Ken:
Would it be too much to ask you to set 1 hour weekly a mentoring table in IAC, play and discuss style? Many like to chew on hands just played and certainly most members will learn lots, playing or watching.
This forum could serve much of that purpose. I will select out a hand that will perhaps illustrate this.
http://tinyurl.com/k6v8yshAdded: I have added a rebuttal to my claim that playing the A at T1 is doomed. Not exactly.
Down one, losing to the K and J of hearts.After eleven tricks the hand was conceded as down 1. David sent me a message asking if it could be made. I was then seeing only the remnants of the hand after the claim and i said that probably not, after the heart lead at T1. I included a quick word on how, if I remembered the hand correctly, it could be made without a heart lead. Later I sent a correction, saying that I thought it could be but I would have to look it over. Of course one could check GIB, GIB says yes, but I think that is the wrong idea. One should think how it could be made, and whether that is a reasonable line of play. So let's look.
The opening lead is the heart 8. On the auction, that seems like it might be a stiff. If it is, then you are doomed, or probably so. Why? Because if is is a stiff then if you lay the ace N just sits and waits for his KJ. He won't pitch them and only one heart can be dossed from hand on the long diamonds. [Huh! I have left this statement here, but see rebuttal reply] If you don't go up with the Ace, then N can win and give his partner a ruff.
There are two possible counters to this.
One: Play the Q. It will lose to the K but perhaps N will think the lead was from three cards. not likely, but you could hope.
Two: Assume the 8 is not stiff. It probably is, but you are going down if it is. So assume it is not. Maybe it is from a doubleton, as indeed it was.
What follows from that?
Let's play the Ten, just in case the lead was from, say, J86. I have noticed people often treat Jxx as a MUD lead. I don't, but some do, so I play low from dummy and the J wins. Maybe N will think the 8 is stiff and lead back a heart. If so, I am down if it is ruffed, I claim if it is not.
But no, North will not think the 8t was stiff, or at least he shouldn't. If the 8 were stiff, that would give E five hearts. But E opened 1C. And never mentioned hearts. No. N will return a spade.
Declarer plays two rounds of clubs, South following to both rounds.
We assumed that S had two hearts, let's stick with that. We have seen two clubs in the S hand. We assume six spades for the weak jump overcall. Hah! That means on;y three diamonds. North has four diamonds. And, we assume, the heart King. If we have this right, we are home. Heart to the A, run all the clubs tossing the spade and the heart Q on the board.
Dummy now has four diamonds, the
KQ84
Declarer has
Hearts: T9
Diamonds: A5.
North has what?
Well, he has four cards.
If North still holds the heart K then he has tossed a diamond and the diamonds run.
If North tossed the heart K, great, the Ten is good.
Either way, all four tricks are good. And you know which it is.
Ok, not everyone foresees the ending. But here is what you can see: If the heart 8 at trick 1 is a stiff, going up with the Ace will not work. It can't work It's impossible for it to work. So don't do it. After that, maybe a miracle will occur. And maybe it won't occur. Maybe you can help the miracle along. maybe the opponents will make a mistake. But if the heart 8 is stiff and you rise with the Ace, you are going down. So don't rise. If the 8 is stiff, well, too bad. But when it isn't, you increase your options by playing low.
But this sort of thing is much more suitable for Forum discussion than for quick comment between hands.
Here is how I think it works: A person who wants to learn looks over some hands afterwards. Sometimes it will be easy to find a better line. Not just double dummy better, but really a line that reasonably would be better.
For example, take the same hand and assume a spade lead. The same line as above would work but it is far too complicated. Instead you win the Ace, draw trump in two rounds, ruff the spade, play four rounds of diamonds, pitching one heart on the third diamond ruffing the last diamond.. Only hearts and clubs are left. You lead the ten of clubs. Assume the finesse loses to the J. N has a choice of how to concede, give you a sluff/ruff or lead into the AQ. Basically, you can claim making 6 at trick 1 on a spade lead.
Contrast this with a mentoring comment: Imo, the 2NT bid over 2S shows about an 11 count and is non-forcing. But that's me. If a pair plays it as forcing, that's them. And that's about all there is to be said. But the hand will make 6C, it just isn't obvious. So that gets interesting.
Also, if I were North then, after partner made the WJO of 2S I think I would bid 4S. But it's a judgment call.