Bridge Match 2 - Board 34

Board 34 - Dealer East - NS Vul

Opponents convention card: Standard American Yellow Card
Opponents playing strength: Adequate

My hand: ♠ A K J 4 ♥ A Q 9 5 ♦ A 9 7 ♣ T 2

We're playing weak NTs so I have to open this hand 1 diamond. West overcalls 1 heart and everyone passes it back to me. I bid 1NT. Partner jumps to 3NT which gets passed out.

West leads the 4 of hearts.

	NORTH ♠ 7 5 3 ♥ T 6 3 ♦ Q 8 6 ♣ A K J 7
WEST ♥ 4
	SOUTH ♠ A K J 4 ♥ A Q 9 5 ♦ A 9 7 ♣ T 2

West	North	East	South
		Pass	1♦
1♥	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	Pass	Pass
Pass

I have 2 spades, 2 hearts, 2 clubs, and a diamond trick off the top. With no long suit setting up two more tricks is going to be a little tricky. I can brute force a club, actually. After that I can maybe finesse a spade, or set up a long spade, or get a diamond trick when they play them nicely for me. I may even get a 3rd heart trick? Let's see how this one goes. 4-3-J-Q. Yes, I will get a third heart trick. Might as well get that now and force East to start pitching. 5-2-T-3 of clubs. Ok, clubs are a little safer now. I think I'll play a spade to hand and then finesse a club? Wait, I don't exactly have board entries... Shoot. I should do clubs now, I guess. 7-6-T-Q. West plays a spade for me. 6-7-Q-K. There's another trick! Let's find out if spades are 3-3 so I can get one more for free...

Turns out no, as West pitches a club on the 3rd spade. I go to cash clubs and East shows out, pitching a diamond. So I know for sure that East started with 4-1-6-2 and West with 2-5-1-5. Can I do anything with this information? I can force East to lead a diamond to my Q by throwing him in with a spade, but that makes me pitch my diamonds. So there could be something to do, but there isn't...

I cash clubs first anyway and East pitches his high spade. Interesting. Maybe I was squeezing him without knowing it? I love when that happens. Or maybe he's just bad. I like that too. I lose to the K of diamonds at the end. Making 5.

	NORTH ♠ 7 5 3 ♥ T 6 3 ♦ Q 8 6 ♣ A K J 7
WEST ♠ 6 2 ♥ K 8 7 4 2 ♦ J ♣ Q 9 8 5 4		EAST ♠ Q T 9 8 ♥ J ♦ K T 5 4 3 2 ♣ 6 3
	SOUTH ♠ A K J 4 ♥ A Q 9 5 ♦ A 9 7 ♣ T 2

All 8 tables played 3NT but the results varied wildly. One pair went up three, one went up two, three went up one, one was just in, and two went down one. That puts us up near the top and we get 12 MPs this time. I'll take it! This is also enough to push us into the lead! Woo!


Captain Jack disagrees with my bidding. He doesn't like bidding 1NT and would rather I bid 1 spade. I feel like I don't have enough spades and do have a strong NT so I disagree with him here. He also disagrees with my club lead. I think he wants me to finesse the black suits back and forth. This isn't terrible on the actual hand but it also isn't very good. And it could be a disaster! When East has the Qxxx of clubs and holds up on the first round I never get to board to cash those clubs.

Ranking after board 34/60: 1/16 with 57.56%