Hi Bobby,

An interesting hand today and there might even be residual chances if one defender had CQJ10 or any 5 plus 4 spades, although this is unlikely. I must take issue with the last sentence though. East is being sympathetic, that is just mean! It tells partner if he’d shuffled his cards and picked one at random he’d have been right 9/13 of the time but picking the seemingly sensible lead failed.

Tongue in cheek, of course and proving that bridge can still be a game of (bad) luck or ill chance on occasion. Nonetheless, is it really worth traumatising partner by telling him this? The serious point (if any) is what to say in such circumstances – is it better for morale to say nothing until much later or is it dependent on the partner?

regards,

Iain

Dear Bobby
After you’ve won the trump return at trick 3 and ruffed a C and D in hand and then played 2 rounds of trumps, you are out of trumps in your hand so how can you ruff another club? Unless you meant to say play one round of trump not 2.

Yasser Haider –

I believe you are corrects, as the rest of the text that follows is consistent with one round of trump, not two.

Hi Jim, at least no TOCM on this hand! 🙂

Hi Iain,

You are so right regarding East’s comment about his partner’s opening lead.

However, sometimes a valued bridge partnership and above all, one that respects their own game will intentionally make what all four at the table understand to only being a wail about the difficulty of bridge, since the diamond lead seemed so normal and, considering what West held, to lead anything else may seem ridiculous to everyone involved.

However, the one constant lesson present in my far flung past world bridge life are the differences evident in senses of humor within the immense number of cultures encountered.

What is comical and therefore water off a duck’s back, to some, is insulting to others and merely realizing this fact may not prevent its occurrence.

Thanks for your comment since perhaps others may now realize that the intent, often the melodic tone used, will resemble someone being just a comedian, not a critic.

Hi Yasser & Jim2,

Yes, Yasser, thank you for catching the error above.

When I was re-reading the prose this morning before tackling the comments, it occurred to me that there seemed to be more trumps present than the usual 13. Of course, sometimes my bidding requires more trumps than I own in order to make some too aggressive contracts that I’ve bid.

However, I apologize for the gaffe and thank you two (catching and corroborating). Of course, I wrote the above on purpose just to both see if all my readers are awake and to make Jim2 feel more at home when TOCM will, no doubt, at least in making close slam contracts, leave him under the wheels of his car.

Please believe that at your own risk.