Dlr W
Vul None
| ♠ A Q 9 7 6 | ||
| ♥ J 6 5 | ||
| ♦ 10 4 | ||
| ♣ 8 5 3 | ||
| ♠ 10 | ♠ J 5 3 2 | |
| ♥ A 10 8 7 4 3 2 | ♥ K 9 | |
| ♦ K J 8 6 | ♦ 9 7 5 3 | |
| ♣ J | ♣ 6 4 2 | |
| ♠ K 8 4 | ||
| ♥ Q | ||
| ♦ A Q 2 | ||
| ♣ A K Q 10 9 7 |
Franco | North | Andy | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1♥ | 1♠ | Pass | 2♥ |
| Pass | 2♠ | Pass | 3♥ |
| Pass | 3♠ | Pass | 4NT |
| Pass | 5♣ | Pass | 5♦ |
| Pass | 6♠ | All Pass |
The opponents bid to a fine 6♠. Andy led ♥K and a heart and later scored a trump trick for +50 and 15.5/17.
[Andy] This is obviously an example of the kind of hand you need to go your way in order to win one of these things. The result was lucky, but not outrageously so -- a 4-1 break is plenty likely to begin with, and presumably more likely when there is bidding by both sides.
A mildly interesting anecdote on this hand. After the opening lead, looking at my trumps, I basically immediately knew that I would play another heart. I kind of hate this situation, because I feel like I should play in my normal (slow) tempo, but I don't want to be seen as trying to deceive declarer with it. I observed Franco's discouraging signal, considered whether there was any chance it could mean that I was not supposed to play another heart, decided no, and played. (At double dummy declarer might actually make after a switch.) Anyway, I then felt guilty about maybe having taken too long.
Later that evening, I was chatting with the expert player who was declarer on this board. His first comment was "you played another heart so fast I knew the spades weren't breaking." :)
People like to say that kind of thing after the fact; he probably had an inkling but I'd have liked to see him actually take the hook (if he had the T.)
ReplyDeleteIf declarer can place hearts as 7-2, he must be getting pretty close to taking a finesse even without a tempo read.
ReplyDeleteOn the actual hand though even holding the ST he doesn't have the communication to do it.