[Foxx]

We were one of 28 pairs who advanced to the final day of the Flight C North American Pairs in Louisville, KY. Here are 13 hands from the morning and afternoon sessions. Get all of these right, and you may become regarded as one of the elite amateur players in the nation.

Yes, I was dealt 10 hearts on the first hand. This is not a daydream fantasy. I couldn't believe it either when I picked it up.

(1) Dealer West, None Vul

♠ ---
♥AKJ10865432
♦7
♣Q6

   W      N      E      S
   P     1D     1S     2H
  2S     3D     4S      ?

(2) Dealer North, Both Vul

♠ ---
♥A92
♦A107
♣KJ109843

   W      N      E      S
         1H     2H*     ?

* 5+ spades; 5+ unknown minor

(3) Dealer North, E/W Vul

♠A
♥A7652
♦Q3
♣J9742

   W      N      E      S
         1D      P     1H
   P     2D      P      ?

(4) Dealer West, N/S Vul

You are WEST:

♠432
♥J754
♦AK542
♣4

   W      N      E      S
   P      P      P     1NT
   P     3NT     P      P
   P

What do you lead?

(5) Dealer North, Both Vul

♠10742
♥2
♦A7
♣AKJ964

   W      N      E      S
         1S      P      ?

Notes: 2♣ = non-game-forcing; 4♥ = splinter; 3♠ = limit; 2NT = Jacoby; 3♣ = natural, weak.

(6) Dealer North, E/W Vul

♠KJ1085
♥93
♦Q73
♣Q82

   W      N      E      S
         1C     1H     1S
  4H     4S      P      P
   P

Dummy has ♠A964 ♥2 ♦J64 ♣AK943. West cashes the ♥K and ♦A, then leads the ♦10 to East's king. East returns a third diamond, West following. How do you play trump?

(7) Dealer East, E/W Vul

♠983
♥64
♦AK84
♣9852

   W      N      E      S
                 P      P
   P     1D      P     1NT
   P     3NT     P      P
   P

West leads the ♠5, and dummy comes down with ♠AK6 ♥AK105 ♦10965 ♣A6. Can your declarer play cash the check that was written by your partner's mouth?

(8) Dealer West, N/S Vul

♠AKJ9
♥J82
♦J5
♣A984

   W      N      E      S
  1H     2D      P      ?

(9) Dealer East, Both Vul

♠9
♥Q5
♦AK876543
♣A10

   W      N      E      S
                 P     1D
  1H     1S      P      ?

(10) Dealer South, None Vul

You are WEST:

♠109
♥A10965
♦108
♣6432

   W      N      E      S
                       1D
   P     1S      P     2NT
   P      P      P

Your lead?

(11) Dealer North, None Vul

♠AJ7543
♥A1064
♦K6
♣Q

   W      N      E      S
         1D      P     1S
  2C     2H      P      ?

(12) Dealer East, N/S Vul

♠A1096
♥KJ107
♦K109
♣64

   W      N      E      S
                1C      X
   P     2S     3C      ?

What call do you make? If you pass and 3♣ is passed out, what is your opening lead?

(13) Dealer North, E/W Vul

♠Q108
♥AKQ4
♦AKJ5
♣65

   W      N      E      S
         1C      P     1H
   P     1S      P      ?

NOTE: 2♦ would be artificial and game-forcing.

[mtvesuvius]

1. 5♠.
The opponents weren't leading spades anyway, and it's the only way we can find a possible grand. Blasting 6♥ is fine too, but might miss some grands. Obviously we may not even make 6, but oh well.
2. 2♠.
I'm going to show my support now so that I can bid 5♣ over 4♠ from LHO. I want to leave partner with a bit of wiggle room.
3. 3♣.
This is an annoying hand... I guess I'd choose to GF it, although I'm not happy about it.
4. ♦4.
Fourth best from my longest and strongest as usual.
5. 4♥.
Given that 2♣ isn't GF, I guess I'd splinter. Once again a good reason for playing 2/1 GF. Bidding 2N seems silly since we won't get any useful information usually. We do have side-suit controls for the splinter, although much more values than I'd like.
6. I play LHO for shortness.
7. I win in dummy and play the ♦T, overtaking if not covered... I don't see too many chances here. I'd establish the diamonds and try ducking a heart maybe. IDK.
8. 2♥.
I hate making cuebids without 3+ card support probably more than anyone else on the forums, but this hand has no alternative.
9. 3♦.
I have a good hand, I don't care what HCP say.
10. ♥6.
Leading the interior honour has rarely worked for me, and especially in a case like this, may block the suit.
11. 4♣.
Splintering seems like a good start to our investigation. I'll keycard next probably, and go from there, although I'd rather partner bid keycard.
12. I pass and lead a trump
13. 2♦.
What's the problem here? I don't get it.

Wow, that was more tiring than I expected lol

[pio_magic]

mtvesuvius, on 2011-March-25, 09:17, said:

Wow, that was more tiring than I expected lol

I agree to that one... :

1. 4NT - want to avoid going to 6 with no aces at all ...
2. 2S - seems to be more flexible to me
3. 2NT - game in NT may be there, and maybe keeps opps out of ♠ (hoping to survive though, maybe pass would be safer)
4. K♦, lets see the dummy first to identify partners major.
5. 4H - what else
6. play for the Q♠ with E, since W has already shown most of his points...
7. E has to have QJ♦ to make it, so play it that way
8. 2H - why can't I negative double my partner
9. 2D - we seem to have a misfit, so stay low
10. TH - on a good day, P has KJx and we make the first five tricks.
11. 4C - P is strong, show the support
12. pass - not sure we can make 3S, not sure opps can make 3C
13. 2D - lets here more from P to choose the right slam later

Peter

[cherdano]

On 5 I would bid 2♣, I don't see the problem. I assume a jump to 3♠ next is game forcing, and a jump to 4♥ over 2♠ or 2NT still shows a splinter. I may not get to describe my shortness but it seems a better description than a splinter.

[quiddity]

1. 6♥. I would have blasted 6 the round before. Let them guess whether to save.
2. 4♣ fit, assuming we have that agreement. If not I guess I'll try 3♠ splinter.
3. 3♦.
4. 4th best diamond.
5. 2♣
6. I'd play East for the length.
7. I'd try a double finesse in diamonds, and if that fails then a double finesse in hearts.
8. 2♥
9. 3♦
10. ♥T
11. 4♣
12. 3♠
13. 2♦, probably to be followed up by 2NT and a quant slam invite.

[FrancesHinden]

I can't facing reading the other replies, but:

Are these all matchpoints? I'm guessing the P in NAOP is pairs, but that doesn't tell me the form of scoring.

1. 6♥ which to be honest I'd have bid last round
2. 3♣ assuming this is natural and game forcing. This sets up a forcing pass which 2♠ doesn't. Don't mind 2♠ instead (but I think 2♠ then 5♣ is a cue bid; if I bid 2♠ and they bid 4♠ I'll bid 6♣ next)
3. 3♦
4. systemic low diamond
5. 4♥ assuming I'm in range for it by strength (I know it's lopsided)
6. West has 5 hearts and 3 diamonds (East tried to give a diamond ruff rather than cash another heart, he looks to have the length). He doesn't have a singleton club or he wouldn't be in such a hurry to play diamonds. He was at red so I doubt he has Qx KQxxx Kxx xxx for the 4H bid; I'll play him for a singleton spade. But I think it's very close.
7. Why wasn't I allowed to raise diamonds last round? Anyway, I don't really want to go more than one off, I'll start by running the 10 of diamonds and decide later whether to take a double heart finesse. If all flight C opponents religiously cover an dhonour with an honour I'll start with a top diamond, but I don't really know what 'best 28 pairs of flight C' is like.
8. 2H. Hard to see a sensible alternative.
9. 3D
10. Systemic low heart
11. 4C to set hearts. Real decision is next round over 4D, whether to continue cueing or bid RKCB.
12. Pass and lead a trump. I might have bid at love all but it's undisciplined.
13. 2D, in case partner has something unusual. 4NT is likely to be my next call, and it wouldn't be silly now, but I'd like to have honours in every suit to jump this round.

[whereagles]

Foxx, too many hands in one post. Pls split stuff next time

1. eheheh.... 7♥ with a confident look. Opps are gonna play me seriously and save in 7♠ LOOOOL.
2. 4♣ fit bid. Then follow up with 5♣ over 4♠. I find this more descriptive than a 3♠ splinter.
3. 3♦. Pard has 6 diamonds. If he accepts this invite, he'll bid 3♥ with 3 of those and we dig out the heart game.
4. Small diamond. Better small because of lack of entries.
5. 4NT. Keep it easy. If all keys are there, bid 7.
6. Finesse spade through overcaller. LHO should have a singleton for his bidding. I hope..
7. I don't know. Just dbl finesse in diamonds and hope for the best. No hold ups - opps might switch to clubs.
8. 2♥, then re-cue to ask for 1/2 a stopper.
9. Easiest 3♦ of late. 5 also possible, but that needs some luck; ace of spades across.
10. Systemic heart. Why is this a problem??
11. 4♣. So far, so good...
12. 3♠ because our side's hcp seem to be working.
13. 2♦. Need to check on pard's hand type.

[Foxx]

whereagles, on 2011-March-26, 13:33, said:

Foxx, too many hands in one post. Pls split stuff next time

Lots of interesting hands from that day, and they still got only HALF way through the alphabet. I'm going all the way from A to Z next time. J/K.

Lots of varying opinions here too. A club game with all you guys in it would be a lot of fun, I think.

(1) I was South and shot out 6♥ here. How could I do less? LHO led the ♠K and dummy put down ♠A52 ♥9 ("You have one!") ♦AKQ932 ♣K72. I threw a club on the ♠A, drew trump (2-0) then threw the other club on the ♦A-K. Making seven. RHO turned out to have a diamond void and LHO was really upset at herself for not leading a diamond, even after I explained to her that her partner owed her a Lightner double of 6♥ which would be automatic looking at the ♣A. Anyway, those young ladies now know about Lightner doubles.

(2) My partner faced this problem, and bid 3♣. This would run into a pickle, as my RHO bid 3♠ and my LHO raised to 4♠. Partner still had yet to show the heart support, and had to do so with 5♥, where I played with ♠KQ2 ♥QJ1075 ♦K6 ♣765. LHO led the ♣Q and got a club ruff with the singleton ♥8. Aargh. The right answer to the problem was 2♠, then over their 4♠, partner would have been able to bid 5♣, which is unbeatable.

(3) Here, possible calls are 3♣, 3♦, 2NT, and 3NT. I raised to 3♦ and partner played there with ♠KQ2 ♥Q ♦KJ9854 ♣K65. We should take ten tricks, but he would make five on a discarding error in the endgame. At first glance, it looks like we missed a good 3NT.... but look closer. After the defense ducks the first diamond, how are you getting to the North hand? East has ♣A3 and West has ♥KJ108. I would be surprised if anybody played in 3NT and made it. I think +150 was a good score.

(4) Thought I'd throw an easy one in here. I led the ♦4, and hit partner with ♦Q10 doubleton; their diamonds were 3-3. Down one, and it was the only lead, since they can run three spades, one heart and five clubs.

(5) I was South, and chose to splinter with 4♥. What happened on this hand is not suitable for posting on a forum read by children. Partner had ♠AQ853 ♥9643 ♦KQ102 ♣ ---. In retrospect, either 2♣ or even 4NT would have been more prudent to simplify. (No, we did not land in 7♠.)

(6) This was an important hand, because it was the last one before lunch. Not too many people were going to be here, so I wanted to get this right, but I had little to go on. I led a spade to the ♠K (I had dropped the ♦Q on the second diamond, winning the third with dummy's ♦J), all following. When I led the ♠J from hand, West followed low. I took a trip through a long corridor filled with cats and mice, then called for the ♠A from dummy. RHO dropped the ♠Q! And we got a huge lift heading into the intersession break. Everyone who played LHO for shortness would have gotten home too, since the ♠Q would have popped up on the second round.

(7) Partner was declarer here, and this may have been his best played hand of the entire tourney. He won the ♠A in dummy and ran the ♦10 to East's ♦Q. East continued with the ♠Q, ducked, then another spade to dummy's king, West discarding a club. Partner played a diamond to the ♦A, picking up West's doubleton ♦J, then a heart to dummy's ♥10 and West's ♥J. West switched to the ♣J, ducked, then a second club to East's ♣Q and the ♣A. Now came two more rounds of diamonds, ending in hand, and West was squeezed in the round suits. One trick in each suit was ducked to rectify the count.

Black-suit leads by the defense actually helped us because each defender's long black suit could be cut off by ducking. Heart leads were needed to break up the squeeze, as it turns out.

(8) I was South here, and perhaps I should have cue bid, but I wanted better diamond support. I tried 2♠, offbeat but with a shot to work. Partner rebid 3♦, now I bid 3♥ which LHO doubled. This was passed back around to me, and I ran back to 4♦, where partner played with ♠87 ♥9 ♦AQ8743 ♣K1072. He can make it, but he got the clubs wrong to go one down (East had ♣QJxx). As it turns out, 5♣ is making, even with the bad trump break.

(9) We're in the afternoon hands now. I called my eight-card suit trumps, and launched into 5♦. Partner had ♠AJ1072 ♥98 ♦Q9 ♣8653, and there was no way to take more than ten tricks; down one. This may not have been a bad board, because if 4♥ is being played their way, the defense of the ♦Q lead and another diamond will let it make. LHO has ♠K84 ♥AJ10763 ♦2 ♣KJ2, and will only go down in 4♥ if the defense gets a spade ruff, or if he takes a trump finesse into my hand. 3♥ by North is unbeatable unless my hand gets TWO spade ruffs. This requires North to lead the ♠A or a club, and South to UNDERLEAD the ♦AK after the first spade ruff.

(10) I held this hand, and led the ♥10. Oops. Dummy hit with ♠J8754 ♥82 ♦9764 ♣A10, and declarer had ♠KQ6 ♥K4 ♦AKJ52 ♣Q75. He won the ♥K and drove out the ♠A, giving him eight tricks. A club is the best lead, but any non-heart would have gotten a set. I picked the wrong time to lead away from an ace into power.

(11) Holding this hand, I decided to play partner for more than a minimum for the free bid. In support of hearts, I had a giant squid, so I shot to 4NT and found out about two key cards and the trump queen. Partner played in 6♥ holding ♠6 ♥KQ83 ♦AQJ107 ♣KJ5. Trumps broke 4-1, but West had the singleton ♥J, so we had twelve running tricks after the club lead. Our handling of this board was worthy of "A winner is you" and "Congraturation!"

(12) On the other hand, this was by far my worst-played hand of the tourney. I chose to pass, and led the ♠A. Dummy hit with ♠87 ♥965 ♦A8754 ♣982, partner discouraged with ♠QJ52 ♥832 ♦Q632 ♣KQ, and I switched to the ♥J. Ow. This was the only hand of the weekend for which I looked at the matchpoint scores. At this point, we already had a sub-10% board for 3♣ by them making four. At trick three, declarer led his ♦J, covered by the king and ace, and led a club to his ace, the ♠K, a spade ruff, and another club. Partner returned a heart to declarer's ♥A, and on the run of the trumps I hung on to my diamonds, playing declarer for ♦QJx. Dummy's ♥9 scored the last trick.

It turns out that 3♠ was cold our way. Had we bid it and been allowed to play there, that would have been a very good board.

(13) This was the last hand of the event. After the bidding so far, I knew where I wanted to play, and sprang a quintuple jump in notrump.

LHO led the ♠9 against 6NT and dummy came down with ♠AK32 ♥102 ♦63 ♣KQ1098. The lead gave me a fourth spade trick, which was not a big factor by itself but it took off some of the pressure. I led a club to the ♣K and RHO's ♣A. Back came a diamond, won by my ace, and I had to think about how I would execute a squeeze in case LHO started with ♣Jxxx. I cashed the ♥A in case someone had the singleton ♥J, then went ahead and led another club. LHO popped up with the ♣J!!!!!!!!!! Hand Over. Plus 990, and I got up from the table with a hero's aura.

We would finish in the top 5 when all was said and done. Had it not been for a few toe-stubs, we had the potential to finish as high as second. But I can't really complain. This was the first time I'd ever played bridge outside the state of California. We exceeded our pre-tourney expectations going in. We'll be back.

[whereagles]

Nice set. Next time you have this many hands, you can make a BPO poll with 8 of them

[Phil]

Please, please break these into bite sized pieces. Forum members have notoriously short attention spans. You’ll get more responses, I promise. In addition, its hard to have a sensible discussion as the thread evolves.

1. 4N. I’m not giving up on 7 when partner holds ♦AK/♣A. Without discussion, I would take this as RKC for diamonds, but for an old timer its RKC for hearts. I will take the small risk that my opponents who have bid spades 3x have the ♠A. I think its also more likely I’ll get a spade lead.
2. 2♠. Transfers are nice here. I don’t love 2♠ but I like it more than 3♠ and 4♣.
3. 3N. This could be silly if partner’s strength is in clubs, we are off the ♠A. Did your LHO double for a heart lead?
4. Low ♦. Dummy is a passed hand, so I don’t expect a cashout situation. Why wouldn’t I make my normal lead? I suppose if I had myself estimated at 55% with 4-6 boards to go, then I might go for something else.
5. 2♣? I can see the rationale for 2N here, and frankly it might be better. I hate 4♥.
6. Good problem. Should I read anything into not being doubled? The defense has been accurate so far, although they’ve given me some information along the way. Unfortunately it looks like 4♥ has no chance when clubs are 3-2. It’s also more possible other tables could have a slower auction. I think hearts are 5-5 since LHO didn’t continue. It also appears he was worried about running clubs, so I’m not putting him on one or 4. Would this “C” player find the heart lead of the K from K-empty 5th? I’m playing him not to. I think he finds a 5♥ call on 1=5 in the majors and ♥KQ+♦A, so I’m not considering playing RHO for Qxx. At the table, I might try two clubs, to try to read their souls, but in the end I would probably play LHO for 3=5=3=2 since RHO probably isn’t making a red/white overcall on a balanced 7-8 count holding 5. I’m holding my breath and finessing.
7. I don’t understand the problem, much less the comment. Not even the syntax of the comment.
8. 2♥.
9. 3[di. Not sure I’ll pass 3N.
10. ♠T
11. 3♣. I think I’m too good for 4♣.
12. Of course I pass. I lead a trump.
13. 2♦