[keylime]

Today is my birthday - at 29 years old, I'm starting to feel like an old man (don't start laughing at me, some of you look at me as a youngin').

Somewhat recently, I had an unusual occurrance. Normally on Sundays, the Mrs. and I play together at the local club, but this time out due to some strange happenings, I ended up playing with a true beginner (from what I understand, this person and one other came as singles, but the other person wanted nothing to do with my partner of the day).

We sat down, filled out the CC in all of 45 seconds (compared with the 15 minutes on the computer to do from scratch the usual CC!) and began play. I realized immediately that my partner was rather "energetic" in the bidding.

First hand, red vs. white, we arrive at four spades doubled, on the following auction:

(1C) 1S [from me] double 4S double swish

Dummy got tabled, and well....partner definitely had way too much trust in me:

JT8xx
Kx
Qxx
J9x

The opening lead was the King of clubs (standard leads, A from AK).

My stellar hand was:

A9xxx
Axx
Kxx
x

So here's my birthday questions: did I make the hand? did I go for a telephone number? did I save some face by going off one after a long stuggle? did partner realize at this point that I overcalled and NOT opened? did I see the end of my sanity?

Have fun :-)

[helium]

10 tricks:) happy birthday:)

[MickyB]

You crossed to dummy, led the J♠ which was covered from Hx, crossed back in trumps, led small to the K♦ and ducked a diamond to RHO's ace, then claimed an overtrick hoping opps didn't notice you were a card short

[ArcLight]

The lead was a club, which they won. (unless they underlead teh AKQ of ♣) What did they play on trick 2? A diamond would be nice!

The play of the trump suit is problematic.
If you lay down the Ace you are set if the suit divides 3-0.
But if you lead the J thru the Ace, and the honors are split and the opponents win, you will not be able to end play them.
3-0 isn't likely.
Lay down the Ace of ♠, hopefully leaving 1 outstanding. You need a 2-1 split for a later end play.

lead to the K♥,
ruff a club,
A♥,
ruff a ♥
ruff a club,
Then play a Spade, resulting in an endplay.

Opp has to lead a Diamond or give a ruff and sluff.
10 tricks taken.

[Gerardo]

Happy birthday!

[keylime]

Answer:

After ruffing a second club in closed hand, I led to the heart entry on the board. I then played a high trump, covered, ace, and BAM! the OTHER MISSING SPADE honor magically appears. Oh goodie.

After extracting one more trump, I still had to play diamonds for no worse than one loser. Luckily for me, they are rather kind - on the third heart LHO pitched a high diamonds (standard signals) as I ruffed in dummy. So played to the diamond honor, LHO obliged by winning their ace.

At the end of this hairbrained contract, my partner, who didn't know better said to me:

"Dwayne I'm so sorry, I should have redoubled the contract - I really went to sleep on that auction.".

Needless to say, from that point on, I did whatever it took to rightside contracts to have me play them.

[luke warm]

i think i'd have played it differently... why not trump 2nd club, play ♠A, heart to K, trump last club, ♥A and trump a heart and exit a trump? true, you made 11 tricks and i make 10, but i'd be happy anyway

[pclayton]

Its a pretty basic hand. I think Dwayne was intending on winning the A♠, stripping hearts and clubs and putting LHO in for a diamond return or ruff/sluff.

Dwayne: a few things don't add up:

Your bidding diagram is very confusing. I think that you passed originally and LHO opened 1♣.

1. How is the 3rd diamond cashing if LHO holds the A and length? LHO can't pitch enough diamonds as you draw trump to make them high. And, if RHO holds 3, RHO guards the suit.

2. Why do you only have to play diamonds for one loser? You have no spade losers (the honors crashed), no heart losers and only one club loser.


Anyway, happy birthday. Opps gift wrapped this one for you.

[Fluffy]

Feeling old? not surprised, ,the more I come to the forums the more I think I've become old fashioned, and feel too old to change my bidding methods drastically, and I am only 24.