[CamHenry]

On crashing the ♦AK: I remember playing in a knockout match in which our oppo bid, uncontested, to 7♦. I decided the odds of my singleton ♦A being a trick against any future contract were pretty good, so I (on lead) doubled. They didn't run, and at something like trick 3 declarer led a trump. Partner's king fell under my ace; dummy grumbled something about "You said we had all the keycards!"

Declarer's reply? "I added one for extra length, and it looks like you did too!"

[HighLow21]

mfa1010, on 2014-February-24, 18:15, said:

A woman was playing with her husband in a district tournament. They usually only play in club games.

Defending 6♥ she cashed ♦A, felling her partner's stiff king. Swift as lightening she shifted to a spade, and the contract rolled.

"Why on earth didn't you give me a diamond ruff?"

"Oh so sorry, I was sure that the ♦K was lavinthal for spades".

He was not amused.

Pearls before swine. People who can't think at the table shouldn't be allowed to learn advanced concepts like Lavinthal.

[manudude03]

At a local club last week, the opponents missed a 3NT after my partner opened a strong club

1C-1S-P-1NT
P-2S-P-2NT
AP

After the contract makes its easy 10 tricks, declarer asks partner why he didn't raise with AQJxxx and an outside jack and then remarked "I went up the bidding slowly, so I must have a good hand"

[diana_eva]

Two from a BBO pay indy:

1) Board 1, I was East:

---

Partner's hand was:

---

After going down 2 she comments: "I really wish you would mention those clubs... You know South is weak and I am strong!"
2) A few boards later, with another partner. I was North:

---

As it happens I make 4S on a heart K lead and an extremely fortunate lie of cards. As I claim my 10 tricks I comment "You don't deserve to be so lucky".

Partner, outraged: "Withdraw your comment and apologize! This has nothing to do with luck! It's good hand evaluation!"

His hand was:

---

[Antrax]

Can we still get a "withdraw comment" button?

[1eyedjack]

Can't remember the hand, now, but as I recall it was in the WP Refugees club a year or two ago, when I sat against a random CHO who in defence led a singleton for a ruff despite having trump control.
I won and found the killing switch to maximise the undertricks. At hand end, partner's comment was:
"Dear, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but with experience you will learn that it is better to return the suit that your partner leads".
I didn't take it the wrong way. But I managed to refrain from saying so.

[32519]

This gem came from my F2F partner at our local club.

I was declarer in 3NT. When dummy hit the table, after a brief pause I claimed 11 tricks, surrendering the two red aces to the opponents. I had a flat hand opposite a flat hand in dummy. Then the gem: "Don't claim so quickly. Maybe they misdefend the hand."

[EricK]

32519, on 2014-March-12, 11:37, said:

This gem came from my F2F partner at our local club.

I was declarer in 3NT. When dummy hit the table, after a brief pause I claimed 11 tricks, surrendering the two red aces to the opponents. I had a flat hand opposite a flat hand in dummy. Then the gem: "Don't claim so quickly. Maybe they misdefend the hand."

If the distribution of the cards between your hand and dummy allows, then the correct way to play a hand like that is to lead up to a red king in your hand, and, if it holds, quickly lead the queen of the other red suit to tempt a revoke.

[mycroft]

Which reminds me of a riddle:

"You hold ♦AKQJTxx and are on lead to 3NT. You lead a top diamond and partner shows out. What do you do next?"

Spoiler

Put that next high diamond on the table ASAP and establish the revoke!

[ggwhiz]

One guy was notorious for bidding his Qxxxxx suit a few times without getting around to showing the Axxx support he had for his partners 1♥ opener. They had a little chat.

And then his partner picked up ♠x ♥xx ♦AKQJTxxx ♣AK and after

p - 1♠ - 5♦ - 5♠
6♦ - 6♠ - double - float

Led the ♣A to a dummy with 2 small. It went small - small - ruff, claiming seven.

He wanted to jump across the table screaming NINE????? but halfway to his partners throat said "You supported my suit. Good bid." It's all true, I was the declarer.

[steve2005]

but partner I had 21 hcp I had to double (they were questioning my manhood lol)

[CamHenry]

32519, on 2014-March-12, 11:37, said:

This gem came from my F2F partner at our local club.

I was declarer in 3NT. When dummy hit the table, after a brief pause I claimed 11 tricks, surrendering the two red aces to the opponents. I had a flat hand opposite a flat hand in dummy. Then the gem: "Don't claim so quickly. Maybe they misdefend the hand."

He's right, though. I once ended up in 6NT on a similar layout, and I thought 11 tricks were at risk as well. I tried to lose the first ace, but it didn't work: I ended up with a singleton in dummy and none in hand, with just the ace out. I then switched and tried to lose the second ace, but that didn't appear either. Eventually they crashed together at trick 13.

[gwnn]

CamHenry, on 2014-March-13, 04:13, said:

He's right, though. I once ended up in 6NT on a similar layout, and I thought 11 tricks were at risk as well. I tried to lose the first ace, but it didn't work: I ended up with a singleton in dummy and none in hand, with just the ace out. I then switched and tried to lose the second ace, but that didn't appear either. Eventually they crashed together at trick 13.

At least did one of them make the trick?

[GreenMan]

mycroft, on 2014-March-12, 16:14, said:

Which reminds me of a riddle:

"You hold ♦AKQJTxx and are on lead to 3NT. You lead a top diamond and partner shows out. What do you do next?"

Spoiler

Put that next high diamond on the table ASAP and establish the revoke!

There was a case like that some years ago, in a Spingold quarterfinal IIRC, where opening leader with AK vs. 6NT wasn't quick enough on the draw.

[CamHenry]

gwnn, on 2014-March-13, 04:32, said:

At least did one of them make the trick?

Yes, sadly I didn't make 6NT+1 missing two aces.

[mycroft]

GreenMan, on 2014-March-13, 14:36, said:

There was a case like that some years ago, in a Spingold quarterfinal IIRC, where opening leader with AK vs. 6NT wasn't quick enough on the draw.

I would think you would need AKQ for that to matter, no?

[CamHenry]

mycroft, on 2014-March-13, 17:15, said:

I would think you would need AKQ for that to matter, no?

If partner leads out of turn when you have AK, then declarer can force you to lead a different suit (and then, presumably, cash his 12 top tricks elsewhere).

[Vampyr]

CamHenry, on 2014-March-14, 02:07, said:

If partner leads out of turn when you have AK, then declarer can force you to lead a different suit (and then, presumably, cash his 12 top tricks elsewhere).

No, the matter under discussion was the correct opening leader leading, and partner revoking. And yes, of course you need AKQ.

One good reason to never establish a habit of saying "none of those, partner?"

[Fluffy]

he had led the Jack from AKQJxx(x)

[Antrax]

I think in the Watson book he advocates leading Q from AKQxxx so that's just taking it one step further.