[cherdano]

Scoring: IMP

P P 3N AP

---

Opponents are not a regular partnership so you don't ask about 3N but knowing RHO, he might have a lot of hands (at your table it looks like they are down after 6 of 12 boards in a BBO team match).

♥A-4-2-J.

What now?

[mike777]

I will assume 2 of h asks for a lower ranking suit.
I will try a diamond now, but this may be very wrong.

[han]

A diamond? Why a diamond and not a club?

[CSGibson]

I hope we're playing suit preference here.

If RHO is bidding 3NT with a singleton or doubleton jack of hearts, then he probably has a long running minor. That minor has a better chance of being clubs than diamonds because there are more of them out there. I'm switching to a diamond, because I believe partner has asked me to.

If I didn't think the 2 of hearts was suit preference, then I switch to the 9 of spades.

[mike777]

Hannie, on Aug 29 2007, 12:38 AM, said:

A diamond? Why a diamond and not a club?

I am guessing, only guessing, that declarer has a long running club suit because I see more d than clubs. This may be very wrong.

[Codo]

If the Jack of Heart was a singelton, Pd had the 2,6 and 8 of Heart. This is a clear and easy suit preference situation, so the two should ask for a club. Declarer may did some funny thing with J8 or J6 but why should he? So I believe in switching to a club too.

OTOH: If I switch to a club, pd needs something like AKQxx. Quite a small target to aim for. But I see no other hand where we confidently can beat the hand after his first trick signal, as a spade and a heart return will do us no good and in diamond he needs AKQx, which is a little less then AKQxx but still a lot to hope for.

[Fluffy]

9 of spades

[FrancesHinden]

Why should the jack of hearts be a singleton?
If declarer has Jx the Jack would be the normal card to unblock the suit.

Poor partner might be sitting there with 62 doubleton, and think he's giving attitude to the hearts. At the point when he followed suit, he didn't know declarer was going to play the Jack. For all he knew, you might want to know if he was encouraging hearts or not.

[Free]

♠9

[ycos]

10♦

[pclayton]

I know the hand.

[jdonn]

FrancesHinden, on Aug 29 2007, 04:42 AM, said:

Why should the jack of hearts be a singleton?
If declarer has Jx the Jack would be the normal card to unblock the suit.

Poor partner might be sitting there with 62 doubleton, and think he's giving attitude to the hearts. At the point when he followed suit, he didn't know declarer was going to play the Jack. For all he knew, you might want to know if he was encouraging hearts or not.

I don't agree, partner knows his card is suit preference. Declarer usually has a long minor here along with a couple other tricks since he was in 3rd seat, and you have to cash out right away (that's why we led the heart ace after all), so since dummy makes it clear hearts aren't running partner has to tell you which is the better suit to switch to. Whether the 2 is asking for clubs or diamonds (or is a singleton) seems to be the problem here, and I don't offer any opinion since I know the hand.

[keylime]

I'd think pard wants a club here with the spot cards - pard should realize it's an ACOL style 3NT with a long running minor once the dummy hits.

I think a spade shift is possibly a give up play.

[skjaeran]

Deleted double post.

[skjaeran]

I agree with Josh that suit preference is the called for signal when dummy hits with ♥KT974. It's far from clear what the ♦2 calls for though, since partner could have 862, 82, 62 or 2.

But since I can see more diamonds than clubs, including the J and T, I'd be a little surprised if declarer's suit wasn't clubs. A ♠ switch won't set this contract anyway, so that's out. Thus I'd go for a ♦ switch and lead the 7 (attitude) to trick 2.

[mike777]

Note playing "OS" here clubs is the Obvious shift suit here. In "OS" they play attitude 100% here, never suit pref in this situation. The 2 clearly asks for a club shift.
Asking for a Diamond shift is very very difficult and very difficult for leader to read.

[kfay]

It looks like declarer has a long suit to run (clubs). If I play a club now he's just going to have to lead away from everything later or into losing finesses.

[han]

Kevin, if declarer's suit is clubs and he has the spade ace (not unlikely given partner's signal and the 3rd seat opener) then that's at least 9 tricks: 6+ clubs, 2+ spades and at least one heart.