LEARNING CENTER

This month, we take a look at a Real deal from a recent Common Game. The hand is rotated for convenience as we pick up the South cards.

Our opening of 1 certainly surprises partner. West overcalls 1 and partner should start by bidding 2 as a cuebid raise. East doubles to show a diamond honor and we have a balanced minimum with a diamond stopper, so we bid 2NT. Now what should partner do? The only choices that look reasonable are 3NT, 4NT (quantitative) or 6. 3 would be non-forcing.

At matchpoints, looking for 5 is a losing proposition. Opening bids being quite light these days, let’s have North take the low road with 3NT. LHO leads the 5. And you see a good dummy.  A low diamond from dummy goes to the J and K. Now should you start clubs or spades? If you try clubs, maybe someone pitches away a spade, so let's start with our long suit.

Lead the Q from this holding, since if West has J1083, you can take a marked finesse on the next round (you can’t do anything if East has all of the clubs). Everyone follows, so now it is just a matter of maximizing the overtricks. You start to run the clubs (throwing both diamonds) until you reach this position:

If you play another club now, will you know what to pitch? No. Since you don’t, you should play off your side suits to see what happens. Play a heart to the ace (so you can see if someone has bared the Q) and then the A,K, Q of spades. This is the full deal.

Vul:None Dlr: South	AKQ  102  106  AK9652
42  Q763  AQ852  J3		J973  9854  J73  108
	10865  AKJ  K94  Q74

As you can see, the spades don’t split, but with East holding onto them, you know you can pitch your useless 10 on the final club. With the 10 and 10 in dummy and the KJ of hearts in your hand, what should West hold on to? Enjoy watching him squirm. If he gets rid of a heart, then you play to your K and if he gets rid of the A, dummy's 10 will be good. Making 7!

East could have prevented this squeeze by withholding his J at trick one, but that isn’t a play any mortal would find. Playing in 5 would have resulted in a below average score, while 3NT making 6 was good for 70%.  3NT making 7 was worth 83%.

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