INTERNET POST
By Arlene Port
Two Parter this
month.
|
#1) You are South –
IMPS, None Vulnerable
Your hand is:
S
A 3
H A Q 3 2
D Q 6 3
C A K 7 4
The bidding is:
|
SOUTH |
WEST |
NORTH |
EAST |
|
1C |
3D |
3S |
PASS |
|
??? |
|
|
|
What do
you bid?
|
#2) You are South - IMPS,
E/W Vulnerable
The bidding is:
|
SOUTH |
WEST |
NORTH |
EAST |
|
--- |
--- |
--- |
1S |
|
PASS |
4D* |
PASS |
4S |
|
PASS |
PASS |
PASS |
|
* -
Splinter
Your Hand:
S
2
H 8 6 5
D A 8 7 6 3
C A J 9 8
What do you lead?
|
Bruce Keidan: #1) 4D. We seem to be playing with an
80-point deck on this deal. The question is, who has the three missing
diamonds. If partner has two, we need to play NT. If not, then, we should play a
suit. I'll let him describe his hand further, bypasssing 3NT, but keeping slam
in the picture. 3NT or 4S here would end the auction, and I don't want to do
that.
#2) Club A. My D trick is unlikely to go away. If I
don't lead one, declarer may try ruffing dc and get overruffed by pard. H and S
both rate to help
Ernie Retetagos: #1) 4 spades. Not my style to
bid 3 NT without a stopper in their suit. My extra ace should make up for lack
of a third spade.
#2) 6 of hearts I
don't like to lead unsupported
Aces or singleton trumps.
Asim Ulke: #1) I bid 4H. This is a milder slam try
and would give a chance to partner to bid 4NT to make a more intelligent slam
decision. I have an invite to slam in spades. We may have a loser in spades and
1 or 2 losers in diamonds. A 5S bid by me would ask partner to bid 6S with a
second round diamond control. It would also suggest a better holding than A 2 in
spades. Since partner would bid 6S with a holding of x diamond and KQxxxx in
spades, a bad spade brake would sink the slam.
#2) Hx I am not going to lead a singleton trump or
an ace. By elimination my lead is a heart, Hx.
P.J. Prabhu #1) 4H. Hate to bypass 3NT. But what is
even worse is going down in 3 in 3NT when we are cold for a game or even a slam.
4H keeps all suit games open and denies D control and possibly 3-card S support.
If pard rebids S, I will raise to 5 requesting pard to bid slam with D control,
but recognizing that this risks going down in 5S.
#2) H8. With two aces, I have two tricks and the
possibility of a third in Cs. Hence I need much from pard to beat this; hence
I'm hopeful. I want to make a passive lead and don't fancy a trump lead. Thus
the top of nothing H8 by the process of elimination.
Herb Sachs #1) 4 Hearts An advance q-bid in hopes
of getting to a slam if my partner has shortness in diamonds and good cards.
(Doesn’t need much.) I am too good to bid 4 spades. No way partner will bid over
a 4 spades bid no matter what I have.
# 2) I lead the 6 of
hearts. I am not smart enough to lead the ace of clubs, playing partner
specifically for a singleton or doubleton king. I hope the heart doesn't give
anything away. Diamond ace may set up pitches in the dummy.
It is basically a
guess!!
Bill Holt: #1) 4D - Partner's forcing 3S call puts
this hand in the slam zone but how to bid it is tough. 4d would tend to suggest
shortness but it's right on values. I hate to raise S's on two pieces and 3NT
ends the auction - and 4H might as well. I am going to err on the optimistic
side with 4d. Partner could have a diamond card amongst his 13ish points or,
more likely, he is short d's and can rebid his long spades or show a 6-4 hand
with 4H. Then I can raise either major.
#2) Ace of Clubs - Goal is 4 tricks and it looks
like we have two aces, perhaps partner has a trump trick for three and just
maybe we can get another club. Ace of Clubs will work if partner has the King
but gives up the contract if partner only has the Queen. Declarer is either on
a minimum or has values in diamonds (or both) - but he might have discards on
dummy's heart suit. Against this auction I want to attack.
Gail Carns: #1) 5S I hope partner can handle the
rest if they have 0 or 1 D loser #2 8H I hope
dummy's diamond loser goes away on hearts.
Jim Bachelder #1. I'm bidding 4C, a cue bid in
support of spades. If partner can cue 4d, I'm going to get interested; if not,
I'm going to settle in 4S. I thought about bidding 5S (asking partner if we have
no more than 1 loser in diamonds) but rejected it because partner would bid slam
holding something like: KQJXXX, KX, KX, XXX, which goes down on a ruff
immediately.
#2) Heart spot. I'm certainly not a fan of
stiff trump leads, nor, leading low from worthless suits, however, on this
auction, I'm leading my third best heart. Leading from either minor suit is
totally unpalatable.
Florine Walters: #1) 4H It is not clear whether
partner has just five spades and since I do have extra values, I am going to bid
four hearts which should be a forward going bid probably in support of spades.
If partner bids 4 spades, I will reluctantly pass. If partner bids 6 diamonds, I
will correct to 6 spades and will hope he has good spades. If partner bids five
clubs, I will again reluctantly pass. I would expect partner to bid 6 clubs if
their distribution is 5, 2, 1, 5 or 5, 3, 1, 4 and a opening bid.
#2) H6 The lead problem is quite difficult.
The
dummy should have at least eight plus cards distributed between hearts and clubs
and declarer is marked with diamond high cards as well as some length in that
suit. Leading a spade is probably not going to do much since I can't lead them
again and if declarer has to ruff diamonds in dummy, partner may develop a trump
trick. Since I do not like leading from AJ holdings, it comes down to the heart
suit. I might add leading from three small is generally not a good lead, but am
leading the heart 6 and will hope for the best - especially from partner!
Richard Finberg: #1) 4D. North will expect better
spades and may think I have a D control, but a mere 3NT or 4S will not convey
extra strength, 4C is signoff, 4H technically best, but agreed to be a cue
(unlikely). With as little as KQJxxx, Kx, x, xxxx by North, Spade slam is
likely on C-H squeeze, and better hands produce laydowns.
#2) C8. Aggressive, but
declarer has D waste and
possibly power to spare. We hope for DA plus either 3 clubs or 2 clubs and trump
trick. H lead requires partner to hold too much, i.e.,HA (possibly working K)
plus CQ (if CK with declarer). If CK in dummy, H lead may set up C pitch on H.
Of course, if we knew dummy had Qxx of clubs, we lead CJ, not C8, in case
declarer has 10xx -- but opponents should hold hands closer to chest for rest of
match. S and D leads have no merit.
Jim Bossert: #1) 5 spades. As long as pard can
control diamonds and has good spades, slam should be on.
#2) 8c Since this is NOT easy, I'll lead the 8c.
Auxiliary Experts:
Paul Rosenberg: #1) I would bid 4 hts. I believe
that this is a reverse, and would show the 19 hcp that I have, with
partner knowing I do not have 5 hearts. I would be uncomfortable in 3nt, as I do
not have a true stopper in diamonds against a presumed 7 d in west hand. The
4H bid also gives my partner a chance to show his strength, with a retreat to 4
spades, indicating a fit or perhaps he will make an even stronger bid with pts
and heart support. I believe we should be in game or more and in a suit
# 2) JC East could have a marginal opening, with the
strength in the west...east's bid of 4 spades cuts the auction short. I would
like to preserve my aces, and would therefore lead the jack of clubs...maybe
trapping the q of clubs in west hand, and possibly making 3 clubs follwed by
the ace of diamonds....the alternative might be the ace of diamond lead and then
take a look at the strength of west.
Internet Post
Results:
|
Bid: |
NAT'L |
PGH |
AWARD |
|
4D |
15 |
3 |
100 |
|
4H |
5 |
5 |
70 |
|
3NT |
5 |
0 |
70 |
|
4S |
4 |
1 |
60 |
|
5S |
4 |
1 |
60 |
|
4NT |
1 |
0 |
40 |
|
4C |
0 |
1 |
-- |
|
Lead: |
NAT'L |
PGH |
AWARD |
|
8H |
6 |
2 |
100 |
|
5H |
6 |
2 |
90 |
|
6H |
4 |
3 |
90 |
|
AD |
6 |
0 |
80 |
|
2S |
6 |
0 |
70 |
|
AC |
2 |
2 |
60 |
|
Cx |
0 |
3 |
40 |
|
Dx |
0 |
0 |
30 |
|
|
National Experts:
|
Player |
#1 |
#2 |
Player |
#1 |
#2 |
|
Philip Alder |
4D |
8H |
Boris Koytchou |
4S |
6H |
|
Alan Bell |
5S |
5H |
David Liss |
N/A |
8H |
|
Marty Bergen |
4D |
2S |
Karen McCallum |
4D |
N/A |
|
David Berkowitz |
4NT |
AC |
Marshall Miles |
4S |
AD |
|
Mark Blumenthal |
4H |
6H |
Mike Passell |
4D |
N/A |
|
Larry Cohen |
4D |
AD |
Larry Robbins |
4S |
2S |
|
Martin Cohn |
4S |
N/A |
Arthur Robinson |
4D |
5H |
|
Chris Compton |
3NT |
5H |
Steve Robinson |
3NT |
5H |
|
Charles Danan |
4H |
N/A |
Al Roth |
4D |
8H |
|
Billy Eisenberg |
3NT |
2S |
Jeff Rubens |
4D |
AD |
|
Robb Gordon |
4D |
2S |
Ira Rubin |
3NT |
6H |
|
Alan Graves |
4D |
2S |
Fred Stewart |
4D |
2S |
|
Carl Hudecek |
5S |
6H |
Paul Sugar |
4H |
AD |
|
Michael Kamil |
5S |
5H |
Howard Weinstein |
4D |
AD |
|
Eddie Kantar |
4H |
8H |
Robert Wolff |
4D |
8H |
|
Sami Kehela |
4D |
5H |
Kit Woolsey |
4D |
AD |
|
Eric Kokish |
4D |
8H |
Ray Zoller |
5S |
5H |
|
|
|
|
|
|
