A Coup For You

Perhaps this seems easy when posed as a problem, but evaluating a small hand is always difficult at the table. S.J Simon advocated asking how much worse you could be. By that standard, you have good trumps for a partner who seems to fit you with red suits well in hand and a strong side suit in spades.

Your bid of 6 works well when partner produces A K J 5 3 2 A K A K 5 3 2

The play was challenging after a good duck of the trump ace by the opponents, but Jacob timed it well and brought in the slam. You regained the lead with six boards to play.

Any attempt to win the District 13 GNT must go through the powerful team assembled by George Jacobs.

You have managed to make the finals. After 53 boards of a 60-board match, you pick up a small hand:
6 T 7 3 6 4 3 2 Q J T 9 5.

Your partner opens 2 and your RHO calls 2. You double, showing two queens or less, and partner bids the expected 2 . You have a strong partner, but little partnership experience. (Since Brad Carmichael moved to Kansas City, you needed a replacement on the team that won the event two years ago. Jacob Morgan, a rising star who won over 1000 masterpoints last year has stepped into the big gap left by Brad. Jacob has agreed to play your methods, but his professional obligations left you limited practice time, including only one day of actual play before the event.)

Jacob is pictured with regular partner Marty Harris.

You bid 3 and partner calls 3. You bid 4 and partner now bids 4.

You are facing a tough call here, but you get some unexpected help from RHO, who doubles. It is our view that these calls are rarely correct, but it is the end of a long match. Perhaps RHO did not realize that he would be on lead against any likely contract. Anyway, you have an easy pass and partner now bids 4.

You have an extra bit of information, but what does it all mean? More importantly, what do you call?

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If you returned the K (as I did) you left declarer with little choice of plays. Needing to return to his hand, he ruffed a diamond as high as he could and noted that partner could not overruff. Then he led a spade to dummy and dropped the stiff K of trumps, making his game.

Defending at the other table was the redoubtable Nik Demirev (pictured on the left with Jiang Gu, a partner in NABC’s but not in this event), who has a nice run of national and regional finishes since emigrating to the US in 2000. Nik looked more carefully and deeply into the position and returned a low diamond.

Our declarer, finding himself in hand, was able to take the losing trump finesse. Obviously I failed to match Nik’s defense. Should declarer be suspicious of this Greek gift?

Playing in the tough District 13 Grand National Teams event, with both vulnerable at IMP’s you pick up J 6 K K Q T 9 3 J 7 5 3 2.

Your RHO opens 1, LHO bids 1 and partner doubles. RHO bids 3 and you elect to bid 4. (Would you?) LHO bids 4 which comes around to you. You pass. (Would you?)

Partner leads the A and you see the following situation:

	NORTH K Q 5 2  A J 6 4  A 7 4 2  6
			EAST J 6  K  K Q T 9 3  J 7 5 3 2

You follow to the first trick with the deuce, and partner switches to the 8. After some thought, declarer plays low and you win the Q. What now?

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