Van Learners Bridge Results

July 15, 2024



Section X  North-South
VanLawn Bridge After Dark Monday Eve Session July 15, 2024
Leaders after  5 rounds  Average:   30.0
Place   Pct   Score  Pair
  1   59.17   35.50   X-1   Joan Christensen - Carol Ward
  2   54.17   32.50   X-4   Cindy Chan - Jacquie Brown
  3   53.33   32.00   X-2   Doug MacDougall - Linda Collins
  4   50.83   30.50   X-6   Amanda Hill - David Hsu
  5   41.67   25.00   X-5   Vicki Torbett - Myrna Halpenny
  6   40.83   24.50   X-3   Pam Tomlins - Tim Tomlins

Section X  East-West
VanLawn Bridge After Dark Monday Eve Session July 15, 2024
Leaders after  5 rounds  Average:   30.0
Place   Pct   Score  Pair
  1   65.83   39.50   X-4   Johanne Leach - Kathy Armstrong
  2   50.83   30.50   X-2   Barbara Spitz - Marlee Sheinin
  3   47.50   28.50   X-3   Diane O'Connor - Donna Bridgeman
  4   46.67   28.00   X-6   Zdenka Buric - Marcia Smith
  5   45.00   27.00   X-1   Lesley MacKay - Alexa Allen
  6   44.17   26.50   X-5   Kelly Anderson - Mike Bow

Congrats to the winners!

Didn't do as well as you hoped? Don't worry; there is a large luck factor in short sessions, so there are increased chances of scores outside the normal range of about 35-65%. Things tend to even out over time, but less time means less even-ing out! The important thing is to have fun and let the learning happen by gaining experience as declarer, defender, and even as dummy, and perhaps by reading a little about the hands below!

Our game results are posted online here at ACBL Live For Clubs, shortly after the main game ends.

The deals tonight are from July 1's open game. Next week we will be on as usual and Barry Yamanouchi will direct; I'll be at the North American Bridge Championships in Toronto as one of several dozen directors.

Below is a full-colour screen version of the comments for each hand. This works best if you have kept score and brought your scorecard home with you so you can check your results against the hand records and see where there is room for improvement. You will find that the simple act of writing down the score on each hand (good or bad) serves as a sort of marker inside your memory that helps you recall later what the issues you thought about while playing that hand were. It's much easier to remember if you have taken the few seconds to write in the contract and the score than to rely on getting your results off the internet. Something happens in those few seconds inside our brains and you'll be surprised at how much you can remember later with the help of a well-filled scoresheet. More on this here.

 
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Board 1
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎T8 Vulnerable:
North♥︎AJ3 None
♦︎K54
♣︎AT982
WEST EAST
♠︎74 ♠︎KJ6532
♥︎K8642 ♥︎QT5
♦︎AJ63 ♦︎-
♣︎K4 ♣︎J763
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎AQ9 Tricks:
12 ♥︎97 NSEW
11 7 ♦︎QT9872NT9834
10 ♣︎Q5♠︎6676
♥︎7766
N-S have 22 combined points♦︎101033
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎9844
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3♣︎n2♠︎= 110
2Ns7♠︎-2 100
2♠︎eQ♣︎= 110
 
North opens 1♣︎ and East overcalls 2♠︎. South has several options: pass, 2NT, 3♦︎, and it's not easy to figure out what's best. With ten points opposite an opener, passing is unlikely to be a success. 2NT transmits to portner some vital information about spade stoppers, but if partner has no help in the red suits notrump may be quite risky. This leaves 3♦︎, whose only downside is that 3NT might be missed if partner has a good hand. But if that is the case, partner will probably bid something over 3♦︎, so 3♦︎ it is, and 3♦︎ is the final contract. It turns out that a heart lead instantly sets up five tricks (the A♦︎ and four eventual hearts) for the defense, so 3NT is not on and even 2NT may be too high. 3♦︎ makes easily, on this layout at least!
 
 
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Board 2
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎AJ85 Vulnerable:
East♥︎QJ9 North-South
♦︎KQ
♣︎KJ65
WEST EAST
♠︎K943 ♠︎T6
♥︎T76 ♥︎AK83
♦︎762 ♦︎98543
♣︎943 ♣︎T7
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎Q72 Tricks:
17 ♥︎542 NSEW
3 7 ♦︎AJTNT101033
13 ♣︎AQ82♠︎101033
♥︎9944
N-S have 30 combined points♦︎8855
Suitable Level: Game♣︎101033
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3Nn8♦︎+1 630
3Ns3♠︎+1 630
1♠︎nA♥︎+2 140
 
East passes and South opens 1♣︎. West passes and North sees a possible slam if partner has the right cards: 1♠︎ is fine for now (new suits by a responder who has not yet passed are always forcing). East passes and South rebids 1NT. West passes and North notes that this 1NT rebid limits South to 14 points, so with 31 combined slam is unlikely. North bids 3NT and when South sees dummy and adds the points together South should realize that nine tricks might not be enough for a good score. South begins with seven minor suit winners and the A♠︎ and needs to find one more for the contract and then look further for overtricks. If West leads a spade, South has it easy: the ten from East places the nine in West's hand and South wins the Q♠︎ and leads another back, finessing the 8♠︎ if West ducks!
 
 
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Board 3
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎- Vulnerable:
South♥︎Q942 East-West
♦︎A4
♣︎KQT9754
WEST EAST
♠︎6 ♠︎T9842
♥︎JT87 ♥︎A5
♦︎9872 ♦︎KQT63
♣︎AJ86 ♣︎3
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎AKQJ753 Tricks:
11 ♥︎K63 NSEW
6 9 ♦︎J5NT7756
14 ♣︎2♠︎9934
♥︎8845
N-S have 25 combined points♦︎4499
Suitable Level: Likely Game♣︎9934
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♠︎s2♦︎-1 50
4♠︎s8♦︎-1 50
4♠︎sJ♥︎-2 100
 
South might open 4♠︎ as dealer, which will end the auction quickly. If South instead opens 1♠︎, West passes, and North has enough for a 2♣︎ response. Sticklers playing a modern system where the two-over-one response is a full game force may disagree, but North has enough to get to game whatever South does, and if South has four hearts, this will surely be the rebid. Instead, South rebids 4♠︎ and North must pass and hope. West leads the J♥︎ and North should NOT cover the queen. Let East win the ace and lead another to the K♥︎. South wins, plays two rounds of trumps discovering the bad news, and follows with three more, putting East in with the fifth round. South can finesse in hearts with the ♥︎Q9 over the ♥︎T8 and make four. It takes A♣︎ and a second club to beat 4♠︎.
 
 
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Board 4
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎93 Vulnerable:
West♥︎A987 Both
♦︎A32
♣︎K953
WEST EAST
♠︎85 ♠︎AKQJT76
♥︎T653 ♥︎-
♦︎K864 ♦︎Q5
♣︎A74 ♣︎JT82
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎42 Tricks:
11 ♥︎KQJ42 NSEW
7 13 ♦︎JT97NT5577
9 ♣︎Q6♠︎321010
♥︎9944
N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points♦︎7766
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎5577
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
2♠︎eK♥︎+2 170
3♠︎eK♥︎+1 170
4♠︎eK♥︎+1 650
 
West passes as dealer and if North passes as well, East should open 4♠︎. South may have the best hand at the table and pressure may need to be applied. If North opens 1♣︎, 4♠︎ would be my choice as well: partner may be weak and 4♠︎ will be a good sacrifice (down three maximum), or partner will have help and 4♠︎ may have a chance to make. As it turns out, partner has just enough help to allow 4♠︎ to make, with a possible overtrick, while 4♥︎ is only one down. Those who chose to "walk" the hand (bidding spades until everyone passed) played in a spade partscore and missed game. In the play, it is important to lead to the A♣︎ and lead the first diamond from dummy, to hold the diamond suit to one loser.
 
 
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Board 5
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎J9 Vulnerable:
North♥︎9 North-South
♦︎AKT873
♣︎AQ64
WEST EAST
♠︎A843 ♠︎K76
♥︎J86 ♥︎QT753
♦︎42 ♦︎96
♣︎JT32 ♣︎985
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎QT52 Tricks:
14 ♥︎AK42 NSEW
6 5 ♦︎QJ5NT111122
15 ♣︎K7♠︎101022
♥︎8855
N-S have 29 combined points♦︎111111
Suitable Level: Game♣︎101022
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3Ns3♠︎+2 660
3Ns2♣︎+2 660
3Ns2♠︎+2 660
 
Not much to this one. North opens 1♦︎ as dealer and East passes. South responds 1♥︎ and West passes. North rebids 2♣︎ or maybe 2♦︎, both bids denying a four-card spade suit, so there is no reason for South to do anything other than simply taking the auction to the logical spot: 3NT. South begins with eleven ironclad tricks: two hearts, six diamonds, and three clubs. West can see the four clubs in dummy and will have no trouble recognizing the potential for an extra club trick for declarer if West discards even one club, so eleven tricks is the ultimate limit and it is no surprise that all three tables did the same thing.
 
 
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Board 6
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎Q42 Vulnerable:
East♥︎KT97 East-West
♦︎A96
♣︎KT7
WEST EAST
♠︎653 ♠︎987
♥︎A632 ♥︎QJ54
♦︎K74 ♦︎QT32
♣︎A86 ♣︎Q4
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎AKJT Tricks:
12 ♥︎8 NSEW
11 7 ♦︎J85NT8755
10 ♣︎J9532♠︎9944
♥︎7766
N-S have 22 combined points♦︎7755
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎9944
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
2♥︎eA♠︎-2 200
4♠︎sK♦︎-3 150
3Nn2♦︎-3 150
 
East passes and South is close but not quite strong enough to open, so West gets to open a third-seat special 1♣︎. North should make a takeout double rather than meekly passing a good hand, and East bids 1♥︎. South has enough to come in with 1♠︎, and West raises to 2♥︎. North passes rather than compete with only three-card support for spades, happy to defend 2♥︎, and so do East and South. The defenders begin with three spade tricks and a club to North's king. North cashes the A♦︎ and awaits the inevitable two trump tricks for a good score of +200, which is usually unbeatable on a partscore hand. Note the quite different results obtained by South players who chose to open the ten-point hand in second seat.
 
 
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Board 7
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎985 Vulnerable:
South♥︎94 Both
♦︎KT83
♣︎8532
WEST EAST
♠︎KJ76 ♠︎T
♥︎K82 ♥︎AQJT653
♦︎J ♦︎A2
♣︎AKQ64 ♣︎JT9
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎AQ432 Tricks:
3 ♥︎7 NSEW
17 12 ♦︎Q97654NT001212
8 ♣︎7♠︎6666
♥︎001212
E-W have 29 combined points♦︎8855
Suitable Level: Game♣︎001212
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♥︎e7♣︎+3 710
4♥︎e6♣︎+3 710
6♥︎e7♦︎+1 1460
 
The South hand is not strong enough to open 1♠︎, and a 2♦︎ opening risks covering up a spade fit. Better to pass as dealer and see if there is a way into the auction later. West opens 1♣︎ and North passes, East responds 1♥︎, and now South is ready to roll, with a 2♥︎ Michaels Cuebid, showing spades and a minor (which might be clubs but is presumably diamonds). West doubles 2♥︎ to show a strong hand and North passes since South will now get another chance to bid. East passes 2♥︎ doubled and South bids 2♠︎. West doubles again, this time for penalties, and if East leaves it in it will be a disaster ... for East-West, who can make 6♥︎ easily, while 2♠︎ goes for only 500. East should bid 4♥︎ and get the pair at least to game. West, seeing the 4♥︎ bid, should bid on and get to slam.
 
 
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Board 8
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎AQ652 Vulnerable:
West♥︎AQ54 None
♦︎42
♣︎94
WEST EAST
♠︎KJ84 ♠︎973
♥︎2 ♥︎T986
♦︎JT53 ♦︎K976
♣︎J853 ♣︎K6
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎T Tricks:
12 ♥︎KJ73 NSEW
6 6 ♦︎AQ8NT111122
16 ♣︎AQT72♠︎111122
♥︎121211
N-S have 28 combined points♦︎9944
Suitable Level: Game♣︎111122
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♥︎n8♦︎= 420
6♥︎n3♠︎-1 50
6♥︎n6♦︎-1 50
 
West passes and North opens 1♠︎. East passes and South responds 2♣︎ (the idea about preferring 4-card majors is only at the one-level when we expect as responder to have only one chance at bidding). West passes and North rebids 2♥︎, and after East passes, South has an easy raise to game. Twelve tricks are actually possible if North finesses in each side suit and notes the second-round fall of the K♣︎. Now North can crossruff, remembering to ruff clubs in hand high so East cannot overruff. Six side suit ace-queens and six ruffs are enough! But if you bid slam hoping for three kings to be onside, you are backing a 12.5% chance and will lose more often than not.
 
 
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Board 9
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎J8762 Vulnerable:
North♥︎63 East-West
♦︎QT6
♣︎J85
WEST EAST
♠︎94 ♠︎K53
♥︎AT2 ♥︎K985
♦︎AK873 ♦︎J54
♣︎T76 ♣︎AQ2
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎AQT Tricks:
4 ♥︎QJ74 NSEW
11 13 ♦︎92NT5587
12 ♣︎K943♠︎7766
♥︎5588
E-W have 24 combined points♦︎4498
Suitable Level: Possible Game♣︎6677
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3Nw8♠︎-2 200
1Nw8♠︎= 90
3Ne3♣︎+1 630
 
North passes and East opens 1♣︎. South might make a takeout double of 1♦︎, but doubling 1♣︎ with this minimum is risky: what if North responds 1♦︎, or even 2♦︎? So South passes and West responds 1♦︎. North passes and East rebids 1NT showing 12-14 balanced. A bid from South at this point would be hoping that West has a weak hand, and risking trouble if West has a good hand, which is possible: the 1♦︎ response could be as many as 18 or more! So South passes and West invites with 2NT, or maybe even a jump to 3♦︎. East has no trouble bidding 3NT over either and should make it unless South finds the unlikely lead of the A♠︎ followed by the queen. Otherwise, East plays on diamonds and when North wins the Q♦︎ and switches to spades, ducks, and the suit is blocked!
 
 
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Board 10
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎T5432 Vulnerable:
East♥︎76 Both
♦︎74
♣︎K843
WEST EAST
♠︎- ♠︎AKQJ9
♥︎T8542 ♥︎AJ9
♦︎KQJ932 ♦︎865
♣︎AJ ♣︎97
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎876 Tricks:
3 ♥︎KQ3 NSEW
11 15 ♦︎ATNT2288
11 ♣︎QT652♠︎5588
♥︎331010
E-W have 26 combined points♦︎221111
Suitable Level: Game♣︎7766
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3NwK♣︎-3 300
5♦︎w3♣︎-1 100
3♥︎w3♣︎+1 170
 
East opens 1♠︎, South passes, and West responds 2♦︎. North passes and East rebids 2♠︎. South passes and West continues with 3♥︎. East would certainly bid 2♥︎ with most hands with four hearts (even some with 6-4 in the majors) so this heart bid must promise five hearts, and East has an easy 4♥︎ bid, which makes easily with two trumps and a diamond to lose, the club loser pitched away on a spade winner. But there is an easier way! East could open 1NT. West will transfer to hearts and then bid 3♦︎, and East has an easy 4♥︎ call. The East hand has 15 points and is balanced even though two suits are wide open. From 1NT the route to 4♥︎ is easy; from 1♠︎ you can see what the open players managed to get to. Unstopped suits shouldn't stop you from opening 1NT!
 
 
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Board 11
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎T8 Vulnerable:
South♥︎Q87532 None
♦︎43
♣︎765
WEST EAST
♠︎AQ63 ♠︎J942
♥︎AKT94 ♥︎6
♦︎K ♦︎QJ975
♣︎T82 ♣︎Q94
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎K75 Tricks:
2 ♥︎J NSEW
16 6 ♦︎AT862NT4587
16 ♣︎AKJ3♠︎3498
♥︎7765
E-W have 22 combined points♦︎5576
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎6677
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3♠︎w4♦︎-2 100
2♠︎w4♦︎-1 50
4♠︎eJ♥︎= 420
 
South opens 1♦︎ and West has a common choice: double, or 1♥︎? With such a strong hand West can always bid 2♥︎ over partner's unfortunate club response, so double is better and keeps spades in play. North passes, East bids 1♠︎, South competes to 2♣︎, and West bids 2♠︎. North and East pass and South should as well. South leads the J♥︎ and East wins in dummy and immediately cashes a second heart to pitch a club loser from hand. South ruffs and cashes two clubs and the A♦︎, but a third club is ruffed by East and the trump finesse follows, so East makes nine tricks. Pairs who began with a 1♥︎ overcall and bid spades later declared from the West hand, and the club lead from North got three club tricks right away, making even 2♠︎ touch-and-go.
 
 
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Board 12
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎KT864 Vulnerable:
West♥︎A42 North-South
♦︎75
♣︎AKJ
WEST EAST
♠︎J973 ♠︎Q5
♥︎KT73 ♥︎J985
♦︎- ♦︎T9862
♣︎98732 ♣︎T5
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎A2 Tricks:
15 ♥︎Q6 NSEW
4 3 ♦︎AKQJ43NT101211
18 ♣︎Q64♠︎101122
♥︎8855
N-S have 33 combined points♦︎111211
Suitable Level: Likely Slam♣︎91033
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3Ns5♥︎+1 630
3Nn5♥︎+1 630
6♦︎s3♥︎-1 100
 
West passes and North opens 1♠︎, or 1NT and it will be a North-South auction, either 1♠︎ - 2♦︎, 2NT - 4NT, 5♥︎ - 6♦︎, or 1NT - 2♣︎, 2♠︎ - 3♦︎, 3♠︎ - 4NT, 5♥︎ - 6♦︎. Over 1♠︎, South bids Blackwood over the 2NT rebid and settles in 6♦︎ when North shows two aces. Over 1NT, South first bids Stayman and then a minor, this sequence showing a strong hand with a good minor suit. North rebids the five card spade suit and South launches the ace-ask, ending in 6♦︎ again. It is a bit risky to bid 5NT after the 5♥︎ response since the king-ask response might get the pair past 6♦︎. 6NT from North fails on a heart lead. In 6♦︎, once the 5-0 diamond break emerges, declarer uses club entries to set up a fifth-round spade winner to make the slam.
 
 
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Board 13
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎J97 Vulnerable:
North♥︎K6 Both
♦︎AQJT63
♣︎A9
WEST EAST
♠︎A4 ♠︎KQ832
♥︎Q95432 ♥︎A7
♦︎K9 ♦︎7
♣︎765 ♣︎QJT32
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎T65 Tricks:
15 ♥︎JT8 NSEW
9 12 ♦︎8542NT7745
4 ♣︎K84♠︎4489
♥︎4488
E-W have 21 combined points♦︎9944
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎4499
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3♦︎nA♥︎+1 130
4♠︎e4♦︎-1 100
3♦︎nQ♣︎-1 100
 
North opens 1♦︎ ... unless North thinks about 1NT. Over 1NT East is less likely to get into the auction, but over 1♦︎ East has an easy 1♠︎ call. South will pass and West will pass or maybe continue to 2♥︎. North will bid 3♦︎ and E-W may find a major to play in at the three level, probably down one but better than letting N-S make 3♦︎ (which, despite the results, should easily happen: the K♣︎ is an entry to finesse in trumps and North wins six diamonds, two clubs, and the 8♦︎ provides another entry to lead the J♥︎, ensuring at least one heart winner with the Q♥︎ onside). If North opens 1NT and plays it there, five spades and a heart are the limit, and if the defenders don't take their tricks, declarer can make eight in diamonds and clubs for a top!
 
 
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Board 14
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎JT6542 Vulnerable:
East♥︎7 None
♦︎QJ72
♣︎K8
WEST EAST
♠︎A987 ♠︎K3
♥︎AQ62 ♥︎K9854
♦︎K ♦︎A643
♣︎QJ94 ♣︎T3
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎Q Tricks:
7 ♥︎JT3 NSEW
16 10 ♦︎T985NT2299
7 ♣︎A7652♠︎6677
♥︎221111
E-W have 26 combined points♦︎5577
Suitable Level: Game♣︎5588
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♥︎eQ♠︎= 420
4♥︎eQ♠︎= 420
4♥︎eQ♠︎= 420
 
East is a bit short of a 1♥︎ opener but that won't prevent some from trying. Otherwise, West will open 1♣︎ in third seat and East will respond 1♥︎. Both set the partnership on the road to 4♥︎, where eleven tricks would have gotten E-W a top. Counting tricks, we see five hearts, two spades, and two diamonds, and some number of ruffs. The best ruffing strategy is to try to ruff two diamonds in the West hand, so we cannot pull a third round of trumps. Opponents will begin with three rounds of clubs, which we ruff in the East hand, then K♦︎, A♥︎, K♥︎, A♦︎, diamond ruff, KSS, second diamond ruff. That part done, we now need to get back to hand to pull the last trump, and it is safer to ruff a club (overruffing North if needed). Eleven tricks beats all of section A!
 
 
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Board 15
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎9 Vulnerable:
South♥︎AQJ93 North-South
♦︎J2
♣︎AQ862
WEST EAST
♠︎KT82 ♠︎A76
♥︎52 ♥︎T74
♦︎KQ3 ♦︎A964
♣︎JT54 ♣︎K97
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎QJ543 Tricks:
14 ♥︎K86 NSEW
9 11 ♦︎T875NT6677
6 ♣︎3♠︎6677
♥︎9933
N-S and E-W each have 20 combined points♦︎6677
Suitable Level: Partscore♣︎6677
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
3♥︎nA♦︎+1 170
3♥︎n7♣︎+1 170
2♥︎nA♠︎+2 170
 
After two passes, North opens 1♥︎ and East also passes. South responds 2♥︎, preferring the known eight-card heart fit to trying 1♠︎ with a weak hand that may not get another chance to bid. West passes and North has enough to invite with 3♥︎: 14 points and three more in shortness values: game opposite an 8-10 point response is likely. Sadly, South has the 6-point version, so 3♥︎ is the final contract and should make easily, with only two diamonds and a spade to lose, along with a later trick in clubs or a trump if North tries to crossruff to the end.
 
 
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Board 16
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎KT542 Vulnerable:
West♥︎K9 East-West
♦︎T743
♣︎J2
WEST EAST
♠︎AQ98763 ♠︎-
♥︎83 ♥︎AJ4
♦︎K92 ♦︎AJ86
♣︎Q ♣︎A96543
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎J Tricks:
7 ♥︎QT7652 NSEW
11 14 ♦︎Q5NT5588
8 ♣︎KT87♠︎221111
♥︎6676
E-W have 25 combined points♦︎4388
Suitable Level: Likely Game♣︎4499
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♠︎w*J♣︎-2 500
3Ne6♥︎-3 300
4♠︎wK♥︎-1 100
 
West opens 3♠︎ and North passes, hoping that partner can double. East cautiously passes — even if West has seven spade winners, East still needs an entry to the West hand to cash them in 3NT, and in 4♠︎, we are relying on West to have seven winnners to go with our three aces, six will not be enough. South passes out 3♠︎ and I could look at this for days and not find the route to 11 tricks that the computer claims! West seems to have two trump losers and a heart at the very least; poor guesses in diamonds and clubs may make it much worse. 3NT, should East try it, is far worse on a heart lead to the king and ace; North gets in and leads a second heart and South will cash a bundle of them!
 
 
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Board 17
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎QJT65 Vulnerable:
North♥︎Q652 None
♦︎8
♣︎932
WEST EAST
♠︎- ♠︎A982
♥︎A3 ♥︎KJ98
♦︎KJT53 ♦︎A97
♣︎AKQJ75 ♣︎T4
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎K743 Tricks:
5 ♥︎T74 NSEW
18 12 ♦︎Q642NT001313
5 ♣︎86♠︎4488
♥︎111212
E-W have 30 combined points♦︎001313
Suitable Level: Game♣︎001313
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4Ne3♠︎+1 460
6♦︎e8♣︎= 920
6♥︎w8♦︎= 980
 
North passes and East opens 1♦︎. South passes and West has the rare hand that can jump shift to 3♣︎. Many players play this as a pre-empt these days, since the slam-inviting jump is so rare. If so, you must bid 2♣︎ for now and continue to make calls that East cannot pass. East will bid 3NT over 3♣︎ and West bids 4NT, discovering that East has two aces and a king. West can count 13 tricks except for the unknown location of the Q♦︎: six clubs, four or five diamonds, two major suit aces and the major suit king in East's hand. Does West feel lucky? 6NT is more than enough for a good score. The key to the hand is to recognize that the West hand is worth far more than 18 points once East opens 1♦︎.
 
 
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Board 18
 
NORTH
Dealer:♠︎AK53 Vulnerable:
East♥︎AJ64 North-South
♦︎J8
♣︎T92
WEST EAST
♠︎987642 ♠︎QT
♥︎Q97 ♥︎832
♦︎2 ♦︎Q965
♣︎865 ♣︎AK43
SOUTH Available
HCP: ♠︎J Tricks:
13 ♥︎KT5 NSEW
2 11 ♦︎AKT743NT111111
14 ♣︎QJ7♠︎7766
♥︎111122
N-S have 27 combined points♦︎111111
Suitable Level: Game♣︎9933
 
ContractLeadResultN-S ScoreE-W Score
4♥︎nK♣︎= 620
3Ns9♠︎= 600
4♥︎nA♣︎-1 100
 
East passes and South opens 1♦︎. West passes and North responds 1♥︎. East passes and South rebids 2♦︎. West passes and North probably should just bid 3NT. The lack of a club stopper is likely to be covered by South, who has opened the bidding. Is it possible South has nothing in clubs? Sure, but on many of these layouts one of the opponents will have enough to overcall...and neither did. It turns out that South does have a club stopper and the diamonds can actually be picked up without loss: lead the jack, running it if East ducks, then finesse the ten; if East covers, win the king, cross back and lead the 8♦︎, running it unless East plays the nine! If East covers both times, the 7♦︎ wins the fourth round!