (♦ short in West, ♥ short in East). So I'll try to cross ruff.

♥A, ♥ ruffed, ♦Q, ruff ♦, ♣A, ruff ♥, ruff ♦,... total tricks: 2♦, 1♣, 1♥ and 8♠s, and perhaps even a 3rd ♦ if trumps fall somehow.

PS: voted too soon again... Isn't there any way of undoing/changing your vote?

[inquiry]

luis, on Mar 3 2004, 11:00 AM, said:

Am I wrong of this is a squeeze?
Take the dA and now draw trumps. Then duck a club. If they take the trick and return a club then either clubs are 3-3 or LHO will be squeezed in hearts & clubs or RHO will be squezed in diamonds and clubs.
If they take the trick and return a heart then there is a double squeeze, LHO guards hearts and RHO guards diamonds so nobody can guard clubs.

Is this line 100% I didn't think enough.....

Hi luis,

Everyone should make 6♠ on this hand. In fact, ignoring those that insisted in playing in NT and the one EW who took a flyer in ♥s and was doubled down big, here is how spade players did...
6SS+1 1010 10.67
6SS= 980 10.4
6SS= 980 10.4
4SS+2 480 2.53
4SS+2 480 2.53
6SS-1 -50 -7.33
6SS-1 -50 -7.33
6SS-1 -50 -7.33
6SS-1 -50 -7.33
6SS-1 -50 -7.33

Five made 12 tricks (well, I managed 13...but the defense slipped and the end and was genereous... but 12 were assured), and five made only 11. As for the squeeze, there is a nifty one I had in mind from trick one on lines where ♠ misbehaved... Involving the need to cash your cards in a precise order (need that ♣A)...but as you summized, ♣ were 3-3, ♥K was onside, and even ♠ split. But more on that when I show the cool squeeze if no-one else post it....In fact because of this squeeze, i would not even play for 3-3 ♣ as I don't need them. In fact, showing off this squeeze on the "normal" line of play at trick two is one of the reasons I choose to post this one, along with illustrating why half the field went down....

I do wonder about your comment about if EAST has 4+♣ and the ♦J that after ducking a ♣, and a ♣ back you would squeeze him. It seems you have no entry remaining in either threat suit, and of course, no quard squeeze either as you are out of ♥s... Am I overlooking something?

Ben

[inquiry]

Free, on Mar 3 2004, 11:04 AM, said:

PS: voted too soon again... Isn't there any way of undoing/changing your vote?

I see no way to change a vote....

[inquiry]

SPOILER ALERT... exit and come back and vote in the poll before reading on....

This hand was very forgiving of whatever line of play declarer choose. West didn't lead a ♣, so some useful sequence there like KQJ or KQT doens't exist in his hand.

Scoring: IMP

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West    North   East    South
                Pass    1♠      
2♥      2N!     Pass    4♠      
Pass    6♠      Pass    Pass    
Pass    

I think the right play is ♠K then ♠3 to the JACK. Either way, the idea is that if the suit splits 3-2, you can afford to ruff a ♦ with a honor in dummy. The squeeze you might be thinking about at trick one is a vulnerable stopper squeeze on EAST if trumps are 4-1. This actually will work just fine without worrying about ruffing any ♦ even when trumps are 3-2. Let's look at the basic position for this squeeze when you forgo any ♦ ruffs... Start three round of ♠, hook ♥, cash ♥ACE ... to reach this position

Scoring: IMP

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Now don't touch that ♣ACE. Instead, lead a ♥ to ruff. What is EAST to do? IF he throws a ♦ you cash top two ♦ and give a ♦ and you 13th ♦ is good. So he will discard one of his clubs. Now you cash a top ♦ and find out the "bad news" (you already suspected this, which is why you saved the ♣A. So now you cash the ♣A, ruff a ♣ pulling east last ♣ from his hand, and now that you both have nothing but ♦ left, just lead your low ♦ and win the last two ♦ tricks.

My line was a little different. When ♠ proved to be 3-2 (I played ♠ to jack, heart hook, spade king)... I ruffed a ♥ to my hand, ruffed a low ♦ high, ruffed a ♥ pulled the outstanding trump and took 5♠ 2♥ 3♦ 1♣ and 1 ♦ ruff. All but one of the declarers who went down did so in the ending similar to the one above where the vulnerable stopper squeeze would have taken EAST out.

Ben