My hand: ♠ A J ♥ K J 8 7 5 2 ♦ ♣ A K 9 5 3
Now this is a hand. I open 1 heart. West passes, partner bids 2 hearts and East doubles. Philip Martin says periodically to only invite if partner's perfect minimum would make. Give partner AQx of hearts and 2 clubs and I can get to 10 tricks but not to 12. So, I think slam is probably out, but I find it hard to see 4 losers so I jump straight to game. If he has an awesome maximum maybe he'll bid on. He doesn't. East does though, and bids 5 diamond.
5 hearts making is 450 points. 6 hearts making is 680. Down 1 doubled is 200. Down 2 is 500. Down 3 is 800. How far down are they going? I'll give them 7 diamond tricks, a ruff on board, and maybe a spade and a heart? That's only down 1. But if they're getting a heart I'm not making 5 hearts. Is my pass here forcing? I think it should be but I don't know if Jack does. Lets find out. I pass. Partner doubles for penalty. Good! I lead the A of clubs.
| West ♠ Q T 9 8 7 5 ♥ Q T 4 ♦ 9 8 ♣ 4 2 | ||
| SOUTH ♠ A J ♥ K J 8 7 5 2 ♦ ♣ A K 9 5 3 |
| West | North | East | South |
| 1♥ | |||
| Pass | 2♥ | Double | 4♥ |
| Pass | Pass | 5♦ | Pass |
| Pass | Double | All Pass |
A-2-8-7. I wish I could draw trump. Partner should only have 3 hearts, so declarer has a stiff. I play the 2 of hearts. 2-4-9-A. So, he had stiff A. Declarer draws trump. Q-5 of hearts-8-3. He switches to the 3 of spades. I don't think it can hurt to duck this so I play the J. 3-J-Q-2. Declarer plays a trump off board. 9-6-5-7 of hearts. Then he plays a club. 4-6-4 of diamonds-3.
Declarer draws more trump. K-8 of hearts-5 of spades-2. A-J of hearts-7 of spades-J. Then he throws me in with a spade. 4-A-8-T of clubs.
Assuming he drew all partner's trump declarer should have 2 trump and 2 high spades left. Nothing I can do. I cash a club anyway. That's what he has. Making 5, doubled.
| NORTH ♠ 2 ♥ 9 6 3 ♦ J 6 3 2 ♣ Q J T 8 6 | ||
| WEST ♠ Q T 9 8 7 5 ♥ Q T 4 ♦ 9 8 ♣ 4 2 | EAST ♠ K 6 4 3 ♥ A ♦ A K Q T 7 5 4 ♣ 7 | |
| SOUTH ♠ A J ♥ K J 8 7 5 2 ♦ ♣ A K 9 5 3 |
Professor Jack complains about my pass over 5D. He wants me to just bid 5H. He also disagrees with ducking the spade lead when I did and wants me to pop the A. It turns out that would have set them I think, since partner can't get finessed out of his J of diamonds anymore. Arg.
On the replay the auction is the same until 5D. My seat bids 5H and everyone passes. 5 makes easily, losing just the AQ of trump.
Nick: -750
Jack: 450
IMPs: -15 (-27 total)
I don't like letting them sit in 5D. If they have AH (or void), it seems like they could easily make 5D, and if they don't, it really looks like you should sack. Either way, I think 5H is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteYeah, in retrospect I shouldn't have passed, but I was counting on partner to take an intelligent action. Doubling with a 4 count and no trump tricks was not what I was counting on.
ReplyDeleteGive him the Q of hearts and he should pull. Give him the Q of diamonds and we set them. Any hand that actually has a bid over 1H should have a good action to take and I'd like to think I can trust partner to make the call about which place to be. If I know he could have had that hand and that he'd double with it then I definitely bid on.