Misadventures In Manhattan

There hasn't been much good to report in my bridge playing lately. I haven't been inspired to select good hands for blogging, either, so you'll have to put up with a bit of a mixture.



I chose to open 2C, which made Agent 99 hesitate a bit. I don't know how we managed to avoid 7NT – I'm sure that's my likely destination if I was in both seats. But I don't think she believed I had a real 2C opening. I suppose it is a bit thin, but unless you're playing Acol 2s, I don't see what else to do. Also, she ought to know you can't psyche a 2C opener (not that I've ever really psyched with her – maybe stretched the truth a bit here and there). Anyway, the end result was that we washed up in 6S. I was disgusted at this, since the grand looks obvious. Then North showed out on the second spade, and it was looking like genius. Then he had to follow suit as I cashed diamonds and shortened my trumps by ruffing a couple of hearts, and I was able to get 13 tricks anyway with a trump coup. But that was an OK score since nobody bid 7S, and 12 tricks is the limit in NT.



Agent 99 didn't like the prospect of 3NT with me having a known singleton and a spade lead marked for the defence. So she went ahead and bid game in the 4-3 fit. I'm not sure I would have done it myself, but actually it's a very sensible idea, and was rewarded with an above average score. Double-dummy, 3NT always makes 10 tricks also, but in practice, played by West, it's most likely only making 9 tricks.



The jump rebid by Agent 99 is perhaps a bit aggressive, but she has a good hand in support of hearts. If she doesn't bid that way, it's going to be distinctly more difficult to get to a fair slam. But I'm afraid I have to report that I played the hand like a real palooka, and went down with 12 tricks cold. After a spade lead, I ruffed a spade and played a heart to the jack. And then I don't want to talk about it any more. I seem to spend half my life telling beginners to count their tricks, and it's distinctly mortifying to fail to do the same when I'm declarer.



This one is from a Thursday evening game. These days, people stretch to answer a 1C opening on almost zero values. Ralph demonstrated that this isn't necessarily the best plan. Double-dummy, I should go down, while we can make 2H. In practice, I actually finished up with 8 tricks in clubs, and a near-top score. If the auction starts 1C – 1H, there is no way for N-S to stop in a makeable contract.