[AL78]

MPs, NS vuln.

East
♠AKJ53
♥Q
♦Q6
♣A8742

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Your call?

If the auction had gone as follows:

---

What do you do?

[DavidKok]

Difficult decisions. The first auction is highly suspicious. it seems nobody has got hearts! On the bidding partner is marked with at most two diamonds (although I suppose in some fields partner may still have three of them) and at most two spades unless they are quite literally broke, so they are a clear favourite to hold hearts. But partner didn't double or bid 2♥, so I think they are likely to have a 3-6 count 2=5=2=4 or the likes. At the table I would pass, but I am not confident that it is the best course of action. 4/5♣ might make. The one bid you should not make is double - partner might bid some number of hearts, and then you are left without options. 4♣ could work but I don't love it - if partner has the support we need to take 10 tricks, they will likely also help us find 1-2 on defence.

The second auction is a fine double. Partner won't pull to diamonds. More importantly: this time we've located the hearts, and there are all kinds of 2=3=5=3/2=3=4=4/other (semi-)balanced hands where partner had strength but was stuck for a bid over 2♦. On average partner will have a much stronger hand on this auction compared to the first auction. We can also sign off in 2♠, one level lower than before. I think double is percentage, maybe even automatic.

[apollo1201]

The hand is almost worth a 1C opening (« strong » 55 blacks), and this would help here for sure.

On the 1st hand, I think pass is the most reasonable call. For the reasons David mentions, X is out of the question. 4C could be the winning call (making or pushing opps higher) but I wouldn’t be surprised at green that partner balances 3H with KJ 6th and out.

On the 2nd hand, I’d tend to 3C with such a shape, but X is definitely not a bad call.

Al, how did this end?

[AL78]

apollo1201, on 2022-July-09, 11:22, said:

Al, how did this end?

I can tell you the first auction is what happened at my table, but for some reason the hand records have disappeared from the club website after the F2F and online results were merged, so I will post the full deal soon.

[AL78]

I didn't bid again after opening. The full deal is as follows:

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They made ten tricks for 6/20 MPs for us. The full traveller after merging:

4♥ N 11 650
3♥ N 8 -100
4♦ S 10 130
3♦ S 10 130
3♥ N 7 -200
3♥ N 8 -100
4♥ N 8 -200
3♦ S 10 130
3♦ S 9 110
3♠ E 9 -140
3♥ N 9 140
3♠ E 9 -140
3♥ N 8 -100
3♦ S 9 110

If North shows the hearts I would double, but after the actual bidding, with zero encouragement opposite, I don't feel I can bid my clubs at the four level, even though it scores better than defending 3♦ if I am allowed to play there.

[akwoo]

At these colors, assuming 1♠ promised 5, your partner should bid 2♠ over their 2♦. Then you can double 3♦, which partner will pull to 3♥ and you can correct to 3♠.

[AL78]

akwoo, on 2022-July-09, 14:22, said:

At these colors, assuming 1♠ promised 5, your partner should bid 2♠ over their 2♦. Then you can double 3♦, which partner will pull to 3♥ and you can correct to 3♠.

We play 4CM so 1♠ shows only 4+.

[pescetom]

Acol is no longer Kansas, but I can't understand 3♦ rather than 2♥... the ♠Q is wasted but we have fine hearts and diamonds fit.

[johnu]

AL78, on 2022-July-09, 12:58, said:

They made ten tricks for 6/20 MPs for us. The full traveller after merging:

4♥ N 11 650
3♥ N 8 -100
4♦ S 10 130
3♦ S 10 130
3♥ N 7 -200
3♥ N 8 -100
4♥ N 8 -200
3♦ S 10 130
3♦ S 9 110
3♠ E 9 -140
3♥ N 9 140
3♠ E 9 -140
3♥ N 8 -100
3♦ S 9 110

If North shows the hearts I would double, but after the actual bidding, with zero encouragement opposite, I don't feel I can bid my clubs at the four level, even though it scores better than defending 3♦ if I am allowed to play there.

It's not clear to me how 2 declarers only took 9 tricks in 3♦, or how 5 declarer went down in 3♥. If those declarers had taken their tricks, you would have scored 6 more matchpoints, so 12/20 (only 14 scores listed?) which would seem to be a pretty good score.

You were unlucky that North chose to raise ♦ instead of bidding a good 5 card heart suit, or that partner couldn't scrape together a minimal spade raise which might have led to 3♠.

[AL78]

johnu, on 2022-July-09, 15:56, said:

It's not clear to me how 2 declarers only took 9 tricks in 3♦, or how 5 declarer went down in 3♥.

I suspect they took the heart finesse. At the time I thought it was rotten the way declarer dropped my stiff queen, but looking at the hands now it is the clearcut line.

As for going off in 3♥, my guess is some of the weaker pairs took the heart finesse then tried to draw trumps by cashing the AK, which promotes West's ten, failing to recognise they had a finesse position over West. Having had a quick look at the pairs concerned, one of the online pairs was a pair of EBU grandmasters, and I know one of them has severe sight problems which could explain that one.

Only 14 scores listed because there was a half table at the club session, so one pair would not have played this board.

[Cyberyeti]

AL78, on 2022-July-10, 00:50, said:

I suspect they took the heart finesse. At the time I thought it was rotten the way declarer dropped my stiff queen, but looking at the hands now it is the clearcut line.

As for going off in 3♥, my guess is some of the weaker pairs took the heart finesse then tried to draw trumps by cashing the AK, which promotes West's ten, failing to recognise they had a finesse position over West. Having had a quick look at the pairs concerned, one of the online pairs was a pair of EBU grandmasters, and I know one of them has severe sight problems which could explain that one.

Only 14 scores listed because there was a half table at the club session, so one pair would not have played this board.

If they start with ace and another club against 3♥, I guess it's not unreasonable to hook the heart first time while there's still a trump in dummy

[AL78]

johnu, on 2022-July-09, 15:56, said:

It's not clear to me how 2 declarers only took 9 tricks in 3♦, or how 5 declarer went down in 3♥.

I found out how one declarer managed to go two off in 3♥. She cashed the diamond honors early, destroying communication when the heart finesse failed.

[Douglas43]

AL78, on 2022-July-09, 15:04, said:

We play 4CM so 1♠ shows only 4+.

I'd bid 2♠ as west (playing 4cM)

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

#1 Pass
#2 X, 3C is an option, but the chance being able to bail out in 2S is huge.

with kind regards
Marlowe

[P_Marlowe]

AL78, on 2022-July-09, 15:04, said:

We play 4CM so 1♠ shows only 4+.

With 4m and 4M, you open the major?
If you open the minor, partner should raise, ...,
there is also a case for raising anyway, ...
for that matter you should also think about switching to opening
1C with 4333 instead of 1S.

[Cyberyeti]

P_Marlowe, on 2022-July-13, 03:52, said:

With 4m and 4M, you open the major?
If you open the minor, partner should raise, ...,
there is also a case for raising anyway, ...
for that matter you should also think about switching to opening
1C with 4333 instead of 1S.

Old fashioned Acol opens 1M with a 4M4m(32) 15 count. There is a variation in style as to what you open with a 4441 but it's almost never spades.

I would actually open the hand in the OP 1♣ after which I get over my shape very easily (1♣-1♦-P-1♥-1♠ shows 5-5+ in the blacks as X would show 4 spades), whether that's a good thing is not clear as it could lead to 4♥ and they might make it.