[jillybean]

I am defending against 3nt, partner signals a suit where I hold AJ8, dummy has xxx.
What do I play when I get in?

If partner holds KQxx I’m going to block the suit under leading A, If partner holds QTxxx I give up a trick and potentially block suit. I do think 8 is best but it’s tricky.
A good partner would overtake J with Q if it was right.

[smerriman]

Why would partner signal with QTxxx and xxx in dummy?

On opening lead the normal card would be the J but here it must depend on what else has happened so far..

[mikeh]

It is impossible to analyze this without seeing the hand, rather than this 3 card holding, and all of dummy and all of the play to date and the auction

[mikeh]

It is impossible to analyze this without seeing the hand, rather than this 3 card holding, and all of dummy and all of the play to date and the auction

[jillybean]

---

♣. 2 5 Q A
♣. 3! J 9 6
♣ K T ♦4 ♣ 7

UDCA

[mikeh]

At the table I’d know, because I always ask (and I always ask because I do NOT want partner inferring that I’m asking because I have spades…if I only asked some times, that’d be cheating imo), whether declarer could hold 4 spades…are they up the line bidders or do they bypass spades with a balanced hand? Most non experts bid up the line but it’s foolish to make assumptions when one could just ask.

If they bid up the line then I’d never lead a club because declarer holds at least four of them and responder will usually have at least two. I’d have led my top heart.

Now to the problem. Again, it would help to know whether opener can hold 4 spades.

We can place partner with 8-10 hcp and he’s shown 2, so has 6-8 hcp left.

If he has KQxx(x) in diamonds, he probably shouldn’t pitch a diamond, he knows you have around 9 hcp and thus could easily hold either or both of the diamond ace or Jack, so pitching a diamond may be pitching a winner. One can sometimes get the effect of an encouraging signal for one suit by discouraging in another…altho in this case it’s not entirely clear that discouraging in spades is asking for diamonds rather than hearts.

All of this is by way of saying that I think partner has the diamond king but not the queen. So I switch to the suit I’d have led at trick one….the top heart. I’m giving declarer nothing more than he’s entitled to in hearts (unless he has A10 tight), although unfortunately I’ve already blown a trick.

If North is a bypasser, so could be 4=3=3=3 then I have sympathy for the club. But….a high heart is informative to partner. You’re marked with points so a passive lead suggests values in the other three suits but no holding where it seems wise to attack on opening lead.

Signals are a way of communicating. They do not replace the need to think…indeed they are valuable because they give you more information to consider.

Obviously I could be wrong in my thinking. But I’ve set out how I’d approach this at the table

[jillybean]

So you didn't answer my question but gave me more to think about. (this is NOT a criticism)
I don't know if North bypasses 4 spades. I will start asking, every time, even though this is problematic in a club game.

After receiving the positive diamond signal and not switching, can only mean 2 things.
1. I'm void
2. I have an awkward holding to lead from, the lead is better coming into my hand.

maybe 3. I see a better line and I am masterminding

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2025-August-22, 08:11, said:

I don't know if North bypasses 4 spades. I will start asking, every time, even though this is problematic in a club game.

You don't need to ask that here, as the spades bypasser should alert 1NT and if he did not you have been misinformed.
(Although one does not need to alert the much more frequent bypass of diamonds, which is practical but not consistent).

[jillybean]

pescetom, on 2025-August-22, 09:51, said:

You don't need to ask that here, as the spades bypasser should alert 1NT and if he did not you have been misinformed.
(Although one does not need to alert the much more frequent bypass of diamonds, which is practical but not consistent).

You play a different game to what I play.
It's not at all uncommon to have missing alerts and I would be surprised to have anyone alert this sequence.

[mikeh]

pescetom, on 2025-August-22, 09:51, said:

You don't need to ask that here, as the spades bypasser should alert 1NT and if he did not you have been misinformed.
(Although one does not need to alert the much more frequent bypass of diamonds, which is practical but not consistent).

My understanding, in NA, is that 1N need not be alerted. I haven’t actually checked the rules but I haven’t seen this alerted in years. It’s close to standard in expert circles, afaik. I did say ‘close’ since it’s definitely not universal.

[mikeh]

jillybean, on 2025-August-22, 08:11, said:

So you didn't answer my question but gave me more to think about. (this is NOT a criticism)
I don't know if North bypasses 4 spades. I will start asking, every time, even though this is problematic in a club game.

After receiving the positive diamond signal and not switching, can only mean 2 things.
1. I'm void
2. I have an awkward holding to lead from, the lead is better coming into my hand.

maybe 3. I see a better line and I am masterminding

I did answer your question. Maybe not the answer you were hoping for….but I clearly stated that I would not lead any of those three cards. I’d lead a belated heart for the reasons I gave

[jillybean]

mikeh, on 2025-August-22, 12:00, said:

I did answer your question. Maybe not the answer you were hoping for….but I clearly stated that I would not lead any of those three cards. I’d lead a belated heart for the reasons I gave

Correct, not the answer to the question that I thought I needed to ask.

[jillybean]

mikeh, on 2025-August-22, 11:58, said:

My understanding, in NA, is that 1N need not be alerted. I haven’t actually checked the rules but I haven’t seen this alerted in years. It’s close to standard in expert circles, afaik. I did say ‘close’ since it’s definitely not universal.

Director, please.

[pescetom]

mikeh, on 2025-August-22, 11:58, said:

My understanding, in NA, is that 1N need not be alerted. I haven’t actually checked the rules but I haven’t seen this alerted in years. It’s close to standard in expert circles, afaik. I did say ‘close’ since it’s definitely not universal.

Sure. Over here it is still quite an unusual treatment, hence the alert.