Looking for favorable holdings …

Both notrump hands that I declared as West at yesterday’s club duplicate game were interesting, with hopes realized for favorable opposing holdings in a key suit.  Each of the hands also contained some difficult bidding decisions.

West ♠ AKQJ ♥ 865 ♦ JT4 ♣ JT9

East ♠ 42 ♥ AT42 ♦ Q732 ♣ K64

West	North	East	South
—	P	P	1♦
P	1♥	P	P
1NT	All pass

I am not reluctant to overcall a four card major, but only when my suit is good (definitely true here), my hand is good (not true here) and, if applicable, I have poor support for the other major (not true here).  I passed 1♦ and then decided to balance with 1NT.

North led the ♣5.  I was much surprised to see partner’s hand show with four hearts.  I would not have expected East to have passed 1♥ with a doubleton heart.  Perhaps she was dealt a hand that might have considered opening 2♦, but she pulled in the reins a bit?  (Or maybe 2♦ would not have been a weak two?; I should have checked.)  At any rate, the first trick proceeds small, seven, won in hand.  With few choices for trick development available, I advanced the ♦J at Trick 2.  South won the ♦K and returned a spade.  I won the ♠K and led a club toward dummy.  North rose with the ♣A — South following suit with the ♣2 — and then led a third round of clubs, dummy winning with the ♣K and South discarding a small diamond.  Now it is pretty clear that South’s distribution in 4=2=5=2.  Probably her heart doubleton includes at least one honor.  I led a small diamond toward my hand, and was allowed to win the ♦T.  If there is a heart unblock to be had, perhaps it will be harder for South to foresee the earlier I make a heart play?  So, thinking, I played to the ♥A in dummy and was pleased to see only small hearts played.  I next played the remaining three high spades and exited with a heart.   Success, as South won and had to give dummy a second diamond trick at the end, my side scoring nine tricks (2 of each minor plus the five top majors).  70% board.  Not the best defense, but one has to take advantage of opportunities, too.  Here was the whole hand:

Dealer: N Vul: E-W	North ♠ T53 ♥ QJ97 ♦ 6 ♣ AQ853
West ♠ AKQJ ♥ 865 ♦ JT4 ♣ JT9		East ♠ 42 ♥ AT42 ♦ Q732 ♣ K64
	South ♠ 9876 ♥ K3 ♦ AK985 ♣ 72

Next …

West ♠ 8 ♥ QT984 ♦ J92 ♣ AQ93

East ♠ KQT7653 ♥ K ♦ KQ4 ♣ JT

West	North	East	South
P	P	1♠	P
1NT (semi-forcing)	P	3♠	P
3NT	All pass

Partner had two tough bidding decisions on the hand.  I can see an argument for either a 2♠ rebid or the chosen 3♠ rebid (prefer partner’s table choice).  Passing 3NT seems unusual to me, because of both the seventh spade and the absence of aces.  The absence of aces suggests that one might need the protection of the trump suit to knock out side cards while setting up tricks outside the trump suit.  All that aside, I now had to declare 3NT.  What is your plan, with lead of ♦5?

At the table, I won the ♦K in dummy and next floated the ♣J, with multiple options available, although none of them certain:

• If the ♣J is covered by the ♣K, win in hand and play on spades.  How to play the spades is a problem.  If North has a two- or three-card holding that includes the jack, the winning play is to finesse the ♠T, followed, as soon as allowed, by a high honor.  But if North has a two card holding that includes the ace or a three card holding that includes the ace but not the jack, the winning play is to play a high honor first, but then you have to guess whether to play small next (wins when the ace is doubleton) or a second high honor next (wins when the jack is doubleton).  One guess seems better than two, and so I think the best spade play is to finesse the ♠T.  If the spade suit lies favorably, the spade suit will be good for six winners and only one loser.  When added to the three established clubs and the diamond already in, that is ten winners, losing only to the three missing aces.
• If the ♣J is not covered but wins, one might run the risk of assuming that the ♣K is offside  … often table action of the opponents will provide a clue.  That would mean that 4♠ is off (at least) one trick in each suit.  Win a second club with the ace and finesse the ♠T.  If you find a favorable spade lie, you will have nine tricks ready to run and the opponents will have only three aces and the ♣K to cash.
• If the ♣J loses to the ♣K, three club tricks are established and any return by North might help you establish a trick in a side suit.  Most damning return might be a small heart.

The ♣J was won by North’s ♣K and a heart returned.  South won the ♥A and returned another heart.  At this point I am at risk even if I get the spade suit right:  maybe I should have won the opening lead in hand and tried spades right away?  If I rise with the ♥Q, then I can lose not only ♣K and ♥A already lost, but also the two pointed suit aces and the ♥J.  Finessing the ♥T is foisted.

Fortunately, the ♥T wins this trick and the ♠T the next trick.  I force out the ♠A and soon claim nine tricks, losing one trick in each suit.  Maybe partner’s pass of 3NT is better than I had credited?  94% board, on this layout:

Dealer: W Vul: N-S	North ♠ J2 ♥ 632 ♦ A875 ♣ K862
West ♠ 8 ♥ QT984 ♦ J92 ♣ AQ93		East ♠ KQT7653 ♥ K ♦ KQ4 ♣ JT
	South ♠ A94 ♥ AJ75 ♦ T63 ♣ 754

I was lucky on each hand, to find a favorable heart holding with South of Kx on the first hand (and no unblock), and to find a favorable spade lie on the second hand.