[lamford]

---

A lively board had the above spirited auction. The heading is a reference to chants at soccer stadiums when spectators always know better than the referee. They can see the play, of course, but here you are on your own, and the heading does not imply that anyone made an error.

You decide to cash the ace of hearts as hopefully that will stand up and you can see dummy. Partner plays the four of hearts, reverse attitude, and South, Tony Forrester, plays the jack. Your go, with -1640 for the wrong choice, +200 for the right choice.

[ahydra]

Very much non-expert analysis here.

So essentially this is a guess as to whether South has one heart or two? For us to be worried, declarer should have something like x J AKQJxxxx Axx or the same thing but - Jx in the majors instead. He might have the HQ and/or SK/SQ as well - I trust partner to have the HK, else I don't see a lot of point to his 5H bid.

Great, now we're playing mindgames with partner. If the ♥J is singleton, then partner has KQ42, on which he might have played the K or the 2, certainly not the 4... unless he's trying to discourage me from cashing a second heart ("knowing" I must have the SA for the X).

So OK, what if declarer has J2 or QJ, giving partner KQ4 or K42? He'd surely encourage (2) with the latter, and on the former he might play the K - nice and clear, and safe since more than 2 rounds aren't standing up.

I guess we should try the SA next then. Declarer might not want to gamble on defending 5S and go on to 6D even with two missing aces. Did he tank before 6D?

ahydra

[lamford]

ahydra, on 2015-November-13, 09:37, said:

If the ♥J is singleton, then partner has KQ42, on which he might have played the K or the 2, certainly not the 4... unless he's trying to discourage me from cashing a second heart ("knowing" I must have the SA for the X).
ahydra

If partner had KQxx in hearts he might well have not gambled on defending 6D. And your world-class partner might well have played the queen, denying the king, and forcing you to try the ace of spades.

[inquiry]

Give partner his heart ruff at trick 2.

[KurtGodel]

inquiry, on 2015-November-13, 11:10, said:

Give partner his heart ruff at trick 2.

You think declarer sacrificed with KQJx of hearts?

[kenrexford]

KurtGodel, on 2015-November-13, 11:23, said:

You think declarer sacrificed with KQJx of hearts?

I think he did, as well. Nothing else makes sense. Opener, looking at KQJx, knows that Advancer has a stiff or void for his 5♥ call, and likely very long spades, not a shocker because he has a void.

If Advancer has Kxx, he would play the 2. If Advancer had KQ42 or KQ4, he would probably play one of the two top cards. One for the former, the other for the latter. Presumably I know partner's tendencies. For me, when I am known to be playing a touching honor flamboyantly, I give attitude. So, K would be SWITCH and Queen would be KEEP COMING.

[ahydra]

A possibility, sure, but as I mentioned I just don't see partner bidding 5H with a singleton (with a void, maybe, but not a singleton as at that point he can't be sure I have the Ace). Of course it may be the style of the partnership/East player at the table.

ahydra

[lamford]

KurtGodel, on 2015-November-13, 11:23, said:

You think declarer sacrificed with KQJx of hearts?

Why would that be sacrificing? How would he now in the auction that partner had three hearts? I think he bid 6D to make, and make he did. Doubled.

[alok c]

Club 8.

[cherdano]

I think it would be very weird for declarer to have two major suit losers. 6-5 or 7-4 is not enough shape to save at the 6-level opposite a gentle raise to 3♦ (and he'd know it to be a save given no keycards with partner). Much more likely he has void KQJx AKQxxx Axx. Not sure what partner was trying to do with 5♥ - a lead-direct with a singleton seems dangerous, but it looks like the only plausible explanation.

[shyams]

It is within the realms of possibility that South’s bidding was a sacrifice against our major suit game but South bought himself a perfect dummy.

I look at the club lengths in isolation:

• If partner started with exactly ♣xx or ♣xxx, it doesn’t matter what is led at trick 2 {note if South has ♣Axxxx, one discard from dummy does not suffice}.
  
• If partner started with ♣x, it means declarer opened 1♦ with 0256 or 1156 {partner is 5431 or 6331} and was sacrificing with 6♦. IMO partner’s 5♥ bid is possible with a 5431 hand but silly from 6331. At trick 2, I cash a spade.
  
• If partner started with ♣xxxx, his possible shape is 5404, 6304 or 4414 {declarer is 1183, 0283, or 2173}. Again, the only one where ♠A is wrong (6304) is where partner’s 5♥ does not make sense. Therefore, I cash a spade.
  
• If partner started with ♣xxxxx, his only shape where a spade is wrong is 6205(?!) and partner made a creative, lead-directing 5♥ bid. It’s too mysterious and other-worldly for me. Therefore, I cash a spade.

[jallerton]

lamford, on 2015-November-13, 09:56, said:

If partner had KQxx in hearts he might well have not gambled on defending 6D. And your world-class partner might well have played the queen, denying the king, and forcing you to try the ace of spades.

What card would your world class partner play from singleton queen?

[lamford]

jallerton, on 2015-November-14, 17:29, said:

What card would your world class partner play from singleton queen?

That would give South ♥KJxx and a very odd 6D with those soft values under the Michaels cue-bid. Unless he has gone soft in the head.

[lamford]

shyams, on 2015-November-14, 09:52, said:

It is within the realms of possibility that South’s bidding was a sacrifice against our major suit game but South bought himself a perfect dummy.

I look at the club lengths in isolation:

• If partner started with exactly ♣xx or ♣xxx, it doesn’t matter what is led at trick 2 {note if South has ♣Axxxx, one discard from dummy does not suffice}.
  
• If partner started with ♣x, it means declarer opened 1♦ with 0256 or 1156 {partner is 5431 or 6331} and was sacrificing with 6♦. IMO partner’s 5♥ bid is possible with a 5431 hand but silly from 6331. At trick 2, I cash a spade.
  
• If partner started with ♣xxxx, his possible shape is 5404, 6304 or 4414 {declarer is 1183, 0283, or 2173}. Again, the only one where ♠A is wrong (6304) is where partner’s 5♥ does not make sense. Therefore, I cash a spade.
  
• If partner started with ♣xxxxx, his only shape where a spade is wrong is 6205(?!) and partner made a creative, lead-directing 5♥ bid. It’s too mysterious and other-worldly for me. Therefore, I cash a spade.

You missed one. When partner is 6-1-2-4, you need to follow inquiry's recommendation to give partner his heart ruff. He saw no need to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s.

[shyams]

lamford, on 2015-November-15, 03:57, said:

You missed one. When partner is 6-1-2-4, you need to follow inquiry's recommendation to give partner his heart ruff. He saw no need to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s.

In this case, we deserve a score of 6♦x making.

Partner is busy masterminding one potential layout (West has ♥A and will find the ♥ continuation) when the right IMP strategy with his hand would be to bid on. And how difficult would defence be if East had bid 5♠, and later West on lead has to decide between playing East for singleton ♥ or only a 5-card spade?

[phil_20686]

lamford, on 2015-November-13, 07:43, said:

---

A lively board had the above spirited auction. The heading is a reference to chants at soccer stadiums when spectators always know better than the referee. They can see the play, of course, but here you are on your own, and the heading does not imply that anyone made an error.

You decide to cash the ace of hearts as hopefully that will stand up and you can see dummy. Partner plays the four of hearts, reverse attitude, and South, Tony Forrester, plays the jack. Your go, with -1640 for the wrong choice, +200 for the right choice.

Theres no choice. if partner encouraged wtih KQ42 hearts he is taking 100% of the blame. He can easily play the Q to prevent you continuing the suit. This is a clear cashout situation and if he know the k of hearts wasn't cashing he would not encourage.

He also asked for a heart lead, very much more likely that he is e.g. KQ4 with 6 spades.

[lamford]

shyams, on 2015-November-15, 06:19, said:

In this case, we deserve a score of 6♦x making.

Partner is busy masterminding one potential layout (West has ♥A and will find the ♥ continuation) when the right IMP strategy with his hand would be to bid on. And how difficult would defence be if East had bid 5♠, and later West on lead has to decide between playing East for singleton ♥ or only a 5-card spade?

You are the one who deserves a score of 6♦x making, not East for his imaginative 5H bid.

[benlessard]

We are missing KQJ42 in H.

Seeing the 4 and the J could only make sense if H are

Q42---KJ but with that why would advancer bid 5H ?

So i guess opener having

---
KQJ2
bunch of D
A

is the only possibility.

[benlessard]

Its a very interesting hand from a lead directing point of view.

For me passing/5S followed by X 6D would 100% be lightner H void or its going down even if you lead H.


For 5C its clear that its lead directing.

So i guess 5H could be inv to sac or Kx or stiff in H. Considering that we are vul I think lead directing is just way better.

5H is a very clever lead directing bid. My guess is that it gain way more often than it blow the defense.