Improve Your Play #06-22

IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

The successful player will use the available information to anticipate how the hand will develop. This is true as declarer and also when you are defending. Take a look at this example.

Scoring: Matchpoints (Pairs)

Hand #22
Dlr	W
Vul	E/W

	965
	AJ104
	A97
	962

	AJ832
	3
	Q10652
	107

	Q10
	K52
	K4
	QJ8543

	K74
	Q9876
	J83
	AK

West	North	East	South
Pass	Pass	1	1
1	2	Pass	2
All Pass

BIDDING: East opened a little light in third seat and South overcalled with a decent hand but weak suit. After West overcalled, North made a cue bid to show a good raise and ask about his partner's overcall. South knew game was unlikely opposite a passed hand and signed off in 2

.

PLAY: West led the ten of clubs and declarer placed East with a six-card club suit. With seven he would likely have bid more and with only five, West would not have led the ten. After winning the first club, South led a heart from his hand for the losing finesse. Next East returned a spade and West quickly won three spades tricks before exiting with his last club. South drew one more round of trumps and stopped to reflect on what he had learned. It appeared East started with two spades, three hearts, two diamonds, and six clubs. Declarer knew that West needed one of the diamond honors to have enough to bid so they must be split. He next led a diamond to his ace and East erred by not dropping his king. After drawing a third round of trumps, declarer exited with a diamond to East who was now end-played. He had to lead a club allowing South to discard his diamond loser as he ruffed in dummy. South lost only three spades, one heart, and one diamond.

Note that East had a complete count of South's hand so his only hope was that West held the diamond queen. Keeping the diamond king in his hand was a no-win decision.

Copyright ©2007 Larry Matheny.