[eagles123]

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4S went one off, it's matchpoints. Is there blame if so who to? my instinct is that it's just unlucky, pretty much everything is offside, but most pairs stayed below game.

Thanks

Eagles

[TylerE]

Looks utterly normal to me.

[sectorzz9]

Looks fine to me. If this is the worst game you ever get to, you'll be doing fine. I suppose West might have bid 2♠ after downgrading for the KQ doubleton but 3♠ looks like a normal bid.

[mikeh]

Had the club A been onside, then you could make 11 tricks on a doubleton or stiff spade Q, and 10 tricks on all other 3-2 breaks.

Even if the club A was offside, you're not down yet, tho you rate to fail. I can't do the math, which is complex due to the odds of very bad breaks in the side suits, but it seems to me that game is a little over 50%. If I'm too optimistic, it isn't by much.

This is a good post if only because it allows the posters to press home an important aspect of learning to analyze one's result. Many inexperienced players assume that a bad result means that an error was made, and conversely that a good result suggests good bidding and play. While consistently bad results suggest a tendency towards error and consistently good one a tendency towards good play, no one hand should be used in that way.

Here, there was zero 'blame' to go around.

[jogs]

Stop assigning blame. The purpose of the post
mortem is to learn to stop repeating the same
mistakes.

[aguahombre]

There are 7 points and there are SEVEN POINTS. If East didn't raise to four, he counted in lower case.

[cargobeep]

East has 3 tens, seems reasonable.

[P_Marlowe]

#1 you need to have a reasonable field to draw anything from the behaviour of the field
#2 west did invite, East has a borderline hand, he has the Ace in partners suit, and the best support
partner could hope for, and he has a king, still he has only 7HCP, you play MP, going plus is more
important than reaching game.
#3 west has a borderline hand for the 3S as well, he has 16HCP, but he has KQ doubleton in diamonds

In the end both sides took the agressive route, you ended up in game, that has above 50% making chance
3rd diamond can be ruffed, you need the Queen of spade falling or the Ace of clubs on the right side,
so game is actually quite good. It just did not make. Next board.

With kind regards
Marlowe

[IVAN CY LO]

it looks 3NT is a better contract than 4S, especially holding AX. If partner spade is semi-solid like KQJXXX, he has 10-13 points in side suit and East 3Ts should be credit for NT but not for 4S. 6 tricks are held and just need to develop 3 more tricks in side suits.

9 tricks seems easier than 10 tricks

[billw55]

IVAN CY LO, on 2013-July-12, 07:41, said:

it looks 3NT is a better contract than 4S, especially holding AX. If partner spade is semi-solid like KQJXXX, he has 10-13 points in side suit and East 3Ts should be credit for NT but not for 4S. 6 tricks are held and just need to develop 3 more tricks in side suits.

9 tricks seems easier than 10 tricks

In this case, playing in spades gains a trick by ruffing a diamond. Although you may have a point about the tens.

As for the bidding, maybe both players were slightly aggressive, but this is a style, not a blame. The result in this case was that a decent game was reached, nothing wrong with that. ♣A onside is enough by itself, plus dropping ♠Q probably makes this game at least 60%.

If most pairs stayed out of it, you will beat them in the long run on similar deals.

[ggwhiz]

The blame is with the field. My partner would shoot me if we didn't get to 4♠ if I held either hand.

[eagles123]

ggwhiz, on 2013-July-12, 12:55, said:

The blame is with the field. My partner would shoot me if we didn't get to 4♠ if I held either hand.

Yeah sometimes it can be a little frustrating, but it can be good at times, i.e. me and P only pair to find slam on these hands:

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I guess sometimes I am baffled by why hardly anyone is in slam/game but at the same time I am still making some very elementary errors on some hands (hence using this forum so often!)

Eagles

[Free]

If there's any call which isn't 100% clear, it's 3♠ imo. Note however that I'm not saying that 3♠ is wrong, it's borderline and it turned out to be the losing option.

[billw55]

Free, on 2013-July-18, 03:56, said:

If there's any call which isn't 100% clear, it's 3♠ imo. Note however that I'm not saying that 3♠ is wrong, it's borderline and it turned out to be the losing option.

I use my test for a jump rebid: turn an ace into a small card. Is it still an opening bid? Clearly yes, so I think 3♠ is right. I rather think that 4♠ is borderline, with only an ace, a king, and no shortness. The actual diamond position is somewhat fortunate.

[Free]

billw55, on 2013-July-18, 06:22, said:

I use my test for a jump rebid: turn an ace into a small card. Is it still an opening bid? Clearly yes, so I think 3♠ is right. I rather think that 4♠ is borderline, with only an ace, a king, and no shortness. The actual diamond position is somewhat fortunate.

I prefer my jumps to be GF or near GF (with possibly heavy 2-level rebids). This hand isn't that close to force game opposite a random 6-8 count, and ♥KQ can be wasted points if partner doesn't have the Ace, that's why I think 3♠ is a bit questionable.

[billw55]

Free, on 2013-July-18, 06:26, said:

I prefer my jumps to be GF or near GF (with possibly heavy 2-level rebids). This hand isn't that close to force game opposite a random 6-8 count, and ♥KQ can be wasted points if partner doesn't have the Ace, that's why I think 3♠ is a bit questionable.

Ah, I see.

So as responder, how do you cater to a possible 11-17 (?) range for a 2M rebid? For example on this hand, must east give an invite after 1♠-1NT-2♠?

[Free]

billw55, on 2013-July-18, 06:58, said:

Ah, I see.

So as responder, how do you cater to a possible 11-17 (?) range for a 2M rebid? For example on this hand, must east give an invite after 1♠-1NT-2♠?

On this hand I don't think East should invite after 1♠-1NT-2♠. But yes, that's the general principle I prefer: "invite light, accept heavy".

[Winstonm]

The only losing proposition here is to try to figure out how to stay out of game. Also, from another angle both the jump and the raise to game are supported by LTC.

[ggwhiz]

Free, on 2013-July-18, 07:47, said:

"invite light, accept heavy".

Another way to state the same principal is that my partnership agrees that first one into the bidding is allowed to stretch a bit. MP's odds favor an aggressive style and we apply this to overcalls too with continuation discussions that most often put in an escape hatch. Cost us a lot to work out the details but even our disasters are entertaining now.

You are very much on the right partnership track to picking a comfortable style.

[mycroft]

1M-something-3M, especially 3♠, is a horrible auction if partner doesn't have support. Therefore I like to have it a little strong. Yes, that means that partner has to keep the bidding open with hands that would be happier passing if I happen to have the same hands an Ace lighter. It also means that partner can raise to game on a stiff and some stuff, with reasonable chances.

So I'd get to game, just the slow way.

Probably "most" avoided game by undervaluing the East hand, even if they overvalued the West hand. This is not a new problem - read Simon for details.