Platinum Pairs 1st Final Board 7

Board 7
Dlr S
Vul Both

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

	Andy		Franco
West	North	East	South
			1♣
Pass	1♦	1♠	Dbl*
2♠	Dbl	Pass	3♦
Pass	4♥	Pass	Pass
Pass

* 4-card hearts, any strength less than GF

[Andy]

After they bid and raised spades and partner bid the other three suits, I knew [or maybe "knew", since 3NT is cold but 4♥ is not --FB] we didn't belong in NT, and holding two honors in hearts it seemed appropriate to strongly suggest that as a strain.  My screenmate started to ask what kind of Blackwood it was (he didn't know that my partner's earlier double had showed hearts), and so was a bit surprised to see the tray come back empty.  I'm glad my partner and I were on the same wavelength here; in retrospect it certainly seems possible that 4♥ could have been interpreted as keycard.  I could have bid 3 then 4 as a safety; 3♥ must certainly be forcing in this auction.

Partner's flat shape was a surprise, but his hand wasn't particularly unsatisfactory.  My opponent tried to cash three rounds of spades (starting with the K).  I ruffed, played a club to the A, a heart to the J, and the A of hearts.  My RHO was an expert player and was certainly capable of playing the Q from any holding, so that didn't tell me much.  I didn't think he would have bid 2♠ on only one queen and one potential J (note I didn't know spades were 4-4), so I wanted to play him for the ♦Q.  I crossed to the ♦A, played off the ♥A, and took the diamond finesse to make 4.

It seems that LHO could defeat the contract by playing a minor suit instead of the third spade.  I just can't quite maneuver the same timing on my own.  Even if I could, it would be much harder for me to guess out the hand. (I still wouldn't know where the ♠Q was, and I might fear a diamond ruff.)  Presumably, having overcalled a 4-card suit and gotten a minimum raise from partner, LHO was hoping to have three cashing spade tricks.  I don't know what their methods are, but this would have been a good time to lead whatever card will yield a count signal at trick 1.

I heard of at least one if not two tables in the event where the defense found a club switch to beat the contract.  There might have been a more revealing auction though.