[pescetom]

MP

---

Our jump to 2M is defined as 5+ cards 0-5 HCP drop dead, so it is already rare that partner has game interest let alone more. Anyone willing to criticize fast arrival here?
This was the first board of the evening after focaccia and beer and I did not do it justice. Heartened by the fine dummy after the ♠J lead I started to play without much thought.

How many tricks are you aiming for and what is your plan?

[mike777]

Dummy reversal setting up the Diamond suit?

However much more important tell this Irish fellow about Focaccia and Italian Beer?

[jillybean]

I can't do these...
I have 5, can I get 6 ? tell me trump dont split 3-0

♣A

Pull 2 rounds trump

♠K

ruff diamond

ruff spade

ruff diamond

ruff spade
?

[pescetom]

mike777, on 2026-August-13, 09:23, said:

Dummy reversal setting up the Diamond suit?

However much more important tell this Irish fellow about Focaccia and Italian Beer?

Focaccia is an oily bread at it's best in Liguria (where it is thin and covered with molten sheep's cheese) and at the opposite end of the country in Puglia (where it is more substantial and laden with tomatoes and olives). Italian beer is not dissimilar to US beer, all right if cold enough, we played outside under the olive trees with 33C.

[mikeh]

jillybean, on 2026-August-13, 09:25, said:

I can't do these...
I have 5, can I get 6 ? tell me trump dont split 3-0

♣A

Pull 2 rounds trump

♠K

ruff diamond

ruff spade

ruff diamond

ruff spade
?

Much better is to ruff a diamond at trick 2, cross in trump (use your top trump as entries…I promise you nobody is overruffing the first diamond trick😀 assuming trump are 2-1, ruff another diamond, pull the last trump, ruff another diamond, cross back by ruffing a club, ruff a diamond with dummy’s last trump. Youve ruffed 4 diamonds so if the suit broke 4=3 (which is slightly better than 50%), you claim 13 tricks. If trump are 3-0, you play the same way but you’re making at most 12 tricks.

This technique of using high trump not only to pull trump but as communication arises fairly often I see a lot of club players whose first instinct is to pull trump before ‘going about their business’ only to find out that they end up in the wrong hand or, worse, they lose control.

[jillybean]

pescetom, on 2026-August-13, 09:36, said:

Focaccia is an oily bread at it's best in Liguria (where it is thin and covered with molten sheep's cheese) and at the opposite end of the country in Puglia (where it is more substantial and laden with tomatoes and olives). Italian beer is not dissimilar to US beer, all right if cold enough, we played outside under the olive trees with 33C.

This is how the game should be played.

[jillybean]

mikeh, on 2026-August-13, 10:43, said:

Much better is to ruff a diamond at trick 2, cross in trump (use your top trump as entries…I promise you nobody is overruffing the first diamond trick�� assuming trump are 2-1, ruff another diamond, pull the last trump, ruff another diamond, cross back by ruffing a club, ruff a diamond with dummy’s last trump. Youve ruffed 4 diamonds so if the suit broke 4=3 (which is slightly better than 50%), you claim 13 tricks. If trump are 3-0, you play the same way but you’re making at most 12 tricks.

This technique of using high trump not only to pull trump but as communication arises fairly often I see a lot of club players whose first instinct is to pull trump before ‘going about their business’ only to find out that they end up in the wrong hand or, worse, they lose control.

Ha, I started off cross ruffing and then changed my response to "take the kiddies off the street". Aidan B also mentioned this at the club the other day.
thanks