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“The All Blacks” at the Bridge Table.

All conquering on the rugby field but that was not the case at the bridge table when only 12 out of 28 North players who held an “All Black” hand at the recent Kelly Pierse Memorial Teams managed to get a plus score.

How would you handle these cards:

KQJ96542

-

-

KQJ54

You are vulnerable and first to speak. A two-loser? Sure but even with control of the "master" spade suit, this is not the time to open 2. Indeed, you are barred from doing so…. too few high card points (under 13).

So, surely start with 1. You will hear some number of hearts bid on your left. At one table, it went:

West                          North            East                South

                                    1                   4                   x    (penalties)

Pass                            ?

 

No way are you passing partner’s penalty double. Indeed, our North decided to have a crack at 6. A decent partner will provide one black ace (they did!) and at least one trump (they did!) and therefore all would be well. (Maybe!)

Another approach was taken by Tom Henwood who opened 5. His partner, Tom Winiata, gave this unusual bid some lengthy thought (it would traditionally ask partner to raise to 6 with one top honour and to 7 with 2,). though that was not in Tom Henwood’s mind when he opened. Tom W did raise to 6, doubled by West, with the double from West also occuring after the first sequence given above. 

This is what the Norths saw after West had doubled 6.

 

 

After the 1- 4 sequence, and warned off the heart lead by their partner’s double, East led a diamond. No-one at the table was particularly happy (except perhaps dummy!) when the K drew West’s A and North ruffed. North would have much preferred a trump lead!

So, 12 tricks were certain as long as East held at least held one trump (we will leave aside the lay-out of West having A and East having 2 trumps and no clubs!). The big question is whether West doubled 6 because they had 2 aces, or because they had all four missing trumps as well as two aces. Your play at trick 2 is?

If trumps are 4-0, you must play a club to dummy and play 7 to the 9. If there is any other spade break, it is best to lay-down K immediately.

So, you crossed to dummy and played that 9… and lost to East’s singleton 10? Here’s hoping partner is sympathetic!

Actually, that was not what would have happened:

 

Beware of opponents who bid as wildly as our North did. They must have a real freak to pull a penalty double at the 4 level to a small slam! Doubling for just an extra 100 might be unwise as the above deal showed.

The board produced one hero in the North seat…not so much for the bidding but for the play. Tom Jacob reached for the stars but on seeing dummy, realised that barring a revoke, he was not going to make his contract of 7x. “What’s to be done?” thought Tom. “They are sure to play slam at the other table.  If they bid and make 6x, and he goes -200, that is 18 imps out. Even if they stayed in game, that would be a 13 imp loss.” So, Tom found the only line that would save a loss. If trumps were 4-0, then 6 might go down. So,that’s what he played for, risking going 2 down on a bad day (-500 and -1430..that’s only 19 imps out, only one extra imp.)

So, knowing that West would have doubled 7, even if trumps were 2-2, he took a first- round finesse and squared the board when his opponent did not make 6x, a fine example of cutting your losses.

Another “Tom Jacob type” situation occurred for the two pairs who finished in 6NT x. South just has to realise they are in a hopeless contract and therefore has to duck the first two hearts. With no further heart, East can only manage two aces after that, no matter how the spades are played. - 800 is no great score but failure to duck the first 2 hearts would be a lot worse.

We do not hold hands like North’s very often. It is interesting to compare the level of and success rate of these contracts.

contract	frequency	result	score
6x N	2	6	1660	Well played by the declarers
6x N	3	6	1540	Well bid..where’s the cheap dive, from East-West? -500!
6 N	1	6	1430	Extra-ordinary result..how did North know to take that trump finesse?
5x N	1	5	850	Canny North must have bid once too often..or so West thought!
4/5  N	4	5 mainly	650/620	Good solid score but you missed all the fun
5 x E	1	-1	100	A plus is a plus but this North will never ever ever get dealt an 8-5 hand like this again. That North hand is for declaring!
6 N	4	-1	-100	Unlucky Norths and wise Wests! No double. The normal result?
6NT S	1	-1	-100	Did East just cash their 2 aces..but where was the double!?
7 N	1	-1	-100	Let’s lend West a red “double” card
7x S	1	-1	-200	Let them make a grand off 2 aces!
6 x N	1	-1	-200	That diamond lead gave North a chance to go wrong
7 x N	1	-1	-200	A Tom Jacob special…shame about the bidding!
7xx N	1	-1	-400	It is plainly obvious that a youth player pulled out the redouble card. Am I right, Jeremy?
6NTx S	1	-3	-800	Well played by South..in the same way as Tom Jacob.
6NT x S	1	-5	-1400	Sad memories all round for North-South

 

We cannot leave this board without mentioning Barry Jones and Jenny Millington. Teams Bridge is all about looking after your teammates. So hoped Pat Carter and Julie Atkinson after they had failed in their undoubled 7 contract. Little did they know, until the score-up, that their side had scored +13 imps on the board. That’s right, + 13. Barry and Jenny had returned with that +1400. "Nice going, teammates."

After that result, there was only ever going to be one team which won this event. Great teammates are Barry and Jenny…or so Patrick and Julie were heard to say!

Richard Solomon

p.s. Tom Henwood did make 6x and earned 19 imps for his side when 7xx failed by a trick at the other table. We think that was the biggest of many large swings on this fabulous deal.

                     

              

 

 

 

 

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