Some Problems from a Unit Game, 2/98: Answers

Today's panelists:

Jeff Blond, Bobby Bodenheimer, Curt Hastings, Mike Shuster, Roberto Scaramuzzi, Rolf Kühn, Walter Hamilton, Web Ewell

  1. Matchpoints, favorable, you hold

     S:AQx H:AJ10x D:--- C:KQ9xxx

    2H:-pass-pass-?

    JEFFB
    Hmmm, tough question. Double seems to be out of the question. You're missing a spade and you really can't handle a 3D: response rightaway or via lebensohl. Therefore, the only alternatives seem to be 3C: which is an underbid and will probably get you to 3C:, or pass and hope to beat it two tricks. Favourable at matchpoints, that's what I'd do. Pass, and defend well.
    BOBBY
    3C:. I don't want to pass and double isn't an option. If pard bids 3D: I'll bid 3NT.
    CURT
    Let them play it there. I'll get at least 200. If we can make 3NT I will be very surprised. I hope we can't make 6C:. At IMPs I would probably bid, because the upside is so big, but I think the percentage at matchpoints is to try for 2-300 on defense.
    MIKE
    Ugly hand. My options are 2NT, 3NT and 3C: (4C:?). I used to be a 2NT bidder (and that usually worked... and if they opened 3H: I would bid 3NT). 3C: will win whenever partner can bid or whenever LHO was going to make the sneak attack lead. 3C: feels right, even though an underbid, so that's what I do.
    ROBERTO
    Pass. I'm pretty sure I can get 200 against 2H:. We may well be able to make 3N, but to get there I must risk bidding 3C: now and be left to play there for a zero, no matter how many tricks I take.
    ROLF
    3NT - when in doubt....
    WALTER
    2NT. If CHO has  S:Kxxxx H:xx D:xxx C:Axx we might make a grand. The chances to make 3N are as good as going plus 200 so I think you have to bid.
    WEB
    3C:, planning to raise 3S: to 4, and bid 3NT over 3D:.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    3NT
    CONSENSUS
    None: 3C::3, Pass:3, 3NT:2, 2NT:1
    WINNING ACTION
    3C:. The whole hand was
    S: Jx
    H: xx
    D: J98xxx
    C: 108x
    S: Kx
    H: K9xxxx
    D: K10xxx
    C: ---    		 S: 1098xxx
    H: Q
    D: AQ
    C: AJxx
    S: AQx
    H: AJ10x
    D: ---
    C: KQ9xxx
    3NT collapsed quickly. Looks like 3C: will get 3D: on the left. Partner will probably lead a trump, but it's not clear it'll go down or not. 2H: is a make, too. 3C: probably makes if we get to play it. I'm not sure why -100 was such a bad score.
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    I've always preferred Hamman's Rule on hands like this. Buying a 2-count in dummy, however, isn't a good thing. Bidding 3NT could well bury a slam in either black suit. I suppose 3C: is best...might as well bid my suit and hope I get another chance.
  2. IMPs, none vul, short match

     S:108xxx H:--- D:xx C:Axxxxx

    CHO RHO You LHO
    1D: 1H: 1S:! 3H: (limit)
    Pass4H: ?

    !1S: = 5+ spades

    JEFFB
    I admit, I'd take the plunge. 5C:. If pard corrects to 5D:, I sit and take my medicine.
    BOBBY
    Pass. Visualizing hands pard can have, it just doesn't look like we stand to win by bidding.
    CURT
    You have to guess which black suit to bid now. I would have bid 2C: over 1H: anticipating this auction. [On a 4-count? Yeah, it's 6-5, but there has to be some lower limit to 2/1s in competition. --Jeff] I'll gues to try 5C:, if we are getting destroyed I probably won't lose control in clubs.
    MIKE
    well, I don't expect this to go down, but it might. Kit says you shouldn't save unless it might be -0. [Wasn't he referring to matchpoints? --Jeff] Maybe -0, but most of the time 3 or 5 hundred, and they haven't made yet. I pass. If you are a bidder this time, then you should have bid 2C: last time. That way you might even avoid getting doubled!
    ROBERTO
    Pass; a guess.
    ROLF
    5C: - there is a lot of guesswork in this one, but I feel that bidding on is the better policy.
    WALTER
    Pass
    WEB
    Jesus Saves [...lives and redeems them for valuable prizes! --Jeff], we defend. Bidding guarantees a minus score, and 4H: might not be making.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    5C:
    CONSENSUS
    none
    WINNING ACTION
    bid. It wins for a funny reason. Partner is  S:Q H:A10xx D:A109xxxx C:K. He wasn't bidding over 4H: (why on Earth not? Partner is known to be short in hearts, so almost surely has some diamonds.) and 4H: should make. 5D: should probably go down, but in practice it made.
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    I don't like 2C: with a 4-count, regardless of the fact that this is a 6-5. But I'm not selling to 4H: with a void and undisclosed shape. A Looby double would be great here---bid something partner. Partner would know what to do this time. At IMPs, both white, I think the down side of bidding is so low (most losses will be no more than 4 IMPs) that I'd do it again. No one considered 4NT...I did at the table, figuring that a 6-2 diamond fit would be better than a 6-1 club fit, but rejected it because partner wouldn't know when to pick clubs.
  3. Matchpoints, both vul, you hold,

     S:J8xxx H:A7xx D:x C:J10x

    CHO RHO You LHO
    Pass2D: PassPass
    Dbl Pass2S: 3D:
    PassPass?

    JEFFB
    Pass. I refuse to hang partner.
    BOBBY
    Pass. Partner did his duty and I've done mine.
    CURT
    Is this the real auction? Partner must a bad 12 count with no shape. I think I have play for 3 of a major, so 3H:.
    MIKE
    Sick. The opponents hold the balance of the strength and many diamonds, but it might be our hand and I don't think they are going to be able to successfully double us at the three level (especially since partners black honors will be well placed and the C:10 is a very big card). I bid 3H:. I won't be surprised to have turned -130 into -200, though.
    ROBERTO
    Pass in a flash. Partner is a passed hand.
    ROLF
    Pass. LHO will not sit there a let us get away with 3H:/S: undoubled and I doubt that we are going to make this.
    WALTER
    Pass Something smells in this auction. Partner wouldn't balance with 4 diamonds and LHO would no pass with 13+ and 4 diamonds, so partner has 3 diamonds and 10-11hcp. The chances for -200 are greater than +140 vs -130.
    WEB
    3H:. Either partner had enough to find a DBL with 3 diamonds, or they have a 10 card fit. Also, it seems likely we have at least 8 cards in each major, and the double fit is a positive adjustment to the LTT. Bidding seems clear.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    pass
    CONSENSUS
    Pass
    WINNING ACTION
    bid. Partner has  S:A9x H:KJxx D:QJx C:Qxx and forgot to open in 1st chair. It was a crappy 13, but that doesn't matter much at matchpoints. The rest of the field opened it, of course. -110 was a complete zero.

    I'd pass again. The only reason 3M makes is S:KQ double, and the heart hook, and two breaks, and no club ruff. The odds on not being doubled in 3H: seem long, so bidding is top or bottom. I'd guess that we are below 50% to make, so bidding seems wrong. Not this time.

    On the other hand, we have a double fit in the majors and partner did balance with length in their suit....

    On the gripping hand, let's not hang partner for balancing...

    Mike was right. Sick. I'll guess that partner will hate it less if I pass and it's wrong than if I hang him and it's wrong.

  4. Matchpoints, none vul, you hold

     S:10xx H:Kx D:A987x C:7xx

    RHO LHO
    1S: 1NT (forcing)
    2H: Pass

    What do you lead?

    JEFFB
    Hmmm, a heart seems called for, yet the holding is so gosh-darn unattractive. Still, nothing looks better so...I'd lead a low heart. My second choice is the KH:, but leading low might steal a trick by misleading declarer. Even if this gives up a trump trick, I expect it to come back, possibly with interest.
    BOBBY
    Low or middle club I guess.
    CURT
    I'll bite. D:A. Everytime the opponents conduct this auction, if its not right to lead a trump, it's right to lead my minor suit ace instead of my xxx(x). Granted this is at a lower level then usual for the dry ace lead, but i think this is an exception. Spades are breaking so a trump lead rates to gain back at most 1 trick for the trick it will almost surely give away on the go. [I like this reasoning and followed it at the table. --Jeff]
    MIKE
    I am considering H:x, H:K, D:x and C:x. The diamond underlead doesn't feel right and is too swingy for matchpoints. I bet partner has real spades, so a trump could be right. Which one? Leading low blocks the suit whenever partner has a high honor. Leading the king might blow up the whole suit when partner has just the jack. Since I have the diamond ace, we may be ok if I wait... so long as partner has a spade control (maybe a club control would be enough). MPs complicates it, since other table will go passive. I lead the H:K. I've been wrong before, I'll be wrong again.
    ROBERTO
    Well, a trump is the classic lead here, although a force may well succeed if they're in a 4-3. I'll try H:x. How many tricks did I pitch?
    ROLF
    H:K sounds like the natural lead...
    WALTER
    A club.
    WEB
    H:K. I'm hoping they're in a 4-3 fit, with dummy being 1-3 in the majors. If they've got 8+ hearts, we're probably not getting a lot of matchpoints in any case.
    JEFF AT THE TABLE
    D:A
    CONSENSUS
    trump
    WINNING ACTION
    club. Partner has C:KQ and declarer doesn't need more than one spade ruff. We are only holding them to four by finding a club lead, so it might not matter much. LHO had  S:x H:Axx D:QJxx C:J1098x. What should he do after 2H:? Against any defense, 4H: was cold.
    JEFF UPON REFLECTION
    A trump lead is normally best on these auctions, but how good is it this time? Spades are breaking onside, so declarer doesn't need all that many ruffs in dummy. A trump lead might force declarer to take a spade hook. It works. If his spades are likely to run, then we want to get the tap suit going to kill the spade suit, and I think that's indicated. It seems more likely that diamonds is our source of tricks than clubs, so I'd lead diamonds again. With different spades, I'd lead a heart. Close call. The S:10 might be useful. Matchpoints matters here... most of the field will probably lead a club. If I think a diamond is substantially better than a club, I get good odds even if a trump lead is better still. At IMPs, lead trumps. You are not beating this if declarer has good spades, so you might as well assume he doesn't and go for the set.
Jeff Goldsmith, jeff@tintin.jpl.nasa.gov, Feb. 9, 1998