June 16 (STAC game)

After three passes, with N/S vulnerable, you need to decide what to do with the following hand.

♠ A 6
♥ K 10 6 5 3 2
♦ J 6
♣ K 7 6

Suppose you choose (questionably, for sure) to open 1 Heart.  The bidding then proceeds:
 P -  P -  P  - 1H
2D-2S - 3D - P
 P- 3H - 4D - P
 P - X - All pass

Partner was a passed hand, but then bid twice and doubled the opponents.  He must have a decent hand, though he can't have too many diamonds!

Partner leads the 9 of Spades and down comes a formidable dummy, all things considered.

          ♠ K Q J 3
          ♥ 8
          ♦ 9 8 4 3 2
          ♣ Q 10 8

♠ A 6
♥ K 10 6 5 3 2
♦ J 6
♣ K 7 6

Partner must not have the Ten, or he would have led it.  So, he bid 2 spades on a suit headed by the 9?  Well, he must have some outside strength...probably both red Aces.  (He needs the diamond Ace for the double and since he must not have 3-card heart support, he should probably have AQ of Hearts, or at least AJ.)  He can't then also have the Club Ace, then, or he would have opened the bidding. 

Would partner double, though, with a stiff Ace of Diamonds?  If he has a doubleton, then LHO overcalled with only 4 diamonds (albeit as a passed hand).  Wow, not sure what is going on here for sure, but LHO is probably 2-4-4-3 (and partner's 2S bid was a bit aggressive) or  1-4-5-3 or 2-4-5-2 (and partner made an aggressive double with a singleton trump).  

Declarer played a low spade from dummy (confirming that she held the Ten), and I won the Ace.  Thankfully, she played low (in hindsight, I probably should have ducked this trick, just in case she held the singleton Ten, as it would take her a bit of time to get over to dummy to set up the spades, and we could take our side suit tricks in the meantime.)

Since I am playing partner for the Diamond Ace, I decide to lead back a spade to the board.  Declarer cannot cash the spades now, or I'll ruff, and if she tries to draw trump first, partner will return a spade and I will ruff with my Jack.   Even though she will likely overruff, I have two reasons for doing this: first, if partner has AT of diamonds, I will promote his Ten; second, this will waste one of the good spades in dummy, and declarer will only get one pitch.

All goes as planned, as dummy wins the spade and returns a diamond which goes around to partner's Ace... Wait...Why isn't partner returning a spade?...Partner cashes the Heart Ace!  Oh, no, he must think I don't have another trump!  Of course!  He doesn't think West would overcall with a 4-card suit.    How can I get him to play another spade?   I can signal on the heart Ace.  Since dummy has a singleton, perhaps partner is cashing the Ace for me to show suit preference (I won't show attitude when dummy has a singleton with all those trumps.).  Accordingly, I play a high heart, which I think should say "I want a spade."  

However, partner now plays the Jack of Clubs, covered by the Queen.  I am frustrated and play the King (which might be a mistake, since declarer could then finesse partner's nine and not lose a club trick, but it really doesn't matter, since declarer now can draw trump and has two pitches on the spades and can ruff three hearts in dummy).  Making 4.

Board 12 West Deals N-S Vul

♠ 9 8 7 5 2 ♥ A J ♦ A 7 ♣ J 9 4 3

♠ 10 4 ♥ Q 9 7 4 ♦ K Q 10 5 ♣ A 5 2	N  W E S	♠ K Q J 3 ♥ 8 ♦ 9 8 4 3 2 ♣ Q 10 8
	♠ A 6 ♥ K 10 6 5 3 2 ♦ J 6 ♣ K 7 6

Partner and I had a good post mortem discussion about our well-deserved bottom on this board.  I really can't criticize him too much, because I certainly am guilty of not giving partner a ruff when it is practically demanded by partner.  In fact, I have done so in each of my last two games. (I often out think myself and come up with some reason not to do so.  This is what partner did.)

I can't blame partner for thinking I wouldn't have another trump left.  But, if he trusted me, he should have played that spade when he won the Diamond Ace.  Why else would I lead into the teeth of those spades on the board?  And, if he still wasn't sure, cashing the Heart Ace would still have been okay (since I had the Heart King instead of declarer!) if he read my high heart as suit preference.

Invariably you will face a decision where the clues don't add up.  In this case the decision was whether declarer had overcalled on a 4-card suit or whether partner had made a rather silly play.  It is good practice to trust partner and not the opponents!