Playing just a few hands

I decided to play a few deals in between writing up the final squeeze problems at the end of Love.  This is much easier work then working through the chapters so I am less bridge brain dead than usual and besides a pickup game doesn’t need all that much concentration.  I go this rather amusing hand to play (and bid).  I was South and held:

I was in fourth red versus white and remarkably it was passed to me.  I decided it was too good for 2NT and I wasn’t going to fool around with hearts anyway so I open 2C.  West on my left bid 2H which was passed back to me.  What do you do?  I doubled.  I didn’t really know how partner would take it but I suspected that since he was going to be short in hearts he wasn’t going to sit for it.  He bid 3D.  Now I bid 3NT.  He made a peculiar bid.  He though a long time and passed.  I got a diamond lead and this is what I saw.  Yes, really.

Maybe he was just happy we weren’t doubled.  Anyway the diamond went to the DK and my ace.  I tried the DQ but the DJ did not appear.  So now I have to play clubs.  I played the CA and saw the C3 and the C4.  What do you play for?

I thought that West who had overcalled had the CK.  He probably didn’t have the KQ10 of hearts or he would have led one and he didn’t have the DK.  So not much else was left.  If he had six hearts he probably would have opened a weak 2 bid.  So I put him with five hearts, two diamonds.  That left five black cards.  I decided that with a four card black suit he would have been more likely to lead that then what looked to me liked a doubleton diamond.  So I played the CQ and caught the stiff CJ on my right.

Now I was thinking overtricks!  West held

I suppose it was mostly a lucky guess.  But it felt good to make the contract and then get back to work.   Bridge can always be fascinating even when you just play a few hands of pickup bridge.

I wondered if I have a clear agreement with partner about what the double of 2H by the opening 2C bidder is meant to be.  Generally I play that responder doubles if they want to defend opposite a balanced strong hand and bids a suit with a positive if they can.  Playing double for takeout by opener doesn’t seem all that worthwhile.  What do you think?  2H doubled probably nets +500 or so, not quite as good as the miracle +600.  5 of a either minor will make.  The field was generally in notrump going down or in a partscore.