[Dinarius]

---

---

Here is how Jack (the bridge software program) bids to 6♠

South leads 4♥

Play: If the trumps were 2/2, there is nothing to the play. Win A♥, draw trumps, eliminate diamonds and play a heart.

But, trumps are 3/1

Jack draws trumps and partially eliminates diamonds before playing the 2♥ in the second diagram, when it claims the remaining six tricks!

If I reject the claim, win the J♥ and play Q♦, forcing it to ruff, it plays K♣ > A♣, dropping the queen for 12 tricks.

It is not playing double dummy - otherwise, it could claim at trick one. So, what am I missing here? How does the program know the club layout?

D.

[shyams]

If I were to guess, I would say the HCP count of played cards "confirms" to West that North needs to hold the Club Queen to justify the 1H overcall. It might be a bidding system feature that Jack North cannot overcall with 5 HCP.


By the way, shouldn't Jack North overtake your heart Jack with the King and lead another heart? I think it defeats the contract.

[pescetom]

It can count you to two clubs (5 hearts for the intervention, 3 spades and 3 diamonds played) and "knows" you must have the Q to have enough HCP for your intervention (you have at most 6 in hearts and none in the pointy suits) ?

[Dinarius]

shyams, on 2023-October-27, 10:25, said:

By the way, shouldn't Jack North overtake your heart Jack with the King and lead another heart? I think it defeats the contract.

Once East is committed to doubleton Q♣ with North, overtaking makes no difference.


D.