[kfay]

Scoring: MP

P-(1♦)-P-(1♠)
P-(2NT)-P-(3NT)
All Pass

---

Trick 1: ♥deuce, four, KING, five
Trick 2: ♠four, five, JACK, three
Trick 3: ♥QUEEN, ♦4, three, six
?

What do you make of partner's ♥3?
What now?

[gnasher]

Declarer is 3442 with ♥A, ♦AK, ♣A and either ♠A or ♠K.

If declarer has ♠K and not ♥10, I should play a heart to get our trick set up before he sets up ♠K. However, it's dangerous to play a heart, because:
- Declarer may have ♥10.
- Declarer may have ♥9 and ♠A, in which case the heart return will leave one of us in sole control of the heart suit, allowing declarer to make ten tricks on a squeeze.

Partner should be able to signal whether he wants a heart continuation, but it's unclear how he would be signalling. I think it should be suit preference, so a high heart would be suit preference for spades and the three means "not spades", which means hearts in this instance.

Against that, arguably declarer has misplayed by playing low on the spade from K10x, since that never makes the contract against correct defence. It's probably not right for him to play for one down, given than some pairs will stop in 2NT or 3♦.

I think I've concluded that I don't know what to do.

[Fluffy]

IMO partner has ♠A because he would return a heart if he had no entry left.

Also I think partner should drop ♥9 if he has it, so I conclude he's got ♥10 and ♠A. Another heart.

[kfay]

No more comments?

[gwnn]

[aguahombre]

kfay, on Aug 8 2010, 03:43 PM, said:

No more comments?

how about ---if north was the dealer, and we are looking at East and North's hands, the opening bid by East and the rest of the auction make no sense.

And, of course we have the 2nd seat opener making the opening lead when the opponents have not bid.

Other than that, I only have problem with East being on lead against 3NT and getting to see North's hand. that would only happen if North opened 1D and rebid 2NT: and East led out of turn.

[MFA]

I would surely expect partner to signal attitude in hearts here. So assuming UDCA ♥3 would show the ♥T so I can "safely" continue hearts.

The problem is that if I return a small heart, I can potentially get ♣+♥ squeezed, and if I return ♥J, partner can potentially get ♠+♥ squeezed. All if declarer has ♠Axx, ♥A9xx, ♦AKxx, ♣Ax.

But I would like to play a heart since declarer might have ducked in spades with ♠KTx, so we need to establish the heart trick before he plays a second spade.

Provided I can trust partner to have returned 4th best spade, so that I can read declarer for 3442, I'm going to play a small heart now. For declarer to squeeze me later, he needs to cash diamonds and his potential spade ace first and then take a club finesse. That will risk down 2 with 8 tops and a sure zero from his point of view, so it's unlikely to happen. Meanwhile I gain if declarer erroneously has ducked with ♠K.

[bluecalm]

Without reading too much into ♥ signal I think partner would play ♥ back without a T♥ as those needs establishing and playing from his side.
The most likely explanation of him not playing ♥ back is that he thinks we need more tricks than ♥'s so he opens a side suit which only can be opened from his side.
My guess is that he has ♠AQxx and ♥KTxx.
Anyway I play J♥ now.