IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

There is no doubt that it takes skill to be successful at bridge but it also helps to have a little luck.  Take a look and see if this was well played or just lucky.

Scoring:  Matchpoints  (Pairs)
 
Hand #26
Dlr   S
Vul N/S
S AKJ92
H J103
D A42
C AQ
S 763
H
D 9865
C J108432
    
S 1085
H AQ5
D KQJ3
C K97

S Q4
H K987642
D 107
C 65
West North
 East
 South



3H
   Pass     4NT*     Pass     5C
   Pass     5D     Pass
     5H
All Pass


*Roman Keycard Blackwood

BIDDING:  I was sitting North and almost just bid slam after my partner's 3H bid.  However, we had the tools so stay out of slam if his heart suit was less than robust.  My 4NT call was Keycard Blackwood which counts the king of the agreed suit as an ace.  His 5C response showed one keycard so I became a bit nervous.  My 5D bid asked if he held the queen of hearts and his response denied it.  Since we were missing either the AQ or the KQ of hearts, I was now worried.  I knew slam was still possible, but decided the odds were against us.

PLAY:  West led the jack of clubs and partner counted four possible losers: 2 hearts, 1 diamond, and 1 club.  He won the ace of clubs and played three rounds of spades pitching a club.  Finding a 3-3 spade break was only a 36% proposition but this time it worked.  Next he led the jack of hearts from dummy, East played the queen, and the king won as West showed out.  A second heart went to the ten and ace.  East switched to the diamond king won in dummy.  My partner then played a good spade from dummy that East ruffed and South over-ruffed.  Now declarer played the deuce of hearts to dummy's trey and discarded his diamond loser on a good spade and had 12 tricks.  I knew I should have bid the slam!

Note the importance of  keeping the heart deuce for later transportation to dummy.  If East plays the ace of hearts instead of the queen, the same end game develops.  So was this a lucky hand or was it my partner's skill?   Well, a heart contract was played at 11 other tables and no one else made 12 tricks so I have to go with skill on this one.

Copyright ©2007 Larry Matheny.