Board 7
Both sides vulnerable
| ♠ 8 7 5 ♥ A Q 10 6 2 ♦ 9 8 5 ♣ K Q |
I'm in first seat. Under normal circumstance, I wouldn't open a "5332" with 11 HCP. But this is a "best-hand" tournament, which means if I don't open, there is a good chance the hand will be passed out. If so, do I mind? Was I likely to go plus had I opened?
If I open with one heart and partner bids one notrump, I can pass. It's forcing, but partner doesn't have a cup of coffee to throw at me. If that happens, we will probably go plus in one notrump.
If partner bids one spade, however, I have a problem. If I pass, we could easily miss a spade game. But if I rebid one notrump and partner raises to two, I suspect I'm a favorite to go down. All in all, I don't think opening rates to be a winning decision.
With a balanced ten-count, I would be more tempted to open. I would be less worried about passing a one-spade response. And knowing everyone has exactly 10 HCP is a huge advantage in the play.
I pass. As does everyone else.
Passing the board out is worth 64%. Those who opened typically rebid one notrump over their partner's one spade response and played it there. Let's pretend I did the same and try to predict what would have happened.
| NORTH Robot ♠ A 9 3 2 ♥ 8 7 ♦ A J 6 4 ♣ 10 3 2 |
||
| SOUTH Phillip ♠ 8 7 5 ♥ A Q 10 6 2 ♦ 9 8 5 ♣ K Q |
| West | North | East | South |
| Robot | Robot | Robot | Phillip in an Alternate Universe |
| 1 ♥ | |||
| Pass | 1 ♠ | Pass | 1 NT |
| (All Pass) |
West leads the five of clubs. East takes the ace, dropping my queen, and returns the four of clubs to my king, West following with the eight.
Partner has 9 HCP, so the outstanding high cards must be distributed 10-11.
How should I continue? It looks natural to attack the diamond suit. I can lead the nine and let it ride. If it loses to the king or queen, I can lead the eight next, picking up the suit for three tricks if East holds king-seven or queen-seven doubleton. But that's still only six tricks. I'll need to find the heart king onside to come to seven.
If I need the heart finesse anyway, perhaps I'm better off forgetting about the diamond suit and trying for four heart tricks. I can start with a low heart from my hand, giving West a chance to make a mistake and hop with king doubleton. If that doesn't happen, I get to dummy and lead a heart to the queen, hoping for three-three hearts.
This offers a better chance to make my contract than playing on diamonds. The problem is, I go down more if it doesn't work. I won't even score the heart ace, because I'll have no entry to my hand. I don't think that's a serious consideration, however. The board will be passed out at most tables, so I need to go plus to get a decent score.
I lead the five of hearts from my hand. West hops with the jack and leads the six of clubs to his partner's jack. I pitch the five of diamonds.
East cashes two more clubs. I pitch a diamond and a spade from each hand. West pitches the three of diamonds and the six of spades. We've reached this position:
| NORTH Robot ♠ A 9 3 ♥ 8 ♦ A J 6 ♣ -- |
||
| SOUTH Phillip ♠ 8 7 ♥ A Q 10 6 ♦ 9 ♣ -- |
East shifts to the spade queen, and West overtakes with the king. I see nothing to gain by winning this trick, so I duck on principle.
West continues with the spade jack. I take dummy's ace, and East follows with the four. East has shown up with the spade queen and ace-jack of clubs. There is room in his hand for the heart king. I lead the heart eight from dummy--five--queen--king. I score only the diamond ace after that. Down four.
| NORTH Robot ♠ A 9 3 2 ♥ 8 7 ♦ A J 6 4 ♣ 10 3 2 |
||
| WEST Robot ♠ K J 10 6 ♥ K J 3 ♦ Q 7 3 ♣ 8 6 5 |
EAST Robot ♠ Q 4 ♥ 9 5 4 ♦ K 10 2 ♣ A J 9 7 4 |
|
| SOUTH Phillip ♠ 8 7 5 ♥ A Q 10 6 2 ♦ 9 8 5 ♣ K Q |
The pairs who played one notrump all floated the diamond nine at trick three. So I would have gotten a zero for down four. I'm happy I didn't open.
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