Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Fun (!) on BBO

Playing in a pickup team game on BBO with a new partner I got to see the following up close and personal. You pick up, NV vs Vul, QJ9 K97 65 KJT53 and hear it go 2D (Weak) from partner, double on your right. You pass, and it goes 2S on your left, P, P back to you. Since this is a part score hand, and you have no fit (or defence), you decide to compete with 3D, hoping they will get a little higher. Sure enough, they listen to your wishes, it goes 3H on your left, P by partner, 4H on your right. You now pass, and they proceed to wrap up 4H for -620, instead of the -140/-170 you had wrapped up for passing out 2S, and the 10 IMPS.


Next, you pick up this fine hand, Vul vs Not, T8765 8 KQJ7642 -- and hear it go 1C by partner, 3H on your right. Not wanting to get partner involved, or allow any decisions, you leap to 4S, ending the auction. Partner is a nice person and puts down a good hand, AK 43 T983 AKQ52, no problem except the 3H pre-empt meant it, he did not have Spades, they go 5-1, and you go down -300 in 4S, cold for 5D.

Finally, a play problem, you hold, All Vul, AKT8 Q73 A7 JT83, and with the opps silent throughout, you bid 1S over partners 2nd seat 1D opener, and raise his 2S bid to 4S. The opening lead is the 4 of Clubs, and partner puts down J952 KJ84 KT4 A2. You win the A, and decide to follow the old Zia rule by playing the J of Spades, to see if LHO has the Q or not. When he plays the 4 of Spades, you decide not and play the A, LHO following low. Now when you play the K of Spades (forget about those Club losers), LHO follows low again, and RHO pitches the 3 of Diamonds, oops. You play a Heart to the K and A, and LHO cashes the K of Clubs, before exiting a low Diamond. You cash the 2 Diamonds, ending in hand, and play the J of CLubs. It is kinda late, but you probably need the Q onside, but who cares, ruff the Club, Heart to the Q, ruff the Club, cash the K of Hearts, except RHO ruffs this, and nastily cashes the Q of Spades for down 1. The other table bid 3N, an easy contract, so they did not have to play carefully in 4S, but with any type of care, like starting with A and out a Club at tricks 1 and 2, it also has lots of play.
 
Sigh, have to think about deleting my account again, or perhaps not play on there for a while.

1 comment:

  1. Or find some friends!

    I stopped partnering pickups from an early stage. It does nothing for your game and just increases stress levels.

    ReplyDelete