You're right, I misread the auction (stupid computer formatting).

Produces a T from LHO and a club from RHO

It made way more sense before it was corrected, don't worry!

Very very interesting. Mind boggling, in fact.

Okay, so now that we can completely throw any inferences from the opponents out the window, what does LHO lead to trick 5? (I think I find ducking the ten at the table, but maybe not. Humor me.)

I don't know, I didn't find the duck and realized I was pretty much screwed at that point

LHO had 3-4-3-3 distribution and RHO had 4-0-3-6. I was surprised she didn't come back clubs in the bidding. But she didn't want to bid again with only 5 HCP.

I think it's still salvageable. Just have to find the club king to rid ourselves of the spade, right? Even without the clue you posted above, it's 2:1 to play RHO for the club king.

Also, this is where your opponent's NT range is vital. Assuming it's 15-17, then LHO has shown up with a 3=4=3=3 distribution by the play to the first four tricks and the bidding, and has shown the AJ and the AK. Only outstanding high cards are the Q and the K. If LHO had the K, they would have either 15 or 17 HCP and a 3=4=3=3 shape and opened 1NT. Ergo, they do not have the K, play RHO for it.

Edit to add: Assuming I'm in dummy, cash spade AK (no looking back now!), hook CQ, close eyes. If there's a small club on my left when I open my eyes, CA pitch spade, spade ruff, diamond ruff and I'm pretty sure we're home.

Chuck and I are in 5, IMPs, vulnerable.

A
K J 7 6
A K 7 4
A 6 4 2


J 7
A T
J T 9 2
Q T 7 5 3

Lead is the 2, and neither of our opponents bid.

What's the best way to play the clubs?

Lay down the ace and lead small to the Q. I don't really see what the alternative plan would be. Small to the Q immediately never gains. Leading the Q from hand and passing it only gains when LHO has K98 and RHO has J, while it loses on a lot more layouts than that (for starters, any layout with a single K).

Yeah, that's what I ended up doing.

LHO has KJ9, while RHO has the 8, so I guess theres no way they don't take 2 tricks here. What's a good book to read that just tells you how to play card combinations?

SUITPLAY is a small program that calculates optimum ways to play single suit combinations:
Suitplay

http://www.amazon.com/Combinations-D...8340104&sr=8-1

Okay, it won't help for ALL of them.

+1 for suitplay

Brag: You know you have had a good team match when you bid and make 2 grand slams with 24 and 23 HCP for 34 total IMPs

So, suitplay is amazing guys. <3<3<3

The Lawrence book is about how a given suit combination is played in the context of different types of hands - NOT about teaching you the standard plays for lots of suit combinations. There is an extensive table in the Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (1970s-era copies can be had for a couple dollars, languishing on used book store shelves all over the world). The gospel according to Roudinesco has been out of print for some time... its first 20 or 30 pages are golden summaries of principles, and the rest of the book detailed tables. I would love to see just that first chapter reprinted!

I have a request in for Suitplay now.... from the sound of it, it ought to replace most of what is in the card combination tables. (I don't know if it spells out when to play a suit differently if one opponent is presumed longer or stronger than the other, however.)

Agreed on all counts. If you just want the raw, in a vacuum, "best" play, then Suitplay is the way to go I think. Two minor quibbles I'd have with it:

1. You can't usually use it at the table, hehe.

2. I am pretty sure that it doesn't take defensive errors into account. Sometimes it can be worth giving up a 1-2% technical chance in exchange for giving the opponents to make a mistake (or a revealing hesitation).

This is absolutely true. I'd like to kind of think of it as a starting hand chart in Hold'em, except with a lot more potential entries. However, depending on the table, it may be correct to raise AJs UTG if one table is really tight (and they perceive you as the same), and not at others.

Same deal here.

/end bad anaolgy

R/R IMPS

Chuck deals and opens 1 (11-15). Opps are silent

A T 9 8 5

A J 9 3
A J 8 4

I say 1, he gives me 1NT.
I say 2, which shows 10+ hcp and 5 spades.
Then chuck responds 2

Now what?

Looks like you are destined to go down in 3NT, no matter what you say next. Might as well get it over with quickly...

On another note... got my copy of Suitplay and played around with it a bit. Nice for the percentage calculations -- a real pain finding out what line it means by "line A" and "line B": since it can't describe things in words like "cash the ace and then lead toward the jack", it's quite a chore to learn what play it is recommending. I have a feeling I'll still be looking things up in Roudinesco much more often than plugging them in to Suitplay. I'm glad the software is available... a good resource for whomever writes the next card combinations book

Maybe hit undo and rebid 2D instead, so that 3C would be right. You needed to plan for this. Bid equal-length suits up the line only with four-card majors, and only at the one-level (and in response to Stayman after your notrump opening) -- the rest of the time, bid the higher suit if you can at the same level. There are exceptions, but this principle will serve you in good stead.

As bid to that point... crap. May have to bid 3D, confusing partner quite a bit. (He may take you for the same shape but weak diamonds, or for something like 5=1=3=4 asking for stopper help) Your only likely strains at this point are notrump (game only) or diamonds (game or slam). If he bids 3NT you should probably pass; if raises diamonds even after you bid them third, you should probably just jump to 6D. If he bids 3S you should bid 3NT, I think, though there's an argument for 4S. I don't see him bidding 4C ever, given that he didn't bid 3C last time. If he bids 3H you have an interesting puzzle, as 4H could actually be best, but I'd try 3S and see what he says.

Yep.

Incidentally, with Myrmidon's 5=0=4=4 hand, I'm trying to cater to x KQJxxx Kxxx Kx, with which some players would have rebid 2H rather than 2D. If your partner would rebid 2D with that hand (which I would do), then you can just bid 3NT now.

(Not that 5D will be trivial, but it's better than 3NT.)

Well, my 2 bid is totally artificial in that auction, it says nothing about my club holding. It's basically NMF, but for when partner opens 1. My first priority was too see if there was a 5-3 spade fit.

After Chuck bid 2, I went with 3, which I'm thinking should show something like 5-1-2-5 or 5-0-3-5, although I just hoped chuck would figure out that I'm void (or close to it) in hearts, and I want to find a minor fit.

After my 3, everyone passed.

Chuck shows me:

6 4
A T 9 8 3
Q 6 2
K Q 9

They lead a heart, and don't play a trump when they get in with the onside diamond K, and I crossruff, making 4, although the opening leader should have no problems with a club lead, given how the auction went, as well as returning a club after he gets in with the diamond. In that case, it makes 3, since both minors split, and I can pitch a loser on the fourth round of diamonds.

Incidentally, I think 3S is probably the best spot, although as the cards lay, they broke 5-1.

Yeah I probably should of bid 2nt instead of 2h