Big hand

I just wanted to publish this hand, because it gave Elwood agita at the table while I just cruised through a slam. Entirely different subjective experiences for North and South.

Game N-S, dealer South
♠ J 7 x
♥ Q x x x x
♦ x x 
♣ 7 x x

  []

♠ A K Q x
♥ -
♦ K J
♣ A K Q 8 x x x

S   W    N   E
2♣  Pass 2♦  Pass
3♣  Pass 3♦  Pass
3♠  Pass 4♣  Pass
6♣  All pass

A♥ opening lead.

When Elwood bid 3♦, East asked if it was a “second negative”. I said I thought so, but wasn’t entirely sure. Elwood gave me a bit of a look, and then when I bid 6♣ he was about ready to chew the table. Of course we had discussed this, of course 3♦ was negative, and I was going to need a very strong hand to make even five clubs (all this as he slammed his cards down).

Well, I was trying not to laugh, as I thanked him for his huge dummy. Three trumps and the J♠! Magic. That South hand has to be one of the strongest I’ve seen for a while – one loser on the LTC.

The bad news was that trumps were 3-0, but the good news was that the first discard on my left was the 8♦. Reverse attitude, said the polite pro on my right. So a diamond to the K♦ quickly wrapped up twelve tricks. His client sitting West had failed to interfere holding seven diamonds, Q 10 x x x x x. Our teammates managed to bid on those cards, and East ducked smoothly on the lead from dummy, giving declarer at the other table virtually no chance to get the diamond position right.

Elwood was slightly mollified by my making the contract, but he still hasn't forgiven me for the "not sure" comment.