Misfits

I had a pretty good night at the Manhattan, but there were some brutal hands about.

E-W game, dlr W

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

This was our worst board of the evening. The auction is too embarrassing to repeat, but it should be sufficient to say that, sitting North, I finished up in 5♠ doubled, sacrificing over their hearts. Needless to say, dummy was greeted with a fair amount of hilarity, which I could appreciate but apparently my partner could not. I went three down, only avoiding a complete zero because one E-W pair actually bid and made 3NT for +600 (I don’t see how, but that’s what it said on the traveler). On a heart lead (not completely ridiculous, since they had bid and supported hearts), I would only be one down (pitch ♦9 on the ♥A and play a spade to the ♠10). But East was smart enough to lead a trump (knowing I had a two-suiter and that South had given preference), and with the ♥AK visible, hearts were never led at all. Most people were going down in some contract or other, but nobody else was crazy enough to venture to the five level, and a lot of the time it was E-W going down. Oh well.

This one featured an optimistic opponent “stepping in it”.

Game all, dlr W

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

1♦   Pass   1♠    2♣
4♦   Double All pass

Even before I saw his hand, I was impressed with my partner’s cool pass over the double. Some players might wonder if their solid club suit might not be much more useful on offence than in defence. My guy never flinched.

I started with my singleton club, and on the second round over-ruffed declarer’s ♦5 with my ♦6. The ♥10 came next, and declarer rose with ♥A to play another club, ruffing with the ♦9 as I discarded. From that point, he had no chance of making more than his trumps and top winners, for down three. 800 was a top shared with one other pair.

The one slam board we played, we missed it with a typically crude auction.

Game all, dlr W

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

1♦  Pass 1♥  Pass
2♣  Pass 3NT All pass

I know it was matchpoints, but I think South is just too good to not even think about 6♦. (Not to mention that he had no clue whether 3NT was anything like a decent contract). He only has five losers on the LTC, and he knows we have (at least) a nine-card fit. I hesitated before passing over 3NT, sure in my bones that he had just fixed us, but I had no real justification for bidding on. Playing with agent 99, I would hope for something a bit more classy and optimistic, along these lines.

1♦     Pass 1♥     Pass
2♣     Pass 2♠ (a) Pass
3♣     Pass 4♦     Pass
4♥ (b) Pass 5♦ (c) Pass
5♥ (d) Pass 5♠ (e) Pass
6♣ (f) Pass 6♦ (g) All pass

a) 4th suit forcing
b) Redwood 1430
c) 2 + ♦Q
d) Specific king ask
e) ♠K
f) Do you have the ♣K also?
g) With either the ♣K or a solid heart suit that would be a source of tricks, South could bid 7♦. Since he has neither, South signs off in 6♦.

Actually, agent 99 isn’t quite up to speed on 1430 yet, but we’re working on it.