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:
West |
North |
East |
South |
– |
– |
pass |
1♠ |
pass |
2♥ |
4♦! |
dbl |
pass |
? |
|
|
East is an intermediate player, partnering with their expert teacher and life partner. What is your pleasure?
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…
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…
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?