[AL78]

I forgot about this board which I think we were duffed up on, but wondered whether I could have done anything better in the East seat.

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Needless to say we didn't get the defence right. A diamond lead takes it off but after a club lead declarer plays out the clubs throwing the diamond loser whilst I ruff in with a natural trump trick (not sure if it makes any difference if I don't ruff). We took three spades and two hearts in the end. At the other table playing a weak NT they ended up in 3NT which is unbeatable thanks to the 4-3 club split and all major suit finesses working.

Is there anything I can do after 2♠ is passed round to me, or shall I put this one down to bad luck with a small contribution from less than perfect defence?

[pescetom]

Any lead except clubs can set it.
Only clubs can set it.

What would double by opener be for you here?

[nige1]

AL78 'I forgot about this board which I think we were duffed up on, but wondered whether I could have done anything better in the East seat. Needless to say we didn't get the defence right. A diamond lead takes it off but after a club lead declarer plays out the clubs throwing the diamond loser whilst I ruff in with a natural trump trick (not sure if it makes any difference if I don't ruff). We took three spades and two hearts in the end. At the other table playing a weak NT they ended up in 3NT which is unbeatable thanks to the 4-3 club split and all major suit finesses working.Is there anything I can do after 2♠ is passed round to me, or shall I put this one down to bad luck with a small contribution from less than perfect defence?
++++++++++++++++++
When an opponent overcalls your notrump opening, an effective modern treatment is to play doubles by opener and responder as predominately T/O. Here, for example, West would double so you can reach 3♦ 3N is too lucky to contemplate

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[Cyberyeti]

pescetom, on 2021-January-23, 08:06, said:

Any lead except clubs can set it.

Quak quack oops, it takes a club lead to beat it or so GIB says.

The mistake was cashing the ♥A, simply exit a diamond and you will come to 3 hearts and 3 spades.

[AL78]

pescetom, on 2021-January-23, 08:06, said:

Any lead except clubs can set it.

What would double by opener be for you here?

Takeout.

[pescetom]

AL78, on 2021-January-23, 08:58, said:

Takeout.

Then you could have reached 3♦, as nige1 suggests (and nothing you could do otherwise).

[eagles123]

AL78, on 2021-January-23, 08:58, said:

Takeout.

well if your partner isn't going to make a takeout double with a doubleton spade and a max, then you might as well not bother playing takeout doubles in this position.

[AL78]

Cyberyeti, on 2021-January-23, 08:10, said:

Quak quack oops, it takes a club lead to beat it or so GIB says.

The mistake was cashing the ♥A, simply exit a diamond and you will come to 3 hearts and 3 spades.

I have just gone through it on a solver and it looks like the club lead was optimal and it doesn't matter if declarer does run the clubs and throws the diamond loser, on a diamond lead to me and the ♥T pushed through, declarer can ultimately throw a heart loser on the clubs so we are held to two heart tricks, as opposed to three heart tricks on best defence given how declarer played the hand. You are right, the mistake on the actual play was cashing the heart ace. Presumably partner was playing me for a doubleton heart. If she exits passively with a diamond she has everything sat over declarer, so must make another four tricks on top of the two tricks cashed. How does partner know to play me for ♥T9x and wait for her tricks instead of being active and gambling on me holding Tx? I guess when she has seen three clubs and one diamond in declarer's hand, declarer is more likely to hold 6-3 in the majors overcalling a strong NT missing the ♠AQJ than 5-4.

[Cyberyeti]

AL78, on 2021-January-23, 09:20, said:

I have just gone through it on a solver and it looks like the club lead was optimal and it doesn't matter if declarer does run the clubs and throws the diamond loser, on a diamond lead to me and the ♥T pushed through, declarer can ultimately throw a heart loser on the clubs so we are held to two heart tricks, as opposed to three heart tricks on best defence given how declarer played the hand. You are right, the mistake on the actual play was cashing the heart ace. Presumably partner was playing me for a doubleton heart. If she exits passively with a diamond she has everything sat over declarer, so must make another four tricks on top of the two tricks cashed. How does partner know to play me for ♥T9x and wait for her tricks instead of being active and gambling on me holding Tx? I guess when she has seen three clubs and one diamond in declarer's hand, declarer is more likely to hold 6-3 in the majors overcalling a strong NT missing the ♠AQJ than 5-4.

He may have had a 2 suited bid for the 5-4.

[AL78]

Cyberyeti, on 2021-January-23, 11:17, said:

He may have had a 2 suited bid for the 5-4.

There is that as well, but even if they aren't playing a two suited overcall, I don't know many people who would overcall a strong NT with KTxxx, although there are one or two at my club who are insane enough to do it.

[Cyberyeti]

AL78, on 2021-January-23, 09:20, said:

I have just gone through it on a solver and it looks like the club lead was optimal and it doesn't matter if declarer does run the clubs and throws the diamond loser, on a diamond lead to me and the ♥T pushed through, declarer can ultimately throw a heart loser on the clubs so we are held to two heart tricks, as opposed to three heart tricks on best defence given how declarer played the hand. You are right, the mistake on the actual play was cashing the heart ace. Presumably partner was playing me for a doubleton heart. If she exits passively with a diamond she has everything sat over declarer, so must make another four tricks on top of the two tricks cashed. How does partner know to play me for ♥T9x and wait for her tricks instead of being active and gambling on me holding Tx? I guess when she has seen three clubs and one diamond in declarer's hand, declarer is more likely to hold 6-3 in the majors overcalling a strong NT missing the ♠AQJ than 5-4.

The point of the club lead is you need to knock out the entry to the 4th club while you still have a trump, so club lead, trump, club, trump, club declarer can't make use of the 4th one because partner ruffs it. This is necessary because partner can't get the lead twice to fire hearts through.

[TylerE]

nige1, on 2021-January-23, 08:07, said:

++++++++++++++++++
When an opponent overcalls your notrump opening, an effective modern treatment is to play doubles by opener and responder as predominately T/O. Here, for example, West would double so you can reach 3♦ 3N is too lucky to contemplate [/hv]

I agree with the first part of your statement, and disagree vehemently with the second.

Opener reopening here, with that hand, at that form of scoring, at those colors, is the definition of insanity. Begging to turn +50 into -200, lose 6.