Defending with an 8 card suit?

January 8th, 2009  ~  Neil Kimelman  ~  2 Comments 

Playing at a club team game last night, you pick up J5 AQ10865432 – A85. You are north and not-vul versus vul. and bidding goes:

East is an intermediate player, partnering with their expert teacher and life partner. What is your pleasure?

Recent hand solution

December 15th, 2008  ~  Neil Kimelman  ~  5 Comments 

Yes, you have a good hand with a good club suit. Partner has bid to boot. But I think the percentage action is to pass. You are not sure where to play on offence, and you have very little defence against an opponent who committed to 11 tricks against two bidding opponents!

Partner still has a chance to bid. The full deal:

                                1098542

                                 J983

                                A

                                63

              AJ76                          3

              K54                           A6

              8                                KQJ9765432

              J10872                        –

                                 KQ

                                Q1072

                                 5

                                AKQ954

 Playing in a Swiss team match at the sectional I passed. My opponent with the same hand doubled and was       -950, and we picked up 8 useful IMPs (p.s. we lost the match but won the event).

The moral of the story: High Card Points aren’t everything…

Recent Hand

December 15th, 2008  ~  Neil Kimelman  ~  2 Comments 

At a recent sectional swiss team event you pick up a solid opening bid: KQ Q107 J5 AKQ954. Both vul, you open 1C. It goes pass, partner bids 1S and RHO bids 5D. Now what?

Answer tomorrow…

Overbidding Grand Slams and getting odds

November 25th, 2008  ~  Neil Kimelman  ~  1 Comment 

North
♠	A942
♥	A942
♦	9
♣	AQ104
South
♠	KQ3
♥	KQ1082
♦	AK
♣	753

The contract is 7 ♥. Don’t ask. A small ♦ is lead. Hearts are 3-1. How do you play?

see below…

.

.

It is ironic that I wrote a book entitled Improve Your Bidding Judgment, and my first post is about an overbid grand. Oh well…

There are two lines to consider:

1. Pull trumps, Play three rounds of spades ending in your hand. If spades don’t break, double hook clubs; or

2) Pull trumps, Hook the Q ♣ , and assuming the J does not fall, cash ace♣ and then try to pick up spades or hope for a spade club squeeze when LHO has 4 spades and 4 clubs, or RHO has 4+ spades and Jxxx of clubs).

Line 2 worked at the table, as RHO had J10xx in spades and Jxxx in clubs. Does anyone want to calculate the exact odds of the two lines?