Playing against “the” Italians

Francine and I had an opportunity this morning to play an online 16 board match against Benito Garozzo and his pals.  Benito has always been a hero of mine since I first started to play so it was exciting to have this chance.  Ray did remind me of a time we played against his team in a Florida regional.   Francine and I did quite well.

Sometimes simple things make a difference.  The auction has gone simply 2♠ by South and 4♠ by North

Dealer: Vul:	North ♠ A4 ♥ A854 ♦ AK854 ♣ 109
Benito ♠ 72 ♥ KJ109732 ♦ Q72 ♣ 8

You lead the ♣ 8 and partner plays the ♣ Q.  Declarer wins the ♣ A.  At trick 2 declarer leads a small club from hand.  What is your plan?  If you decide to ruff what do you return?  Benito found the only plays to give declarer a problem he ruffed and returned a trump.  As the cards lie the hand can’t be defeated but it was the best defense.  At the other table West ducked and East won the ♣ Q and North had no further problems.  I have looked at this hand a great deal what do you think the best line is for ten tricks.

North ♠ A4 ♥ A854 ♦ AK854 ♣ 109

South ♠ QJ10983 ♥ Q ♦ 103 ♣ AJ53

You could finesse a spade at trick two.  You could play ace and another spade.  You could cross to dummy and lead a club or you can lead a club from hand.  You decide.  I don’t have the answer.

Francine is a strong advocate of sound opening bids.   Would you open this hand with both vulnerable in second chair?

I can see some arguments by proponents of the get in there first crew.  Anyway Francine passed and our side wasn’t ever in the auction.

Dealer: Vul:	North ♠ 83 ♥ AKQ42 ♦ J7 ♣ QJ52
West ♠ AQ5 ♥ J973 ♦ A2 ♣ 10982		East ♠ J9764 ♥ 85 ♦ Q1065 ♣ K4
	South ♠ K102 ♥ 106 ♦ K9843 ♣ A76

At our table North opened 1H in third and South bid 2D.  What do you think of that bid?  With Francine 1NT is semi-forcing so we can afford to bid 1NT on this hand.  At our table playing a very different system Garazzo bid 2♦ and played there.  A club lead and reasonably accurate defense beats even the master.  However, I am not convinced that we would have ended in 1NT if we had been North-South.  If North opened 1♥ in third and South bids 1NT will North pass with a full opening bid or bid 2♣ ?  I am not sure exactly what would have happened and we will never know.

In the other room the West hand opened 1♣ North bid 1♥ and East made a negative double.  Over the overcall South took the more cautious route of bidding 1NT.  1NT has 7 tricks or more on any defense.  This was a 6 imp pickup.