Saturday, June 25, 2016

Lead Problem - Underleading Aces in a Trump Contract

So here is a lead problem. Here is your hand:

♠J63
J6
A8654
♣K97

The dealer is on your left and they Pass. Partner also Passes. Your RHO opens the bidding 1. You decide to Pass (good bid!). Now your LHO bids 1♠. Partner Passes. RHO bids 2. You Pass again. Now your LHO bids 4. Everyone Passes. It is your lead. What will you lead?

To recap the bidding your RHO bid twice and your LHO bid ♠ once. The opponents are in game. Lead?

Did you make your lead? This is actually not a difficult lead problem. Only a bad lead will allow this contract to make. Unfortunately EVERYONE in the novice game on Tuesday (and I mean EVERYONE) found the incredibly bad lead that was needed for this contract to make.

Curious as to what that bad lead was?

A low . Against a trump contract everyone underlead their A in order to allow this contract to make.

What is underleading your Ace? Just what exactly does that mean?

Underleading your Ace means to lead away from your Ace. Leading a card UNDERNEATH your Ace. If you lead a suit with an Ace in it and don't lead your Ace, you are underleading your Ace. This is something that you NEVER, NEVER, NEVER do in a suit (or trump) contract. By a suit contract I mean a contract in which the opponents are playing where there is trump.

Why not underlead your Ace in a trump contract? What's the big deal?

Because quite a bit of the time you no longer get to score a trick with your Ace because Declarer has a singleton in one hand and the King in the other. That means they get to win their King (because you have the only card that can beat the King but you didn't play it) and the next time the suit is lead they can trump.

Which is exactly what happened on this hand.

Here are the 4 hands:

Dummy
♠KQT85
875
Q
♣QJ86
LHO (you)
♠J63
J6
A8654
♣K97
RHO
♠A974
Q2
T93
♣AT42
Declarer
♠2
AKT943
KJ72
♣53


With the lead being the 5, Declarer gets to win the Q in Dummy. Now when they play their K later on if you play your Ace they will trump it. You do not get to win a trick.

Big deal you say? Look at the hand and think of the auction. First of all your LHO started with a Pass. They do NOT have an opening hand. Your RHO opened 1 and rebid 2. They do not have anything extra. Then your LHO put them into game without even inviting. This means that the hand that LHO couldn't even open has now magically changed to a full opener.

Hmmmm. Suspicious. Sure this can happen. Perhaps now LHO is counting distribution and does have an opening hand. But it could also mean that the opponents don't have the values for a game. Further investigation of the hand reveals that the opponents are off 4 tricks right off the top. That means that you and your partner can take the first 4 tricks without Declarer being able to do anything. If the opponents are in 4 and you take the first 4 tricks they are down in their game contract.

But the underlead of the A killed the defense. Now the defense can no longer take 4 tricks. The opponents will make the game.

What is the proper lead?

Leads are tough. You do not have a great lead on this hand. Leading an unbid suit is fine. But the point is that if you decide to lead a (one of the unbid suits) then lead the ACE!

In fact if you lead anything other than a low Declarer cannot make this contract.

If you lead a trump, Declarer will take out trump and probably play a ♠. Then you and Partner can take your A♠, your A♣ and K♣ and your A. Down 1.

If you lead the A, then no matter what you play next Declarer will go down. You can take your 4 tricks right away or win the A and play trump. Declarer will take out trump and probably play a ♠. Then you and Partner can take your A♠, and your A♣ and K♣. Add that to your A trick and get down 1.

If you lead a ♣ the proper lead is the 7♣. Low from an honour. Partner will win their A♣ and perhaps return a ♣. You can win this and win your A. Then you can play a ♠ for Partner to win. 4 tricks. Down 1.

So NEVER underlead (lead away from) an Ace in a suit contract.

In NT underleading Aces is fine. This is because in NT the Ace cannot get trumped later on. So underleading Aces is fine against a NT contract. Just not against a trump contract.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

1NT: Responder has a 5 OR 6 card major and also a 4 card major

If you are not sure what Stayman is, please check out the previous Stayman posts before reading this one:
Introducing Stayman
Responding to Stayman

You also need to know what Jacoby Transfers are so first read this post: Introducing Jacoby Transfers.
Then read this post: Jacoby Transfers - Completing the Transfer

This post combines a couple of posts together. If may be easier if you read them first:
1NT: Responder has a 6 card major and also a 4 card major
1NT: Responder has a 5 card major and also a 4 card major

Here is a table that shows what you should have for this auction:
1NT
2♣ 2
If you now bid: This shows:
2 A five card suit (along with a 4 card ♠ suit) with 8 or 9 HCP
2♠ A five card ♠ suit (along with a 4 card suit) with 8 or 9 HCP
3 A five card suit (along with a 4 card ♠ suit) with 10 or more HCP
3♠ A five card ♠ suit (along with a 4 card suit) with 10 or more HCP
4 A six card suit (along with a 4 card ♠ suit) with values for game not slam (about 10 to 15 HCP)
4♠ A six card ♠ suit (along with a 4 card suit) with values for game not slam (about 10 to 15 HCP)
6 A six card suit (along with a 4 card ♠ suit) with values for slam (about 18 or 19)
6♠ A six card ♠ suit (along with a 4 card suit) with values for slam (about 18 or 19)


On all these hands Partner opened the bidding 1NT. I bid 2♣ (Stayman) and Partner responded 2 saying they do not have a 4 card major. What is my bid now?

Hand 1

♠QJT98
KJ94
9
♣JT7



Hand 2

♠9732
KJ842
A74
♣4



Hand 3

♠KQJ986
AK52

♣J98



Hand 4

♠K954
K97632
94
♣A



Hand 5

♠QJ86
AKQJT7
J2
♣T



Hand 6

♠AKQ873
AKJ2
4
♣J3



Hand 7

♠AT732
QJ52
J4
♣J5



Hand 8

♠KQT653
KJT7
Q
♣52



Hand 9

♠T863
AKQ983
A5
♣9



Hand 10

♠KT53
AKT954
KT8




Hand 11

♠K952
AQJT52
5
♣Q8



Hand 12

♠8542
AK852
Q63
♣A



Hand 13

♠Q942
AK9765
J4
♣9



Hand 14

♠Q964
AK832
875
♣4



Hand 15

♠Q632
AQJ963
JT
♣T



Hand 16

♠AT652
T986
T
♣AQ9



Hand 17

♠A975
AJT95
3
♣962



Hand 18

♠KJT3
AJ9832
A6
♣9



Hand 19

♠J743
AQJ92
984
♣4



Hand 20

♠AQJ862
AK84
A3
♣J



Hand 21

♠AJ8753
Q862
K
♣AT



Hand 22

♠Q8764
AQ42
A3
♣K4



Hand 23

♠AK963
A632
6
♣AT4



Hand 24

♠KT9532
AQT8

♣JT9



Hand 25

♠AQT543
KJ94

♣A72



Hand 26

♠AK42
KQJT98
8
♣T8



Hand 27

♠QJT863
A763
A
♣87



Hand 28

♠AQ9753
AT85
QJ8




Hand 29

♠QT72
KQ975
KT
♣53



Hand 30

♠A543
KQ8752
QT
♣8



Hand 31

♠KJ8743
9763
AK5




Hand 32

♠QJT5
AJ853
A9
♣63



Hand 33

♠K843
AKT75
QT8
♣8



Hand 34

♠7653
AKQJ54
3
♣85



Hand 35

♠QJ83
AKT852
Q94




Hand 36

♠AJT2
AKJ932
5
♣94



Hand 37

♠J762
AK843
2
♣J96



Hand 38

♠AT9743
K964
4
♣A7



Hand 39

♠K854
87643
JT
♣A2



Hand 40

♠JT865
K943
7
♣AJ5



Hand 41

♠9865
AKJ96
A9
♣64



Hand 42

♠J862
AQJ85
T9
♣84



Hand 43

♠AJ97
QJ742
5
♣863



Hand 44

♠AQT972
AT54
A
♣A6



Hand 45

♠QJ954
AQ52
K
♣953



Hand 46

♠KQJ952
A873
96
♣3



Hand 47

♠AKT853
QJ63
62
♣Q



Hand 48

♠A752
AT875
J43
♣A



Hand 49

♠QJ642
A843
83
♣J2



Hand 50

♠AKQJ
J8643
63
♣43



Hand 51

♠KJ764
KT43
K5
♣J4



Hand 52

♠AK65
KT742
2
♣QJ3



Hand 53

♠KQT973
AJ86
9
♣A6



Hand 54

♠QT754
J862
6
♣AJ7



Hand 55

♠J6532
KT96
A97
♣T



Hand 56

♠QT53
AJT86
Q7
♣86



Hand 57

♠8632
AQ765
A7
♣Q3



Hand 58

♠76543
AK72
T
♣J87



Hand 59

♠KQ9654
AJT6
42
♣7



Hand 60

♠AQ954
QJ54
A97
♣8



Hand 61

♠AK5432
8764
94
♣A



Hand 62

♠AQJ63
KJ92
7
♣532



Hand 63

♠AQJ95
A984
A3
♣86



Hand 64

♠AJ9876
KT95
6
♣A6



Hand 65

♠KQ75
KQJ843
2
♣T6



Hand 66

♠JT943
J653
AJ
♣Q8



Hand 67

♠KJ643
J642
QT
♣Q2



Hand 68

♠AJ72
KT872
94
♣A4



Hand 69

♠A842
AK874
J42
♣7



Hand 70

♠J985
AJT754
2
♣A2



Hand 71

♠AKJT95
QJ72
QT
♣5



Hand 72

♠AT53
QT872
A2
♣65



Hand 73

♠A98654
A752
A3
♣2



Hand 74

♠QT854
AQJ5
9
♣983



Hand 75

♠J742
AKJ975
A8
♣5



Hand 76

♠AQ54
QJT73
J83
♣4



Hand 77

♠AKJ983
K862
3
♣J5



Hand 78

♠AT95
KT843
Q6
♣72



Hand 79

♠AQ9742
K732
J6
♣K



Hand 80

♠KT762
KT93
A
♣953



Hand 81

♠KT72
A7654
83
♣J8



Hand 82

♠AQJT
AJ6543
J4
♣Q



Hand 83

♠AJ9764
A652
A
♣54



Hand 84

♠AJT6
KT9863

♣A63



Hand 85

♠JT96
KJT32
76
♣K5



Hand 86

♠A765
K8764
QT6
♣7



Hand 87

♠KQ9432
AJ82
9
♣A3



Hand 88

♠AT8532
KQ86
J2
♣6



Hand 89

♠AT52
JT953
T8
♣AT



Hand 90

♠AK985
K983
87
♣Q9



Hand 91

♠AKJ8
AQT943
A94




Hand 92

♠AT83
AQT632
8
♣A9



Hand 93

♠A8543
AJ72
KT
♣T7



Hand 94

♠AKT654
K964
9
♣82



Hand 95

♠AJT9
KQJT86
Q9
♣T



Hand 96

♠KQJ975
AK83
94
♣6



Hand 97

♠Q752
AQ6543

♣Q75



Hand 98

♠AKJ2
AQJ532
K6
♣9



Hand 99

♠JT873
AQ75
Q3
♣85



Hand 100

♠QJT53
AJ72
T8
♣T7



Hand 101

♠A8752
AJ54
8
♣T62



Hand 102

♠A9765
A654
A65
♣3



Hand 103

♠Q763
Q9654
AQ
♣92



Hand 104

♠QJ98
QJ986
AK
♣82



Hand 105

♠KJT3
KJ965
JT3
♣8



Hand 106

♠KT65
AKJT74
T8
♣9



Hand 107

♠KJT64
AK98
T4
♣K7



Hand 108

♠AKQT83
T764
74
♣J



Hand 109

♠A942
KQT654
9
♣A2



Hand 110

♠AK965
9876
QJ5
♣Q



Hand 111

♠AKQ986
QJ96
Q7
♣T



Hand 112

♠KJ865
Q642
AK
♣J4



Hand 113

♠AKT64
J975
8
♣JT7



Hand 114

♠QJ9543
KJ73

♣KQ7



Hand 115

♠A96432
A532
7
♣A5



Hand 116

♠K876
AQJT72
Q9
♣7



Hand 117

♠K9763
A643
T72
♣A



Hand 118

♠AK96
AKJ875
A8
♣9



Monday, June 6, 2016

1NT: Responder has a 5 card major and also a 4 card major

If you are not sure what Stayman is, please check out the previous Stayman posts before reading this one:
Introducing Stayman
Responding to Stayman

You also need to know what Jacoby Transfers are so first read this post: Introducing Jacoby Transfers.
Then read this post: Jacoby Transfers - Completing the Transfer

Partner opened the bidding 1NT (15 to 17). What do I do with this hand:
♠KQ932
AJ82
93
♣83

I know one thing. I need to get this partnership to game. I have 10 HCP and Partner opened the bidding 1NT. Together we have the values for game. Since I have at least 8 HCP I am going to bid Stayman. That way I get the best of both worlds. If I find a 4-4 fit in we will play there. If I find a 5-4 fit in ♠ we will play there. So once I bid Stayman if Partner bids 2 I will bid 4. If Partner instead bids 2♠ I will bid 4♠. Easy.

Life is never that easy however so after my 2♣ bid Partner responds 2 saying they do not have a 4 card major. Hmmmm. We still could have a 5-3 major suit fit. I have 5 ♠. I know Partner does not have 4 of them but Partner could have 3 of them. Though they might only have a doubleton. How do I find out if we have a 5-3 ♠ fit? Here I need to bid my ♠ suit again. This must show a 5th card in the suit. After all, if I only had 4 ♠ in my hand I would now know we don't have a fit. Partner has denied having 4 of them. So here I can either rebid 2♠ or rebid 3♠. The difference is in my point count. If I have enough for game I need to jump to 3♠. This shows a 5 card ♠ suit and at least 10 HCP. If I were to rebid 2♠ this still shows a 5 card ♠ suit but now denies having enough for a game. But I still must have 8 HCP because I went through Stayman. So I have at least 8 HCP but not 10 HCP -- 8 or 9 HCP.

When I bid Stayman and Partner says they do not have a 4 card major if I were to bid a major I not only show at least 5 of that major but I also show 4 of the other major. Why is that? Because if I only had a 5 or a 6 card major I would have started with a transfer bid. I would not have started with Stayman. Stayman guarantees at least 1 major suit with exactly 4 cards in it.

Here is a table that shows what you should have for this auction:
1NT
2♣ 2
If you now bid: This shows:
2 A five card suit (along with a 4 card ♠ suit) with 8 or 9 HCP
2♠ A five card ♠ suit (along with a 4 card suit) with 8 or 9 HCP
3 A five card suit (along with a 4 card ♠ suit) with 10 or more HCP
3♠ A five card ♠ suit (along with a 4 card suit) with 10 or more HCP


On all these hands Partner opened the bidding 1NT. I bid 2♣ (Stayman) and Partner responded 2 saying they do not have a 4 card major. What is my bid now?

Hand 1

♠AKQJ
J8643
63
♣43



Hand 2

♠AK985
K983
87
♣Q9



Hand 3

♠9865
AKJ96
A9
♣64



Hand 4

♠QJ642
A843
83
♣J2



Hand 5

♠K9763
A643
T72
♣A



Hand 6

♠AT52
JT953
T8
♣AT



Hand 7

♠JT96
KJT32
76
♣K5



Hand 8

♠K843
AKT75
QT8
♣8



Hand 9

♠AK965
9876
QJ5
♣Q



Hand 10

♠A9765
A654
A65
♣3



Hand 11

♠AJ72
KT872
94
♣A4



Hand 12

♠A8752
AJ54
8
♣T62



Hand 13

♠K854
87643
JT
♣A2



Hand 14

♠KJ643
J642
QT
♣Q2



Hand 15

♠AQJ95
A984
A3
♣86



Hand 16

♠QJT53
AJ72
T8
♣T7



Hand 17

♠QJ98
QJ986
AK
♣82



Hand 18

♠QT854
AQJ5
9
♣983



Hand 19

♠QJT5
AJ853
A9
♣63



Hand 20

♠QT754
J862
6
♣AJ7



Hand 21

♠KJT3
KJ965
JT3
♣8



Hand 22

♠KT72
A7654
83
♣J8



Hand 23

♠8632
AQ765
A7
♣Q3



Hand 24

♠8542
AK852
Q63
♣A



Hand 25

♠KT762
KT93
A
♣953



Hand 26

♠A765
K8764
QT6
♣7



Hand 27

♠AJ97
QJ742
5
♣863



Hand 28

♠KJ764
KT43
K5
♣J4



Hand 29

♠J6532
KT96
A97
♣T



Hand 30

♠Q8764
AQ42
A3
♣K4



Hand 31

♠A975
AJT95
3
♣962



Hand 32

♠AQ54
QJT73
J83
♣4



Hand 33

♠J762
AK843
2
♣J96



Hand 34

♠QT72
KQ975
KT
♣53



Hand 35

♠J862
AQJ85
T9
♣84



Hand 36

♠Q763
Q9654
AQ
♣92



Hand 37

♠KJ865
Q642
AK
♣J4



Hand 38

♠JT865
K943
7
♣AJ5



Hand 39

♠AQJ63
KJ92
7
♣532



Hand 40

♠AT95
KT843
Q6
♣72



Hand 41

♠AK963
A632
6
♣AT4



Hand 42

♠AT652
T986
T
♣AQ9



Hand 43

♠AKT64
J975
8
♣JT7



Hand 44

♠76543
AK72
T
♣J87



Hand 45

♠9732
KJ842
A74
♣4



Hand 46

♠A752
AT875
J43
♣A



Hand 47

♠A842
AK874
J42
♣7



Hand 48

♠A8543
AJ72
KT
♣T7



Hand 49

♠AK65
KT742
2
♣QJ3



Hand 50

♠AQ954
QJ54
A97
♣8



Hand 51

♠AT53
QT872
A2
♣65



Hand 52

♠AT732
QJ52
J4
♣J5



Hand 53

♠J743
AQJ92
984
♣4



Hand 54

♠JT873
AQ75
Q3
♣85



Hand 55

♠JT943
J653
AJ
♣Q8



Hand 56

♠KJT64
AK98
T4
♣K7



Hand 57

♠Q964
AK832
875
♣4



Hand 58

♠QJ954
AQ52
K
♣953



Hand 59

♠QJT98
KJ94
9
♣JT7



Hand 60

♠QT53
AJT86
Q7
♣86