Bridge Base Fun

I have been reading the notes, fixing a few small errors and generally getting ready to go to the Kingston Sectional.  So it was fun to break this up with a pleasant game of bridge with Fred Lerner and Larry Lande.  Tonight we had the best of it but this changes match to match.

 

We had two interesting swings, one each way.  In both cases one player doubled in a competitive auction to show cards and the bidder was left to play there and went for a number.  Here is the first one

 

All Vulnerable East Dealer

	S A852
	H K6
	D K75
	C J1042
K103		QJ974
AQJ92		10853
Q1094		J3
9		Q6
	S 6
	H74
	D A852
	C AK8753

 

Larry	Isabelle	Fred	Linda
		Pass	1C
1H	1S	3H*	Pass
Pass	Double	All Pass

 

The auction seems normal enough.  Perhaps Fred’s 3H bid is a bit frisky vulnerable without a singleton.  In any case 3H doubled when we made no mistake on the defence.  Isabelle lead the CJ overtaken by the CK.  I lead a spade to her SA and ruffed the high spade return.  We then took 2 diamonds, another ruff and eventually the Heart King.

Here was another one where I went for a number.

East-West Vulnerable; dealer south

	S KQ103
	H J87
	D J1064
	C 92
SKJ85		S 97642
H AKQ1093		H void
D AQ7		D K98
C 4		C J10753
	S A
	H 6542
	D 532
	C AKQ86

 

Larry	Isabelle	Fred	Linda
			1C
1H	DBL	Pass	2C
DBL	All pass

 

I opened 1C and Larry overcalled 2H.  Isabelle made a negative double and with nothing sensible to do I bid 2C.  Larry doubled to show his excellent hand.  Fred passed this on the basis that it wasn’t game and he really didn’t have anywhere to go.  The defence started off with 4 rounds of hearts, ruffed and overruffed.  They then played 3 rounds of diamonds and there was no way that they could be prevented from taking another club trick.

On the lie of the cards East-West can make 3NT with the 3-3 heart break and the spades blocking.  But that is a ridiculous contract.  So are number was into nothing.

Interesting how often a simple call like double can get a good result.

Well off to Kingston tomorrow!  Isabelle and I are even on beer now but somehow I suspect that by next week when I post again the situation will have changed.