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[Event "Serious 3NT in Action"]
[Site ""]
[Date ""]
[Board "2"]
[West "Schwartz"]
[North ""]
[East "Matthews Jr"]
[South ""]
[Dealer "E"]
[Vulnerable "NS"]
[Deal "E:Q5.AK9862.AKT7.7 JT832.5.985.QJ42 A94.QJ7.QJ32.AK3 K76.T43.64.T9865"]
[Scoring ""]
[Declarer "E"]
[Contract "7NT"]
[Result "13"]
{

This auction had several highlights, starting with 3NT.  Was my hand good
enough to go serious?  Maybe, maybe not.  But serious without a spade control? 
Definitely. 

Gary could tell that I had strong holdings in the red suits, so with both black
suits under control, he took charge.  In spite of queen-high holdings in the
reds, he was required to bid 5NT to tell me we had all 5+1 key cards, even
though he would probably not bid a grand slam himself.  (It's best to bid grand
slams that you expect to make at least 75% of the time - too much risk
opponents won't even find the small slam.)

From my side, I could tell that Gary must have the red queens to be taking
charge.  I counted six hearts, four diamonds, two black aces, and one ruff (13
tricks), so I bid 7\D.  Gary could tell my jump was based on a sixth heart or
fifth diamond and the undisclosed \DK.  With ten red tricks plus three black
tricks, he converted to 7NT, for a matchpoint top. 




(2019-06-19 10:00 Nashua) https://3nt.xyz © Pete Matthews Jr}
[BCFlags "1f"]
[Score "EW +1520"]
[Auction "E"]
1H Pass 2D =1= Pass
3D =2= Pass 3H =3= Pass
3NT =4= Pass 4NT =5= Pass
5C =6= Pass 5NT =7= Pass
7D =8= Pass 7NT =9= AP
[Note "1:GF, unless suit rebid."]
[Note "2:Extra values, GF."]
[Note "3:Sets hearts as trump, superseding diamonds."]
[Note "4:Serious slam interest, without 1st or 2nd round \S control."]
[Note "5:RKB \H."]
[Note "6:0 or 3 key cards."]
[Note "7:We have them all; specific kings?"]
[Note "8:We have 13 tricks here."]
[Note "9:We have 13 tricks here."]

[Event "Short Suit Game Try"]
[Site ""]
[Date ""]
[Board "4"]
[West "Schwartz"]
[North "Maselli"]
[East "Matthews Jr"]
[South "Malley"]
[Dealer "W"]
[Vulnerable "All"]
[Deal "W:Q9.K54.J832.8642 J7654.6.A7.AJT93 AK2.AJ982.T9654. T83.QT73.KQ.KQ75"]
[Scoring ""]
[Declarer "E"]
[Contract "4H"]
[Result ""]
{

Gary and I play 3-way game tries.  The next step (2\S here) would be a
nondescript game try:  responder decides the issue immediately with scattered
values - clearly a rejection on this West hand - or bids a secondary value such
as Kxx or Qxx.  A new suit (2NT for spades) shows a singleton or void in the
bid suit.  We tend to use this only when holding six trumps, to avoid tipping a
forcing defense (see below).  The re-raise asks for trumps and aces.

When trying for game, we first decide whether the hand is indeed worth a game
try.  This time for East, not so much; but the hand has only six losers, and we
were vulnerable at IMPs.  The SSGT is by far the most accurate, so I used it,
even though I knew it would tip the defense.  (With 5 losers, I would have
jumped to game.)

Gary promised me two to three winners, and he clearly has only two (\HK and
\SQ).  However, he figured out almost exactly what I had, and decided to take a
shot at game - basically counting \DJ832 as a winner.  The standard rule is to
strain to invite, and accept normally, when vulnerable at IMPs, so the normal
action would be to sign off in 3\H.

John Malley, one of the top players in New England, was thrilled to be told how
to defend.  I ruffed the \CK and led a diamond.  I ruffed the next club, and
led another diamond, splitting the suit.  After ruffing the third club, I
cashed the \HA, and led my last trump to the \HK.  I tried to claim ten tricks
on a heart split.  Not so fast!  As John puts it, I was two in the glue.  

If all that were required were a 2-2 diamond split, game would be 40%, a worthy
target when vulnerable at IMPs.  However, the need for a trump split reduces
that chance to less than 30%.  (In 3\H, nine tricks can be made by ruffing out
the fourth club.)


(2019-06-20 2:15 Nashua KO) https://3nt.xyz © Pete Matthews Jr

























}
[BCFlags "1f"]
[DoubleDummyTricks "7942978429649a4649a4"]
[OptimumScore "EW 130"]
[Score ""]
[Auction "W"]
Pass Pass 1H Pass
2H =1= Pass 3C =2= Pass
4H AP
[Note "1:Promises 2-3 winners (no more, no less)."]
[Note "2:Short-suit game try (singleton or void)."]
[OptimumResultTable "Declarer;Denomination\2R;Result\2R"]
N NT  7
N  S  9
N  H  4
N  D  2
N  C  9
S NT  7
S  S  8
S  H  4
S  D  2
S  C  9
E NT  6
E  S  4
E  H  9
E  D 10
E  C  4
W NT  6
W  S  4
W  H  9
W  D 10
W  C  4