A lucky/unlucky sacrifice

Here is a hand from the Manhattan. Let’s start by just giving my point of view.

♠ 7 3
♥ K 8 7 6 5 2
♦ K 9 6 5 4
♣ -

Hardly a stellar collection, but the bidding starts with a pass from partner and 4♣ on my right. Now, naturally I want to bid something, but is there any way to justify taking action? The game is matchpoint pairs, and they are vulnerable and we are not, so that all helps. With partner having passed, it seems reasonable to assume that they have at least game, and possibly slam. The pre-emptor is the most experienced player at the table, and his partner is the least experienced, so the opening bid probably indicates an 8-card suit, and the strongest hand at the table is certainly on my left. She is bound to raise, at least to 5♣ and maybe more.

Clearly, you have a simple decision: sacrifice or not. If you are going to sacrifice, you start to speak now, and if you aren’t, you keep quiet and hope they pick the wrong level. I haven’t had a good sacrifice in a while, so 4♥. This produces a look of consternation on my left, followed eventually by 5♣. That sounds like the wrong bid, so maybe I will pass and leave them in it. Double says partner, swiftly passed on my right. Well that won’t do, so 5♦, double on my left, passed out. The K♠ appears as the opening lead.

♠ J 9 5 4 2
♥ 9
♦ J 8 7 2
♣ A Q 9
 
   [ ]

♠ 7 3
♥ K 8 7 6 5 2
♦ K 9 6 5 4
♣ -

I was hoping that the opening lead would be more useful, but dummy is excellent. After inspecting the dummy, West switches to the 3♣. That’s more like it – up with the Ace, discarding my other spade. If there are 8 or 9 clubs on my right, together with a couple of spades and at least 1 trump, there can’t be many hearts. But my only plan is to ruff hearts, hoping to make as many trump tricks as I can, and maybe even establishing the suit. So I pass the 9♥ - 4♥, 2♥, 10♥. East is back on lead and not too happy about it, which means she is looking at the ♦AQ and maybe the 10 and 3 also. So she goes back to spades, and I ruff the A♠ as West follows with the 10♠. Now the 5♥ - 3♥, 2♦, 3♦. Blast the man. Only one heart, and he makes a trick with the 3♦. But now I get to ruff a spade and a club in hand and a couple of hearts on the table (West discarding clubs on the hearts, spades were 3-3).

When the smoke clears, I’m down 4 for -800. Could have been worse, and in fact it scores exactly average. Half the field stopped in game, but a few people tried 4♥ as a sac, and went for 1100 or 1400, and some others bid slam (6♣ and 6NT both make, of course). And I am left regretting that ruff with the 2♦. I was able to ruff 3 times in dummy, and if I had used the 7, 8 and J♦ I would have escaped for -500 and a complete top, beating even the people who stopped in game.

Which of course poses a question: how do you stop in game with 20 points (seven controls) and doubleton support opposite an 8-card suit?

                 ♠ J 9 5 4 2
                 ♥ 9
                 ♦ J 8 7 2
♠ A K 8          ♣ A Q 9           ♠ Q 10 6
♥ A Q J 10 3                       ♥ 4
♦ A Q 10          [ ]              ♦ 3
♣ 3 2                              ♣ K J 10 8 7 6 5 4
                 ♠ 7 3
                 ♥ K 8 7 6 5 2
                 ♦ K 9 6 5 4
                 ♣ -