| ♠ J 10 4 ♥ J 9 5 ♦ J 10 9 5 3 ♣ K J |
Partner opens one diamond in first seat, and RHO passes. Again we have a perfect opportunity for an inflationary swing action. In the old days, before everyone became so enamored with high-card points, no one would have responded with this hand. And I'm not so sure they weren't correct. Seven points or not, this hand is a bunch of garbage. Normally, I would just count my high-card points and respond like everyone else. But, since I know Jack won't pass at the other table and since pass might well be the percentage action anyway, it's a clear choice given the state of the match.
I pass, and LHO doubles. Partner passes, and RHO bids one heart. I bid two diamonds, and LHO doubles again. Partner passes, and RHO comes to life with three spades. This bid ends the auction.
As a general rule I don't like leading weak suits in which one of the opponents rates to have a singleton. Often such a lead simply sets up winners for declarer, allowing him to pitch losers in other suits. Clubs, not diamonds, rates to be our source of secondary tricks, so I lead the king of clubs.
| NORTH ♠ A 8 7 5 ♥ A 4 ♦ A K 7 ♣ Q 9 6 3 | ||
| WEST ♠ J 10 4 ♥ J 9 5 ♦ J 10 9 5 3 ♣ K J |
| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♦ | Pass | ||
| Pass | Double | Pass | 1 ♥ |
| 2 ♦ | Double | Pass | 3 ♠ |
| (All pass) |
Dummy plays low, partner plays the eight, and declarer plays the seven. I continue with the jack of clubs--queen--ace--four. Partner continues with the deuce of clubs, declarer plays the five, and I ruff. Not a bad opening lead!
It looks as if declarer is 4-4-1-4 and partner is 2-4-4-3. We need two more tricks, so partner will need both major suit kings. I'd better lead a heart, else declarer will be able to strip the hand and endplay partner with the spade king. I switch to the five of hearts. We eventually score partner's major-suit kings for down one.
| NORTH ♠ A 8 7 5 ♥ A 4 ♦ A K 7 ♣ Q 9 6 3 | ||
| WEST ♠ J 10 4 ♥ J 9 5 ♦ J 10 9 5 3 ♣ K J | EAST ♠ K 9 ♥ K 10 7 6 ♦ Q 8 4 2 ♣ A 8 2 | |
| SOUTH ♠ Q 6 3 2 ♥ Q 8 3 2 ♦ 6 ♣ 10 7 5 4 |
There are two schools of thought about which suit to bid first opposite partner's take-out double. I think it makes more sense to bid your higher-ranking suit first. Some players argue that it is safer to bid your cheaper suit when your hand is so weak that you don't intend to bid again without further action from partner. I agree than in such a scenario it's hard to construct an auction where you would end up bidding both suits and partner would want to take a preference to your first suit. But I don't want to have to worry about it. I don't see much of a downside to bidding the higher-ranking suit first, so I would have bid one spade with South's hand. Having bid one heart, however, I would be content with two spades on the next round.
At the other table, my hand raises one diamond to three. This is not my idea of a pre-emptive three-diamond bid. If I were going to bid, I would bid one notrump. In fact, if it had occurred to me that my opponent would bid three diamonds, I wouldn't have gone out of my way to pass to generate a swing. I would have been happy with whatever edge I have in responding one notrump.
Three diamonds ends the auction. South leads the five of clubs--jack--queen--ace. Declarer plays a trump to North's ace. North shifts to a low spade, and declarer misguesses. South wins with the spade queen and plays the deuce of hearts to his partner's ace. I'm not sure why North doesn't continue hearts. If declarer finesses, he would be down three. But North shifts to ace and a spade. He does try leading hearts when he wins the diamond ace. But by that time declarer has enough information that he can hardly go wrong. He hops with the king and draws the last trump. Down two.
I'm not sure what North would have done if I had responded one notrump. If he passes, the play could get interesting. After a spade lead, the defense threatens to take three spades, two hearts, and two diamonds for down one. If I rise with the king at trick one, they can manage all those tricks. But if I play low at trick one and South wins and clears spades, they can't. Assuming North's spade lead was the five, he has no way to reach his partner in spades, so the defense can't score the heart queen if I guess everything correctly. The defense can beat me, however. If I play low at trick one, South can win and switch to clubs. Or, more elegantly, he can duck the first trick also, retaining communication in spades.
Me: +50
Jack: -200
Score on Board 69: +6 IMPs
Total: -138 IMPs
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