IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

 


Scientific bidding is nice but every now and then a hand comes along that doesn’t lend itself to any conventional bid.  That is what happened to me in a recent game.  Take a look at a gorgeous hand.

 

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs Game)

#11-03

Dlr

W

Vul

E/W

S

J6

H

AJ42

D

1096

C

9642

S

K

H

Q9875

D

Q7532

C

73

  pad  

S

7

H

K1063

D

4

C

AKQJ1085

 

S

AQ10985432

H

 

D

AKJ8

C

 

West

North

East

South

   Pass

  Pass

   1C

   6S

   Pass

  Pass   

   Pass

  

        

   

 

 

 

 

BIDDING:  I was in the South chair and after my right hand opponent opened the bidding, I wasn’t sure how to bid this 9-0-4-0 monster.  Finally I bid just what I thought (hoped?) I could make.  Both opponents passed in silence but my partner looked like he wanted to check to see what was in my coffee cup. 

 

PLAY:  West led his partner’s suit and I was presented with a reasonable dummy.  I could either play for the spades to be 1-1 or play the spade queen from my hand forcing an entry to dummy to take the diamond finesse.  I finally decided to play the ace of spades and was rewarded when the king dropped.  I then led a spade to the jack, discarded the eight of diamonds on the ace of hearts, and took the losing diamond finesse. 

 

Unfortunately for me, three other declarers who bid the slam were doubled and one N/S pair even made an overtrick.  Some days you just can’t win.

 

 

Copyright ©2011 Larry Matheny