Big Deal!

15th February 2003 - John Bissett sent us the following:

I was playing a friendly game of rubber bridge, (twopence per 100), and received the following hand:

AKx    AK9    AK    AKJxx

I opened 2 Clubs, reply 2 diamonds, and I took a gamble on 6 no trumps. Partner had one point as follows:

J9xx    xxx    xxx    10xx

I took the first trick with the K. I led the AK and the Q fell, giving entry to dummy by the 10. I led the AK, West's Q fell under the
Ace thus giving entry to dummy's spades. The result was 6 no trumps plus an overtrick, with a combined total of 30 points!  

This hand was dealt at the County Individual Finals on 28th January 2001

		North
		Q J 10 7 2
		6
		Q 5 3
		K 9 5 2
West	A K		8 6 5	East
	4		A K Q J 9 8 7 3 2
	10 8 7 6		4
	A Q 10 7 4 3		void
		9 4 3
		10 5
		A K J 9 2
		J 8 6
		South

It was somewhat surprising that only 1 of the 5 attempts at this hand bid (E-W) up to 6H - and made it!

Played by W, oddly due to Blackwood, showing 2 aces (1C(W) > 4NT(E) > 5H (W) > 6H (E))

There is a losing spade when N leads his singleton Heart - but what are the chances of N leading a diamond and spoiling West's day? If East is playing - as you might expect from his hand - then a Diamond lead from S is almost inevitable!

Editor's note: On my reading of the hand, there is no spade loser. East's third spade can always be ditched on AC, you don't need to ruff it in the W hand. So what if a D is led? South wins and then whatever he continues with declarer can either beat or ruff, draw trumps, cross to AK Spades, A Clubs ditching 3rd Spade from dummy and the rest of dummy's trumps are winners. Same play if a trump is led, there is only AD to lose.

Denis Marrian writes about an interesting hand (17 December 2000 )

At Rubber Bridge John Bissett picked up 9 diamonds to the AKQJ10, and Ax in 2 other suits.
Swallowing hard he opened 6 diamonds (even forgetting to say 'Stop'), was eventually pushed
into 7 and made it. As his partner I was not displeased! Next hand he was pre-empted by me
(holding rubbish) into 4 spades - promptly doubled by aggrieved opponents.
He makes it with 2 overtricks. End of rubber and end of session!

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