Monday 14 January 2008

GBC Festival Teams13th January

Harry's Amazing Bid

Harry Caraher is a very inventive bidder, but he surpassed himself with this hand in the Festival teams on Sunday. Our hands were:

Harry ......................................... Mine (we're vul)

♠ K 10 9 3...............♠ Q J 6
♥ 10 7................... A Q
♦ J 6.................... 9 5 2
♣ Q J 10 7 5.............♣ A K 6 4 2

We play semi-strong Twos and I open 2C, Harry bids 2D (game force relay), I bid 2NT to show a balanced hand, Harry now bids 3S (to show 5!) and I bid 4S which is where Harry plays.
The spades break 3-3 and despite being made to ruff a diamond, Harry gets 10 tricks with the KH onside. (the clubs were 3-0 but opponents can never envisage this). What should have been a club partial became +620. Our opponents made it to 5C down 1.
Of course if the AS had been held up to the third round then it can't make, but the defender assumed declarer had 5.

I made the wrong decision on this hand against the eventual winners.

Harry.................................................Me (both NV)

♠ K 10 8 7 5 4 2..........♠ A Q
♥ Q....................... 10 8 6 4
♦ A Q 9 2.................♦ 8
♣ K.......................♣ Q 8 7 5 4 3

Harry opens 4S (not what I would do, but it does get the hand off your chest). and this was passed round to North who bid 4NT, his partner bid 5C which I passed, but no chance! North bids 5D and his partner after some thought changes this to 5H. After some thought I bid 5S which North doubles. After a heart lead and spade switch this must go 1 off losing 1 diamond, 1 club and 1 heart.

Now holding AQ spades I know partner must have something useful outside the suit, but in what? If he holds something good in clubs we must bid on, but I suppose diamonds were more likely and I should have doubled 5H.
The problem has been not doubling the earlier bids in case opponents change to a better spot, if I double 5C, I am sure Harry will double 5D and then I'll double 5H.
North held :

♠ 9.... A K 7 5 3..... K 10 7 6 3....♣ A 2

Basic defence would put 5H 3 off. We were -420 at the other table for 4S making.








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