Confusing Lead

Another Deal from Patton Team Matches in Mersin Bridge Festivals.

Board 1 South Deals Both Vul	♠ K Q ♥ 10 4 2 ♦ 8 3 ♣ A K J 9 7 4
	N W E S
	♠ A 9 7 5 4 3 ♥ A Q J 7 ♦ 9 ♣ Q 10

West	North	East	South
			1 ♠
Pass	2 ♣	Pass	2 ♥
Pass	3 ♣	Pass	6 ♣
All pass

After this bidding you get a ♥ lead ? How do you play ?

If you play Ace, no chance other than bare JT ♠. I was on the lead to 6♣ and after some thinking
declerar played ace and down -2. In the Open room score was 4♠ +2.

Board 1 South Deals Both Vul	♠ K Q ♥ 10 4 2 ♦ 8 3 ♣ A K J 9 7 4
♠ J 2 ♥ 9 6 ♦ A K 10 7 6 ♣ 8 6 3 2	N W E S	♠ 10 8 6 ♥ K 8 5 3 ♦ Q J 5 4 2 ♣ 5
	♠ A 9 7 5 4 3 ♥ A Q J 7 ♦ 9 ♣ Q 10

A Little To Encourage

Another Deal from Mersin Bridge Festivals 2012.

What to bid over Partner's 3♠ (sing or void) bid ?

Board 1 East Deals None Vul

N W E S

♠ K J 9 3 ♥ Q 5 4 ♦ A Q ♣ A 10 7 5

West	North	East	South
Uzum		Me
		1 NT	2 ♠*
3 ♦*	Pass	3 ♥*	Pass
3 ♠*	Pass	?

                         
                                   2♠ : ♠+minor
                                   3♦ : 5+♥ GF
                                   3♥: fit
                                   3♠ : sing or void in ♠




     I bid 4♥ and after my partner's hesitation AP. Then I regret for this hand bidding 4♥ over 3♠ because,
at first sight  my ♠ values not good for sing ♠ however, other values are very good so I ve forgot to bid 3NT
which will suit best for this hand.

Board 1 East Deals None Vul	♠ 8 7 6 4 ♥ J 7 6 ♦ 10 8 6 3 ♣ 9 6
♠ 5 ♥ A K 9 8 3 2 ♦ K 9 7 4 2 ♣ 4	N W E S	♠ K J 9 3 ♥ Q 5 4 ♦ A Q ♣ A 10 7 5
	♠ A Q 10 2 ♥ 10 ♦ J 5 ♣ K Q J 8 3 2

West	North	East	South
Uzum		Me
		1 NT	2 ♠
3 ♦	Pass	3 ♥	Pass
3 ♠	Pass	?

With a little careful play 6♥ is made.We are lucky that opponents score was 6♥-1.

International Mersin Bridge Festivals 2012

Mersin Bridge Festivals takes in every year with generous cash prizes both in Patton team matches and MP tournaments.

This year ZABUNOĞLU (Okan Zabunoğlu, Sabri Alan, Doğan Üzüm, Erdem Öztürk) team won Patton Team matches. Here are some deals.

             Sabri Alan-Okan Zabunoğlu-Erdem Öztürk-Doğan Üzüm

This board was the first board of the Patton Teams Matches.

Me holding these cards, following bidding takes place.

Board 1 South Deals E-W Vul	N W E S	♠ A Q J 10 ♥ J 8 ♦ 8 6 ♣ K Q 9 4 2

West	North	East	South
Uzum		Me
			Pass
1 ♥	2 ♦	Dbl	Pass
3 ♥	4 ♦	4 ♥	5 ♦
Pass	Pass	5 ♥	6 ♦
Pass	Pass	6 ♥	Pass
Pass	Dbl	All pass

After this unexpected slam bid, N couldnt stop to dbl. However this was a lay down 12 tricks.

Board 1 South Deals E-W Vul	♠ 9 6 ♥ A 9 3 ♦ A J 10 9 5 4 3 ♣ 5
♠ K 8 7 ♥ K Q 6 5 4 2 ♦ — ♣ A 8 6 3	N W E S	♠ A Q J 10 ♥ J 8 ♦ 8 6 ♣ K Q 9 4 2
	♠ 5 4 3 2 ♥ 10 7 ♦ K Q 7 2 ♣ J 10 7

I think after West 3 ♥ free bid I should bid other than 4 ♥ over 4♦. 4♠ is an option, It shall not be long ♠ to play. If south would have supported his partner It will be a question if things will be easier or not. In the open room bidding was simple: South bidding 5♦, West 5 ♥ and East 6 ♥ AP.  

To bid Own suit or Support Partner ?

I am sure always you re in question between whether to bid your own suit or give your support to your partner.
This is what I want to mention when there is an overcall.Are you one of those who just bid your own suit or directly give support ?

For example your partner opens 1© and RHO 1ª your hand:
ª-
©QJxx
¨AJxxxx
§AJx

This was a real life hand and was my partner's. What would you do when you had this hand?
Do you bid 2ª, 2¨, 3ª, 4ª ? so many options.

Or you have hand below:

ªxxx
©QJx
¨AJxxx
§AJ

I will write opener's hand and everything will be clear. There should be one thing you should remember that is which of the suit has most potential of being trumps. I am not mentioning quality of suit or your support just to see the wide view.

Partner has following (this is the original hand):

ªxxx                           ª-
©AKxxx                      ©QJxx
¨Kx                            ¨AJxxxx
§Kxx                          §AJx

However, partner might have the following:

ªxxx                           ª-
©AKxxx                      ©QJxx
¨KQx                          ¨AJxxxx
§xxx                           §AJx



7¨ is lay down but 7© has no chance.

Bu if you had this hand :

ªxxx
©QJx  
¨AJxxx
§AJ

This might make a sense because if partner has ¨ fit and short in ª , 6 or 7 can make while H no chance in slams

ª -                             ªxx
©AKxxx                     ©QJx
¨KQxx                       ¨AJxxx
§Kxxx                        §Axx

This time 7© has no chance, however in 7¨ you have14 tricks :)

I hope this helps a bit.

From Dusk to Dawn

     Holding this hand in Winter Teams match bidding went on as it appears:

♠-                           

♥ATxxx

♦J76

♣Qxxxx

Dealer N
Vul:N/S

N     E     S    W(me)

p     1♠    p     1nt

       2nt*  p    3♣**

       3♠***

2nt*  : 5/5 or 6/4 16+pts

3♣**: Relay

3♠   : 5/5 ♠ + diamond

     After this rarely seen sequence, I was happy remember correctly all these conventions. Now its time to bid the game. After a quick look at 3nt, I decided to bid 5♦ rather than 3nt but wait a second no one bid ♦ before. After this tiring bidding I dont want to play 5♦. So creative mind(!) makes his own way. I bid 4♣ hoping p bid 4♦ and I will tie it to a game. However, this creative mind(!) did not expect this bidding :

     

 N      E      S    W(me)

  p     1♠     p     1nt

  p     2nt*   p     3♣**

         3♠***        4♣

         4♥            5♦

         6♦!!!

    
       Now I believe that I am so close to "What did hit me" thing. Then my RHO cash her Ace of ♣. Something not in order I guess.No, no, no one can make me believe that I am the dummy if it was, we were not playing level 6! This was a obvious Defenders Lead Out of Turn.

Then I called TD and this time I told him that I do not want a ♣ lead. Why I say this time? Because

few years ago when I was the declerar of 6♠ in junior championship in Turkey my RHO Lead Out of Turn. Same guy istting in front of me at this 6♦ deal. It was again a club lead and I told director that my decision was "lead whatever you want". And I saw LHO cashing Ace of clubs and ♣ ruff 6♠ -1. :)

          Anyway now we are the dealer of 6♦, while trying to make partner dealer of 5♦. What a shame!

Now new lead is K of ♥. and both hands:

♠AKQT72                   ♠ -

♥-                              ♥ATxxx  

♦AQ942                     ♦J76

♣xx                           ♣Qxxxx

discarding club from dummy and playing J of ♦ and winning, one more ♦ and K appears, a ♠ ruff

and dummy is good. LHO did not play K from doubleton. Who would beileve after all these we will end up with 6♦ made.

Multi show

-----One more deal from 22nd European Youth Championship.

Vul: All

♠Qx--------------------♠xx
♥QJ6-----W----E----♥AT7654
♦AQx------------------♦JT9x
♣AJT96---------------♣K


Which contract is best when you just take a look at both hands?



Obviously 4♥.


Lets see what happened in real.

At our table East opened 2♦*(multi) , I bid 2♠ and left 4♣ ...

My hand:

♠AKxxxx
♥Kx
♦-
♣xxxxx

While I was thinking what to bid over 4♥ a miracle happened and RHO passed to 4♣. When I asked LHO my screen mate what 4♣ is the answer was told with anger that was transfer to 4♥. 4♣ was down 4.

N-----E-----S----W
------2♦*---2♠----4♣
All pass

Lets look at the bidding in the closed room.

N-----E-----S----W
------2♦*---2♠----3♣
All pass



Nothing changes much, except 1 level lower. 3♣ down 2 and 5 imps for us.
All tables played this hand either 4♥ or 4♠ except for 2 teams.
So, I advise you to revise these kind of sequences if you play multi convention.

Save the Queen

---Another deal from 22nd European Youth Championship which needs a bit care not much.

Me holding:

♠Q4
♥KJT93
♦Kx
♣AQxx

My partner opened 1♠, I bid 2♥ and he 2nt meaning 15+ balanced. I thought that slam is cold and bid 5nt to choose a slam and last bid was 6♥ from my p.

N-----E-----S----W
1♠-----p----2♥----p
2nt----p----5nt---p
6♥-----All pass

After 9 of ♦ both hands:

♠AKT98------♠Q7

♥A87---------♥KJT96
♦Axx---------♦Kx
♣xx-----------♣AQxx

At first sight it seems that contract is safe when Q of trump is found. I played J of ♥ and let North win with Q and after he returned ♣ I have realized that I was asked 2 big questions which are ; is J of ♠ is falling? or finesse works? Because if I get 5 spades I have 5+4+2+1 12 tricks however if I get 4 tricks from spades I have 12 tricks with ♣ finesse.

I would have come up with solution if I had thought in a proper way that is clear that if I loose ♥ finesse to LHO I can still try ♣ finesse if ♠ is not good. When I lost J of ♥ to RHO and forced for a ♣ finesse I got it with ace and cashed ♠ honours which was 4-1 ♠ break for a down 1. And in the closed room it was played 4♥ making 6.