[CSGibson]

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Playing teams in a regional bracket 1 knockout finals, you've had a couple of adverse swings when this hand comes up in the first half of the match. Is there a scientific way to bid this hand, or do you just blast 6♥?


2nd part: a play problem in 6♥...

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Lead is the ♣4, no pause for thought before the lead. Your line?

[dellache]

 CSGibson, on 2011-February-25, 02:16, said:

2nd part: a play problem in 6♥...

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Lead is the ♣4, no pause for thought before the lead. Your line?

There's no real hope of making if this is a (probable anyway) singleton lead, unless West has specifically KJxxxx xxxx Kx x.
So I'll just duck this to my queen, hoping for a doubleton lead, or maybe KJxxxx x Kxx Kxx, or maybe something else with 3-2 clubs.

[Fluffy]

I can think of a complicated form of inviting in hearts using 2NT lebenshol followed by 3♠ as stayman with stopper, followed by 4♥ over 3NT or keycard if aprnter has 4 hearts at least, but this is very unsound so maybe just blasting 6♥ is better.

[gnasher]

Doesn't everyone play

(2♠)
dbl-2NT
3♣-4♥

as a slam try?

[phil_20686]

Well you could try to play west for 6-2-4-1. without the k of diamonds. Doesnt seem that unlikely. Take the ruffing diamond finesse to pitch a club and ruff all 3 of your spades in the dummy.

Still, many people, myself included, would underlead a K here without too much thought. Aggressive leads vs small slams seem to be less popular in the US, but they are the norm here I think.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

 Fluffy, on 2011-February-25, 03:15, said:

I can think of a complicated form of inviting in hearts using 2NT lebenshol followed by 3♠ as stayman with stopper, followed by 4♥ over 3NT or keycard if partner has 4 hearts at least, but this is very unsound so maybe just blasting 6♥ is better.

Our own Justin Lall ( J-LO GIC )gives up the Stayman/no-stop sequence when the preemptor's suit is Spades.
He uses that sequence to guarantee 5 cards Hts, slammish and to start a cuebidding sequence:
(2♠) -

X - 2NT!
3♣ - 3♠!

Now there is room for partner to cuebid 4♣

[Free]

I know most play Lebensohl, but apparently many include slam hands into the Leb sequence. This makes it very similar to good-bad-2NT, which is pretty perfect for such hands.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

 gnasher, on 2011-February-25, 03:27, said:

Doesn't everyone play

(2♠)
dbl-2NT
3♣-4♥

as a slam try?

Looks good to me.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Karen Walker's website uses the following direct-cuebid as a one-suited slamtry:
( 2♠ ) -

X - 3♠!
??

If the Doubler had a Sp-stop, he would bid 3NT;
then Advancer would bid 4♣/4♦/4♥ as a one-suited slamtry.

Here, the doubler does not have a stop and would bid 4♣:

4♣ - 4♥ ( one-suited slamtry )

[CSGibson]

 gnasher, on 2011-February-25, 03:27, said:

Doesn't everyone play

(2♠)
dbl-2NT
3♣-4♥

as a slam try?

Yes. But how is the doubler supposed to evaluate correctly? Will he know that x T98x Axxx AKJx is worth a ton, but x Txxx AKJx Axxx is not?

[dellache]

 phil_20686, on 2011-February-25, 05:08, said:

Well you could try to play west for 6-2-4-1. without the k of diamonds. Doesnt seem that unlikely. Take the ruffing diamond finesse to pitch a club and ruff all 3 of your spades in the dummy.

Hmmm Phil, it doesn't work, does it ? :
1. If East has the ♥Ten, he can overruf one of your spades ;
2. If West has the ♥Tx, curiously enough, East can promote his partner's 10, if he defends correctly (your ♥64 is to small to prevent killing defense when you ruff the 3rd Spade : East can discard a Diamond and... ).

Cheers.

[gnasher]

 CSGibson, on 2011-February-25, 09:04, said:

Yes. But how is the doubler supposed to evaluate correctly? Will he know that x T98x Axxx AKJx is worth a ton, but x Txxx AKJx Axxx is not?

No, but at least you'll get there if he has x 10xxx AKJx AKJx, and not go past game if he has your second example.

I don't think anyone can show hearts and a diamond shortage below 4♥.

[gnasher]

 dellache, on 2011-February-25, 11:42, said:

Hmmm Phil, it doesn't work, does it ? :
2. If West has the ♥Tx, curiously enough, East can promote his partner's 10, if he defends correctly (your ♥64 is to small to prevent killing defense when you ruff the 3rd Spade : East can discard a Diamond and... ).

We can ruff the small diamond before he gets a chance to do that: ♣A, ♦A, ♦Q covered (say) and ruffed, ♠A, spade ruff, ♦J, diamond ruffed, spade.

[dellache]

 gnasher, on 2011-February-25, 13:32, said:

We can ruff the small diamond before he gets a chance to do that: ♣A, ♦A, ♦Q covered (say) and ruffed, ♠A, spade ruff, ♦J, diamond ruffed, spade.

Now he doesn't get a chance to do that, but you just go down.
If I'm correct, you have just reached (lead in dummy) :

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You now lack an entry to your own hand, don't you ?
(or maybe we should claim at this point )

[gnasher]

 dellache, on 2011-February-25, 13:48, said:

or maybe we should claim at this point

Yes, from where I got to that does seem the best play.

[JLOGIC]

Yes you can play versions of lebensohl that allow you to make a slam try in hearts below 4H. Shooting it out with no methods is perfectly fine though imo.

[the hog]

Anyone consider passing at these colours? 4 off looks pretty reasonable and you may not make 6H.