Have you ever played in Stayman?

Have you ever played in Stayman?

Oh, I know you've played the convention. No, I mean played the hand in Stayman.  My partner did so yesterday evening:

W

West

N

Poor pard!

E

East

S

Me

—

—

Pass

1NT¹

Pass

2♦²

All Pass

(1) 12-15

(2) Game-forcing Stayman

Having recently switched to a weak NT structure, we had been practicing escape sequences if the NT bid got doubled.  If West had doubled, 2D by partner would be a sign-off. As you can see, West did not double, but I was well and truly engrossed into escape sequences. Hence the pass of partner's Stayman bid.  Partner played the silly contract rather well, but 2D making 7 was worth zero match points.

But there are some days when the luck is with you. We did not have a spectacular game, but still ended up with 56% and in second place.  Here's one instance of luck being with us -- they got to 5C on this sequence:

W

Me

N

North

E

East

S

Declarer

—

—

—

1♣

1♥

2♦

Pass

5♣

All Pass

Sitting West, and holding my cards, what do you lead?

.

N

Dummy

♠

xx

♥

KQJxx

♦

AKJxx

♣

5

W

Me

♠

AQ9

♥

A9852

♦

10543

♣

6

Lead: ♣6

I decided to lead a low trump.  Partner contributes the 9 and declarer wins with the 10.  Declarer now advances the 3 of hearts.  What do you do?

The play of declarer's singleton was suspicious -- it is almost as if declarer was trying to set up a bunch of discards. So, I took my Ace of hearts and put down the Ace of spades. Partner encouraged this, and we cashed three spades. 5C down 2 was worth all of the matchpoints.  This was the full deal:

.

Vul: None

Dlr: North

N

North

♠

xx

♥

KQJxx

♦

AKJxx

♣

5

.

W

West

♠

AQ9

♥

A9852

♦

10543

♣

6

Lead: ♣6

E

Me

♠

K10xxx

♥

xx

♦

Qxxx

♣

9x

.

S

South

♠

Jxx

♥

3

♦

—

♣

AKQJ10xxxx

.

Why was this result lucky? Because most of the field was in Gambling 3NT, making.  The only way to beat it is for West to cash his AQ of spades and lead a spade to his partner. Lead anything else (except Ace heart, then shift to spades), and declarer has 11 top tricks. Lead the 9 of spades, and spades are blocked. Understandably, no one found that defense -- I don't think I would have found it either.

Finding the defense to 5C was far easier and on days when Lady Luck is with you, the defenses you are called on to find are easier.

Extra chances

At a club game, partner and I pick up:

W

Partner

♠

AJ

♥

Kx

♦

AJ

♣

KQ10xxxx

Lead: ♠K

E

Me

♠

xx

♥

AJ109xx

♦

Q10x

♣

Ax

We quickly bid our way to slam:

W

Partner

N

North

E

Me

S

South

1♣¹

Pass

1♥²

Pass

2♣³

Pass

2♥⁴

Pass

3♥⁵

Pass

4♣⁶

Pass

4♦⁷

Pass

4NT⁸

Pass

5♣⁹

Pass

6♥

All Pass

(1) 16+ points, artificial

(2) 4+ hearts, 8+ points

(3) 5+ clubs

(4) 6+ hearts

(5) 2-3 hearts, extras

(6) club control, denies spade control

(7) have spade control and a diamond control

(8) RKC for hearts

(9) 3 keycards

What do you think of the bidding?  Partner has taken an extremely rosy view of his cards twice -- once with his 3H bid and the second time by cue-bidding diamonds after knowing we are off the king of spades.

The bad guys lead the King of Spades (of course) and now, can you justify partner's confidence?  What would be your plan?

At the table, I decided that if the heart finesse worked and clubs were not 4-0, the slam would make.  So, I took the Ace of spades, King of hearts and hooked the jack of hearts. Alas, it was not to be. South took his queen of hearts and the queen of spades. Down 1.

As my Jack of hearts hit the table, I realized that I had messed up.  There is a better line. Let's assume clubs are not 4-0.  Then, the heart finesse is a 50% chance.  A better line is to play two rounds of hearts.  Maybe South started with a doubleton queen and it drops. Then, I can pull trumps and discard my spade and diamond losers on dummy's clubs.  Alternately, perhaps the queen doesn't drop.  As long as the person with the third heart also has 2 or more clubs, I can still throw away my losing spade.  The combined chances for a doubleton queen of hearts, 2-2 clubs, or 3-1 clubs with the person with the queen of hearts also having the third club are together more than 50%. Surely.

Looking at the hand records after the game, we found that no one had bid the slam. So, by not taking all my chances, I had exchanged a clear top for a clear bottom.

Sevens and sixes are crucial

In a strong club game, no one vulnerable, I pick up:

E

Me

♠

7

♥

QJ106

♦

108

♣

AJ8543

North is dealer and he opens. The auction goes:

W

West

N

North

E

Me

S

South

—

1♣

1♥¹

1♠

2♥

4♠

All Pass

(1) wise move?

Was that four-card overcall wise?  Did I really want a heart lead from partner?

Partner leads the Ace of hearts (promising the king):

N

North

♠

K1095

♥

874

♦

A5

♣

KQ102

.

Lead: ♥A

E

Me

♠

7

♥

QJ106

♦

108

♣

AJ8543

I encourage with the 6 of hearts, but partner probably has 4 hearts and thinks declarer is void. He switches smartly to a club.  Declarer plays the King and I take the Ace.  Now what?

I cash the queen of hearts. Declarer follows.  Now what?

It's too late now. Too happy to be able to cash a second  heart, I had failed to notice the club that partner had led and the club that declarer had played.  If partner has the singleton club, I need to get our side a club ruff. If partner has the doubleton, a club return gives declarer a potential diamond discard. I erred on the side of passivity and led another heart.

This was the complete hand.  Partner had led the 7 of clubs.  Sadly, I don't know if declarer false carded with the 9 or if he woodenly played the 6 (as I probably would have).

.

Vul: None

Dlr: North

N

North

♠

K1095

♥

874

♦

A5

♣

KQ102

.

W

West

♠

82

♥

AK32

♦

Q76432

♣

7

Lead: ♥A

E

Me

♠

7

♥

QJ106

♦

108

♣

AJ8543

.

S

South

♠

AQJ643

♥

95

♦

KJ9

♣

96

.

Sevens and sixes are important in this game!

Can you trust partner's signal?

First of all, a lead problem.  The bidding has gone:

W

West

N

Partner

E

East

S

Me

1♣

2♥¹

3♦

3♥

5♦

All Pass

(1) weak

You hold:

S

South

♠

Axx

♥

A10x

♦

xxx

♣

xxxx

What do you lead?

I reasoned that a passive lead was probably unwise, since West's clubs rated to be very good.  Partner having shown 6  hearts, it appears to be reasonably safe to lead the ace of hearts.  Dummy comes down:

S

Me

♠

Axx

♥

A10x

♦

xxx

♣

xxxx

.

Lead: ♥A

W

Dummy

♠

Qxx

♥

x

♦

KJxx

♣

AKQJx

Under the ace, partner plays the 8 of hearts. Your agreements are quite simple: upside down count and attitude.   What is partner trying to say?


In this case, partner's count and attitude are both already known. He has 6 hearts and any heart continuation is going to be ruffed in  dummy.  So, it must be suit preference.  I am a little doubtful though, because we have not quite agreed on suit preference situations.

I decide to trust partner to be signaling suit preference and I plop down my second unsupported ace. The ace of spades.

Under the ace of spades, partner plays the 8 of spades. What is partner trying to say?  What do you do next?

At the table, I decided that partner had probably forgotten about suit preference and was emphatically discouraging both hearts and spades. Ergo, he must be void in clubs. I led a club, hoping for a ruff.

That was not the right move, because declarer now proceeded to make his contract:

.

Vul: E-W

Dlr: West

N

North

♠

KJ108

♥

KQ8xxx

♦

x

♣

xx

.

W

West

♠

Qxx

♥

x

♦

KJxx

♣

AKQJx

E

East

♠

xxx

♥

J9x

♦

AQxxx

♣

xx

.

S

South

♠

Axx

♥

A10x

♦

xxx

♣

xxxx

.

Partner had not forgotten.  The 8 of spades was his lowest spade and he was encouraging as best  he could.

The thing is, once he'd given suit preference for spades, his job was done. I need not have looked at what he played under my Ace of spades. Put another way, with a club void, he'd have played low under the Ace of hearts.  That is, if he and I are agreed to play suit preference when dummy has a singleton in our bid and raised suit.

What are your agreements regarding suit preference? Are they complete enough to avoid a mishap like ours?

Can you trust the opponents?

Playing against two good players, who would go on to win the game yesterday evening, I pick up:

S

South (Me)

♠

AK10x

♥

KQx

♦

Q10xx

♣

Jx

The bidding goes:

W

West

N

North

E

East

S

Me

1♥

Pass

1NT

?

What would you now bid?

We are at favorable vulnerability and the bidding, if one can trust the opponents, seemed to indicate that partner was likely to have length in spades.  I bid 2S, which was passed out.

This did not play very well, to put it mildly, as the hand turned out to be:

.

Vul: E-W

Dlr: West

N

North

♠

9x

♥

A9xxx

♦

xx

♣

Qxxx

.

W

West

♠

xx

♥

J10xxx

♦

AKJx

♣

Ax

Lead: ♣A

E

East

♠

QJxxx

♥

—

♦

xxx

♣

K10xxx

.

S

South

♠

AK10x

♥

KQx

♦

Q10xx

♣

Jx

.

With 5-5 in the black suits and a void in partner's suit, East had bid 1NT!  Unfortunately, the rest of the field was either in 1NT our way (making) or 2NT their way (down 1 or 2).

Bidding slams

Playing online with one of my regular partners, we ran into two slammish hands.

Here is one that we missed:

N

Pard

♠

Q108

♥

KJ9

♦

AQ109654

♣

—

Lead: ♣K

S

Me

♠

AKJ6

♥

A106532

♦

7

♣

95

This was the bidding:

W

West

N

North

E

East

S

Me

—

—

Pass

1♥

Pass

2♦

Pass

2♠

Pass

3♥

Pass

3♠¹

Pass

4♣²

Pass

4NT³

Pass

5♥⁴

All Pass

(1) cue-bid

(2) cue-bid

(3) RKC

(4) 2 keys without trump queen

Partner's told me (I thought) that he had the club Ace, and now we missing either the Ace of diamonds or the king of trumps. And no queen either.  I passed 5H out.

Dummy came down and, with the club lead, I had the tempo to ruff my clubs in dummy and play the king of trumps. When hearts turned out to be 2-2, I made 7.  Obviously, 5H+2 was not a great result.  Where did we go wrong in the bidding?


As if to compensate, we ended up in a no-play slam on this hand:

W

Me

♠

A108

♥

K4

♦

J1073

♣

10965

Lead: ♣K

E

Pard

♠

KQJ2

♥

AQJ872

♦

A

♣

Q7

Here, the bidding went:

W

West

N

North

E

East

S

South

Pass

Pass

2♣

Pass

2♦

Pass

2♥

Pass

2NT

Pass

3♠

Pass

3NT

Pass

4♥¹

Pass

6♥²

All Pass

(1) 6-4

(2) a bit rash?

Once partner showed me a 6-4 hand, I was stuck.  4S would be a preference for spades, not a cue-bid. I like my hand though, because I have two monster cards in partner's two suits. I guess there is no harm in asking for aces, but since I have no keycards in partner's short suits, it's no panacea -- off one keycard, I would still have to bid the slam. So, what's the right approach here?

Slam bidding is, of course, one of the most pleasurable parts of the game, so I need to get better at this stuff.