Author Topic: Speculation on a lazy day  (Read 1949 times)

kenberg

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Speculation on a lazy day
« on: April 25, 2020, 02:14:52 PM »
Assume 2/1 but of course that's not the full story. Let's consider various agreements within the context of 2/1. I will first give just your hand and ask a few questions, and then give both hands.

It's matchpoints, vul versus noon-vul, Lho deals and passes, partner opens 1 !C, Rho passes. You hold:


!S A82
!H J4
!D AKT4
!C KQJ8

Option 1: You are playing in the Walsh style, you bid 1 !D and partner bids 1NT. Thus he has a reasonably balanced 12-14 count.

Option 2: Non-Walsh: You bid 1 !D and partner bids 1 M.  Playing non-Walsh, partner usually bids his major over 1 !C - 1 !D unless he is four triple three.

Option 3: You decide that the strength warrants an immediate  inverted 2 !C even though you have only four cards. Partner rebids 2NT, not forcing.

Option 4: You decide that the strength warrants an immediate  inverted 2 !C even though you have only four cards. Partner rebids 2NT, played as  presumed natural one round force.

I will give the other hand below, but you might fist think of how happy you are so far and what you might do next.

Ok, here are the two hands


!S J63
!H AKT3
!D Q5
!C AT32


!S A82
!H J4
!D AKT4
!C KQJ8


Ok, 32 hcps between you and a club fit. Do you wish to be in slam or not, and if so do you want to be in 6 !C or 6NT? And how to you get to wherever you think you should be?

For example, after 1 !C - 1 !D - 1NT (Walsh), if you bid 4NT (nvitational)  partner accepts and bids 6NT, does he not? If he instead bids 6 !C, pass or correct, you could pass but  would he? It seems 6 !C would be for something like a 3=3=2=5 shape.

But maybe, at one extreme, you are content with 6NT. Or, at the other extreme, after 1 !C - 1 !D - 1NT you just settle for 3NT. 
But, if you think 6 !C is a decent contract, how do you get there?

The general idea is: How to get where, using any of the various agreements mentioned. Or any other system.

We do have 32 highs, a 4-4 club fit, and a little shape. A club slam should not be crazy. although I would not say it is on ice. And a NT slam is not hopeless, but it seems a bit iffy. 

So?










Ken

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Re: Speculation on a lazy day
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2020, 03:35:03 PM »
One could probably come up with several viable auctions with these hands.

I would begin 1 !D, regardless of methods. I have a GF and four diamonds. Seems like a fair description so far.

Continuing:

1 !C - 1 !D
1NTa - 2 !Db
2 !Hc - 3 !Cd
3 !De - 4 !Cf
4 !Sg - 6 !C Okay. Good enough!

a. Balanced 12-14. Could conceal a four card major.
b. XYZ. Game-force.
c. Further description of hand. Showing the previously concealed major.
d. Supporting clubs, revealing the reason for the 2 !D GF. Ostensibly agrees clubs, though 3NT still possible.
e. Waiting. Since 1NT does not deny a 4=4=2=3 hand, and responder would presumably rebid 2 !S over 2 !H to find a spade fit, this is simply a "tell me more" bid. [Added]: I think 3NT here with Jack-third is also acceptable.
f. Minorwood. RKC for Clubs.
g. Two keys, no queen.

As mentioned above. Several routes are available. This is only one.

« Last Edit: April 25, 2020, 04:00:27 PM by Masse24 »
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wackojack

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Re: Speculation on a lazy day
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2020, 05:39:08 PM »
♠ J63
♥ AK103
♦ Q5
♣A1032   

♠ A82
♥ J4
♦ AK104
♣ KQJ8

Great hand for experts to bid and figure out the best line of play.
This particular hand demonstrates the efficacy of the Walsh style combined with 2 stage xyz in that with big hands even a 4-4 club fit can be found.  Possible limitations of the Walsh style is that you can miss 4-4 major suit fits below the game level if the opponents don’t help you with their intervention. Rarely does this matter.  You also cannot land into 2♣, which you can do if you play nmf.  E.g 1♣-1♦-1NT-2♣ -pass.  However, when opponents cannot intervene over 2♣ and 2♣ is par must be as rare as hens teeth.

My suggested auction differs slightly from Todd’s as follows:
1♣         1♦
1NT (12-14 bal)   2♦ (artificial game force)
2♥ (4 card ♥ suit)   3♣ (4+ ♣ support)
3♥ ( control)       4♣ (minorwood)
4♠ (2-Q)      6♣
pass

4♣ is minorwood when the suit has already been agreed and the unlimited hand is asking the limited hand. 

Leads:   
♥ or ♦:  likely gives you your 12th trick
♠:  .biggest problem. 
♣:  2 goes at finesse in the red suits gives you 75% chance.  Maybe a better still line. 

kenberg

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Re: Speculation on a lazy day
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2020, 07:27:07 PM »
I think 6 !C is a very reasonable contract.
It was good to see xyz really play a role.
I was playing with the bots, and they do not play xyz, but I could have thought of it. I didn't.


I started with the inverted minor raise, after which:  1 !C -2 !C - 2NT
The bots say the 2 !C shows 4+ and is forcing to 2NT, the 2NT is passable.
This actually gave me a chance. If I now bid 4NT (invitational)  I can imagine that my bot partner, since I started with 2 !C, might offer the 6 !C option.
What I actually did was to decide that if pard had a maximum of 14 highs and maybe less, 3NT might be high enough.

OK, I got a 0. Getting to 6 !C would also have gotten a 0. It turns out that clubs split 5-0 and.  In 3NT  I took 13 trick. This is (at least) one more than I should have but the others were in 6NT making. Actually "others" only means the two others.  Probably this was because I was busy and signing on, then signing off, then on etc. Anyway only two others.

The program showed one of the other hands, bid and played:

1 !C - 1 !D - 1 !H - 4NT - 5 !D (0 or 3 keys in hearts!) 6NT. So the hand is played by S and the opening lead is the !C 5. He won  it, then  took the heart finesse, it lost, but now there re three heart tricks and the later  diamond finesse is on so there are 12 tricks. A small spade at T1 beats it but I can hardly quarrel with the neutral club. At my table N was the declarer and, although it is challenging, 6NT can be made on any lead.


Here are all four:



                          !S J63
                          !H AKT3
                          !D Q5
                          !C AT32

!S K74                                        !S QT95
!H 85                                          !H Q9762
!D 872                                        !D J963
!C 97654                                     !C void


                         !S A82
                         !H J4
                         !D AKT4
                         !C KQJ8


As you can see, E would rather not be on lead. He chose the !H 6. Maybe I should have played the J but I let it ride to the T. Then !D Q and small to the T winning. I now had 12 tricks. A pseudo-squeeze brought it to 13. For a zero.

If the only options were 3NT and 6NT I think going with 3NT has at least some merit. But 6 !C is a nice contract. I think it belongs in 6 !C. Probably not this time, given the 5-0 split,   but looking at the NS hands it seems right. XYZ earns its keep !
« Last Edit: April 25, 2020, 07:35:51 PM by kenberg »
Ken

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Re: Speculation on a lazy day
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2020, 08:39:01 PM »
Oops!

Hadn't noticed it was matchpoints. I usually do, and usually curse under my breath when a poster does not provide that tidbit.

Here, I was lazy and failed to notice. It does make a difference.

I think it's a close decision as to whether my last call is 6 !C or 6NT.
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kenberg

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Re: Speculation on a lazy day
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2020, 12:53:44 PM »
Suppose the opponent's cards lie differently, for example suppose N is declarer, the opening lead is the !D 9, and it goes 9TJQ. Ok, thanks to the !H T you can be sure of three heart tricks eventually, whether the finesse works or not, but this means that in NT you have 1+3+3+4=11 tricks. In clubs you expect to ruff a !D for the 12th trick.

During the auction S probably learns that N has a balanced flattish 12-14. He will not learn about the !H T. Really these hands fit pretty well. But it seems to me that even with the !H T and the nicely fitting hands, 6NT is iffy while 5 !C is a decent bet.

But yes, mps does influence thinking here. I decided not to stress that point, letting everyone decide for themselves what they wanted to focus on.

I thought it would be interesting to see how to gt to 6 !C whether or not people opted for doing so. XYZ definitely has merit.  And some downsides.
Ken