Three from the Long Beach Sectional '97: Answers

Today's Panelists: Adam Wildavsky, Curt Hastings, Ed Davis, David Milton, Sylvia Summers, David Weiss, Mike Shuster, Kent Hartman, and Walter Hamilton

IMPs, short matches, partner is a sound bidder

  1. favorable, you hold

     S:Qxx H:KQJx D:K98x C:J9

    You LHO CHO RHO
    Pass1NT Dbl*Pass
    ?

    1NT was 15-17. Double shows a four-card major and a longer minor (usually---he could have a decent one-suiter with a minor or a big big balanced hand, but those are fairly rare).

    ADAM
    2C:. We might be able to collect a number, or defending might be our only plus. That's not what these methods were designed for, though, and they could easily be making this, perhaps with overtricks.
    CURT
    Pass 1NTx seems clear.
    ED
    Pass. Slight preference for pass instead of 2C: (I prefer 2C: to 2D: asking for partner's major). They may make or go down two while we might be minus in a suit contract or we might make an overtrick. However, I think pass is more likely to bring a bonanza.
    DAVIDM
    With this hand I do not see any alternative to passing. Whatever partner chooses to lead I have help. Partner probably has the black suits, but even if he has hearts, if game is on we should be getting 500 or more, and if we cannot make game, we should be getting 200. If I had two small clubs, I would be tempted to bid 2D: asking for his major, since a small club lead could give up necessary timing, but with the actual holding I can stand a club lead.

    If declarer turns up with C:AKxxxx and an A and we eat it, I'll blame partner for making a bad lead. [Close. Dummy has the six clubs, but declarer has the AK. Ketchup? --Jeff]

    DAVIDW
    2C:. [I've seen David's overcalls. Playing with him, passing is out of the question. He could have  S:xxxx H:x D:Jxxxxx C:xx, although if he did this time, RHO would probably have acted, most likely via the blue card. --Jeff]
    KENT
    Pass. I would have opened this a 12-14 notrump. Dummy should have almost no entries, and I have help in any suit partner leads.
    MIKE
    He should also have some values, even at favorable, especially since this is imps. I'm going to pass (which tells partner its ok to lead his minor which may or may not be good for us). I hope partner has clubs and not diamonds, if so, we should beat this at least one and maybe 3 or 4. Almost risk free, since this is imps.
    SYLVIA
    2C:. [She's seen my overcalls of 1NT --Jeff]
    WALTER
    Pass. If partner's minor is diamonds, this is the wrong decision.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    Pass. Slowly.
    CONSENSUS
    Pass, 7-3.
    WINNING ACTION
    Bid. You won't reach game (4H: makes on the 3-4!) but you'll be at least +110 instead of -380. Dummy has C:Q10xxxx and out and declarer has C:AK and two side aces. We can take the first five tricks or the last five.
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    It's really close. If the C:J and S:Q were swapped, passing would be 100% in my mind, but they'd still make an overberry. Given that I have all the crap, partner has to have a couple of aces, right? I'd pass again. Slowly.

    I'm sort of amazed that everyone knew these methods.

  2. none vul, you hold

     S:KJxx2 H:x2 D:KJx2 C:A2

    You LHO CHO RHO
    1S: 2S: 4S: 5H: (fast---out of tempo)
    Pass6H: Dbl All Pass

    Near the end of a close match (no one has scored any IMPs at your table), RHO bid 5H: in under a second after a skip bid warning. When LHO chooses to bid 6H:, you consider calling the director, but partner doubles first, making that probably pointless. What do you lead? Yes, you really have all four deuces. No, they won't shift to Mighty Deuce.

    ADAM
    I object to the conditions. Not calling the director over 5H: is a clear mistake. [OK. Director hears your story, says, "thank you. Carry on. I'll be back at the end of the hand with a possible adjustment." Now what? --Jeff] In any case I lead the C:A. After all, partner could be void in clubs, and if he's not I rate to be reasonably placed at trick 2.
    CURT
    I lead my ace. Having only 2 of them makes it even more likely to cash. Since partner doubled I'm not worried about them pitching everything on clubs, because she then has to have the D:A to justify the bidding. Yes I'm only concerned with beating this thing, although I'll happily get 300 if I can. I'm not willing to chance a diamond lead to do so.
    ED
    D:2. First, this is a lead-directing double. If partner wanted to punish them, it will just have to be with a non-spade lead. Second, partner's double is either enough tricks to probably beat them or a diamond void. If everbody has their bids, partner has something like  S:QTxxxx H:xx D:- C:Qxxxx while LHO has  S:- H:AKxxx D:AQxxxx C:Kx. [Pretty close. --Jeff]
    DAVIDM
    D:2. Hopefully, partner will ruff this and read the 2 as suit preference for Clubs.
    DAVIDW
    C:A is clearcut. If it doesn't cash, I'm in big trouble, and otherwise, this is the best chance to beat it. Down two is not important.
    KENT
    H:2, and lead the second round of trumps when next in. Second choice is the S:K.
    MIKE
    D:2. Assuming LHO has clubs and hearts and a spade void, it is probably necessary to set up a diamond trick before the C:A gets removed. Does partner's double change that? I'm not sure, since if partner has a trump trick, there is no rush to broach the diamond suit, but If LHO has diamonds and partner a trump trick, we might get an extra trick from a diamond ruff instead. I'm not convinced of beating this, but I'm going to lead a diamond as the best chance.
    SYLVIA
    D:2.
    WALTER
    D:2. We probably need to cash a diamond trick or get a diamond ruff. LHO is likely to bid 6 with  S:-- H:AKxxx D:AQ10xxx C:xx or  S:-- H:AKxxx D:xx C:KQJxxx. If it is  S:x H:AKxxx D:x C:KQJxxx and RHO has the D:AQ, oh well.
    CONSENSUS
    Unclear.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    D:2. I'm not sure I want to admit it. Check that...I'm sure I don't want to admit it, but if I'm printing everyone else's choices, I guess I have to.
    WINNING ACTION
    Club. The whole layout was
    S: AQ
    H: AK109x
    D: ---
    C: KJ1098x
    S: KJxxx
    H: xx
    D: KJxx
    C: Ax    		 S: xxxxx
    H: xx
    D: Qxxxxx
    C: ---
    S: x
    H: QJxx
    D: Axx
    C: Qxxxx
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    The D:2 was a blunder. And one that cost the event, too. The downside of leading the C:A is that it might cost 5 IMPs when we were booked for 300. Most of the time, that's what will happen. Sometimes, however, we'll be -1210, which is about 18 IMPs. In a close short match, is it worth risking 18 to avoid losing five? I have no idea, but I do know that teammates would understand +100, but were not happy with -1210.

    I believe that one should treat this double as Lightner. It might be just increasing the penalty, but LHO doesn't think so, and partner can hardly have a trump stack. He didn't make a fit bit, he preempted last time. He didn't cue 3H:. He has a void. The question is, "where." If it does happen that partner was just increasing the penalty, then I don't think the C:A is going to hurt us significantly. It's not as if partner is planning to take tricks with anything but trumps or aces.

    DIRECTOR!
    North has unauthorized information from South's fast 5H: bid. Is passing it a logical alternative? By a reasonable standard, I think it's not. By the ACBL's standard, "some number of players would consider" I'm not sure. The actual director would probably rule result stands and there was no decent committee available, so a ruling would have been random. It wasn't worth staying up for. If passing 5H: is a logical alternative, were we damaged by the 6H: bid? After all, we can set 6H:. Yes, we were damaged. The opening lead wasn't bad enough to break the chain of causality between the infraction (if there was one) and the non-offending side's bad result. Yes, I called it a blunder, but I'm holding myself to a much higher standard than the laws require. A good player might get the opening lead wrong, so he gets protected. After all, look at the panel--- several good players didn't choose the C:A lead.

  3. none vul, you hold

     S:AJ108x H:Jx D:AJ7 C:Q108

    LHO CHO RHO You
    2S: Pass2NT*Pass
    3H:* Pass3NT All pass
    2S: was weak and natural, somewhat undisciplined. 2NT asked for shortness; 3H: confessed to short hearts. What do you lead?

    ADAM
    S:x. Anything could be right. I'm not leading a heart since partner didn't hit 3H:.
    CURT
    It's close between a low spade and the S:J I think.
    ED
    I have no idea what to attack so I'll give declarer his spade trick that he was going to get anyway and save possibily blowing a trick on the lead. Sometimes partner will have a spade honor. This looks like a hand where a passive lead will be best. [Is not the H:J the most passive lead? --Jeff]
    DAVIDM
    I am going to lead the D:J. Don't ask me why, I just am. Partner will not have very much on this auction. I am hoping to find him with Qxxxx and I want RHO to take his K now.
    DAVIDW
    C:8. That needs the least from partner.
    KENT
    Looking at my spades, this auction is strange unless RHO has a good but not solid heart suit and was looking for a heart game or slam. I'll play him for something like C:A9x and leading the C:10 hoping to ping off the jack in dummy. [Close. It was a good but not solid club suit. --Jeff]
    MIKE
    Looks like I've got all the entries. I'm afraid to broach any suit, but declarer rates to hold one or two of the remaining spades and dummy might have an entry, making the S:J (or the S:x) attractive. If dummy is entryless, I'll still have to guess whether to hold up on the SA on the first round. I'm going to lead my low spade. If dummy has an entry, this is right. Perhaps dummy can be endplayed later (unless declerer puts on the 9, yeah, right. [Given the actual layout, it is pretty likely he will. --Jeff])
    SYLVIA
    C:10. Unblocking.
    WALTER
    At the table, I'd lead a small spade. If this were in a quiz book I'd opt for the D:J and hope that partner had Q10xx or better and 10xxx of hearts.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    C:8. I believe that "unblocking" leads just confuse partner.
    CONSENSUS
    A spade with no conviction.
    WINNING ACTION
    anything but a club. The S:J gets the maximum. The layout was:
    S: Q9xxxx
    H: K
    D: xxx
    C: xxx
    S: AJ108x
    H: Jx
    D: AJ7
    C: Q108    		 S: K7
    H: 98xxxx
    D: K9xx
    C: x
    S: ---
    H: AQ10x
    D: Q10x
    C: AKJxxx
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    Beats me. I don't think there is a clearly right answer. Leading hearts seems wrong. You could talk me into any other card. Ed even gives a rationale for which leading a heart might be reasonable; that is, they are probably going down if I don't ruin the defense now, so find the least likely card to blow the hand.

Jeff Goldsmith, jeff@tintin.jpl.nasa.gov, Nov. 19, 1997