Saturday morning April 25, 2008

Lead: ace of diamonds

North, and especially East, would figure that South's 1S meant he had more than 5 High Card Points (HCP). However, Rule 40 in the Laws of Duplicate Bridge say you can bid just about whatever you want, just as long as unconventional bids aren't done often enough to be altertable, such as "could be REALLY weak" as in this case.

After cashing their minor suit winners, East tried to sneak through a heart, which was ruffed. South then cross-ruffs the hand out, making 4. Notice that if EW leads a trump after getting their winners, South can't make the contract. In fact, any lead but a trump ensures the contract and a 15-point doubled and redoubled victory dance.

As an aside, our Indian Springs favorite teachers, science teacher Mac LaCasse and Latin teacher John Lusco, use only one of the myriad of conventions devised by bridge players over the generations, ace-asking Blackwood. They are a tough pair to play against, but well liked.

Saturday morning April 26, 2008

Lead: seven of hearts

Unfortunately, this didn't happen on Saturday. One South ended up in 4S making 4, although the way the cards were dealt, six looks cold, declarer only losing a heart and is able to sluff a losing diamond on his fifth good club. Two other pairs didn't even get to game, instead stopping at 3C. The guilty party must be the Souths who didn't re-evaluate their hands with the singleton heart, making the piddly clubs much more valuable. South should raise clubs at the four level and let North go onward, or stop at four spades. South wouldn't bid 3S with only four, so North knows they'll be in a 5-2 fit, which is better than 4-3.

Saturday morning April 26, 2008

Lead: king of spades

Aaauuuggrrrgh! Never let your opponent's play three hearts when you have a shot at three spades!!!! NEVER! They aren't going to double you and at the worst you're going to go down one for -100 while they get 140. On two separate auctions on Saturday Sleepy South failed to bid his six-card spade suit. "I don't have enough points!" Well, points schmoints. Dude, re-evaluate your hand. You have a singleton club which means your little spades will get ruffing tricks. You don't have the fatal number of hearts (if you hold 3 in the opponent's bid suit, pass). And, all you need from partner is the ace or king of spades. In this case 3H cruises, losing a spade, a club and two diamonds.

On the spades side of the hand, South can make 4 if he doesn't go too fast on drawing trumps. After two rounds of hearts, West shifts to a club (a spade would be better). Faced with a diamond finesse he'll have to take sooner or later, why not make it sooner? Declarer takes the ace of clubs and ruffs a club, then finesses the queen of diamonds, which wins. Play the ace of diamonds and come back to the hand by ruffing the third club. Hopefully East will trump ahead of you. Ruff a diamond low, then back to the hand with another club ruff (the eight) and ruff the last diamond with the king of spades. Flop the cards and concede the high spade, losing a spade and two hearts.

Saturday morning April 26, 2008

Lead: ace of hearts.

I think this is the only way you could find 7 on this hand, although 6D should be bid every time when West covers South's 4S bid with 4NT and gets a 5S response. If West cue bids hearts at the five level, it shows control in the suit. This relieves East who now can bid 7 diamonds, knowing his heart losers are covered.

Thursday evening May 2, 2008

Lead: five of spades

This hand is entitled "Everybody makes 4" or "to the timid go the bones". Both 4H and 4S make easily, each losing two diamonds and a spade; while both 5C and 5D go down one, losing two hearts and a club. These four hands are mirrors! Either minor suits doubled down one is a good score, assuming all other EWs are pushed to game. Timid EWs who let their vulnerable opponents go to 4D or 4C will find themselves on the zero side of a bottom score.

Saturday morning May 3, 2008

Lead: king of hearts

The results on this hand? Two diamonds making 2 by North; two hearts making five by East; three spades making four by West; and four clubs making five by East. It was played four times, four different results, four different suits! The key bid was North's 2D opener. The one East that slept through the bidding must have been a point-counter instead of a shape-watcher, not giving herself credit for the void; certainly having 2H or 3C values.

With West playing 4S and getting the ace of diamonds lead, ruffed on the board, should immediately see the danger of dorking around and the need to get the trumps collected. There is nothing wrong with a little luck. With trumps cleared in three plays and two in reserve, declarer knocks out the club and heart ace, making five. East playing hearts has a little tougher run. A diamond lead cuts his heart holdings to four. South should jump on the first round of hearts with the ace, quickly play the ace of clubs and return a club for partner to trump. North returns another big diamond which East has to ruff. At this point East has two trumps and must hope that the remaining trumps are evenly split, which they are. Heart pumping, East makes four. Back to East who now is playing a club contract and gets a diamond lead, trumped in hand. Using no brain cells on this hand, East forces out the two missing aces and claims. The best score should have been 4S making 5 for 650.