Never a dull bridge moment

Playing today against Jeff Smith and Flash, we had some really fun hands.  Isabelle made some really exciting plays and mostly I followed suit with one or two exceptions.

First a hand where I fell from grace.  I am so ashamed but please have a little sympathy for me.

I held SAK764 HJ97642 D2 C10 vul vs nv.  In second chair I could think of no better bid then pass.  Jeff opened 1H in third chair.  What is the one bid you really don’t want to hear.  You got it – 2NT.   Perhaps RHO will save you but he passes.

What do you bid?  I considered passing but I bid 3C since I had the C10.  Now partner bid 4D.  What do you do?  I know I know 4D is forcing but can partner really expect me to be 1-1!!! I passed.  Don’t groan.  Partner had

S Q2 H void D AKQ974 C AK972 with spades 3-3 diamonds 3-3 (even clubs broke) partner made all the tricks.  I am so bad.  Sorry Isabelle.

Isabelle was great throughout but here is one defence that I loved.  (Come on Jeff – I know you were the victim but you have to admire your wife for this).

Isabelle held

S J7 H 76 D A10942 C AKJ8 vulnerable against not

Jeff passed and Isabelle opened 1D.  I responded 1S and Jeff overcalled 2H.  Isabelle passed (denying 3 spades) and Flash bid 4H.  Isabelle doubled.  Do you like this bid?  I do.  I think that people don’t double games enough.

You lead the CA and see this dummy

S AK5

H J1043

D KJ83

C 7

Declarer follows low.  I play the C10 and declarer plays the C5.  We play A from AK and upside carding.

What do you do now?

Isabelle saw that the C10 was discouraging and such a high card might carry another message – I really want a switch.  The only logical switch is diamonds.  She laid down the DA, dummy played low I played the D7 and Jeff the D6.  Now the D7 is an interesting card.  It probably is a singleton since with 75 or Q75 I would probably play the 5.  But I don’t think that analysis was even necessary. Isabelle had already worked out that I wanted a diamond ruff.  She continued diamonds and I trumped, returned a club to her CJ and ruffed another diamond for 2 down and +300 on a hand where most people made game although they didn’t all bid it.  When your hot, your hot.

Here is the whole hand

	Isabelle
	S J7
	H 76
	D A10942
Jeff	C AKJ8	Flash
S Q108		S AK5
H AQ985		H J1043
D Q65		D KJ83
C 53	Linda	C 74
	S 96432
	H K2
	D 7
	C Q10962

Here’s an auction I rather liked.  Isabelle held S 6 H J85 D AKJ653 C A83

With noone vulnerable she opened 1D in second chair.  The auction continued

Jeff	Isabelle	Flash	Linda
Pass	1D	Pass	1S
Pass	2D	Pass	3C
Pass	3D	Pass	3H
Pass	3NT	Pass	4NT
Pass	?

It isn’t entirely clear what 3H is, other than a forcing bid and Isabelle decided to bid 3NT.  I bid 4NT now.  What do you do?  One thing I can promise you is that it isn’t Blackwood.  Also with three diamonds or more over 2D we play a gadget which shows a game force with diamond support, so I can’t have that. Isabelle knew that I was inviting and she had a great hand for the auction.  She bid 6C.  This gave me a choice of slams and showed something in clubs.  I thought the hand might play better in diamonds so I bid 6D which was an excellent contract.  I had

S AKJ107 H A73 D 108 C KQ4

On the hand she actually made 7 when the diamond finesse worked.