If I had been North, I doubt my second bid would have been “Pass.”

Jim2… that’s because you’re not a member of the Dyspeptics Club…
But I have difficulty understanding the paragraph before last. Why can’t East ruff the second club and press on with a spade? If declarer ruffs again he will lose trump control. I must be missing something.
Michael

Hi Michael, declarer does not lose trump control because East has shortened his trumps to one fewer than declarer by ruffing and the latter can now ruff a spade without losing control.

Yasser Haider –

You are faster than I am!

Oh! Now I see it. Thanks to both of you.
Michael

Hi Jim2,

Yes, but even at the Dyspectics Club, some of the players do latch on to the GF nature of South’s 3 diamond rebid.

However, the next bidding installment from that famous venue will be a not so well timed passing of an intended game force, thereby allowing the opponents to steal a game hand away from their hated opponents.

In truth, assuming GF, is probably to pass, allowing partner to describe the nature of his very strong reverse. The alternative action is probably to double suggesting values and allowing partner to pass if indeed, his hand turned out to be a much more balanced hand, not including a 6-5 shape.

But while playing there, rules are not only meant to be broken, but at the same time, not showing a lick of common sense while doing so.

Hi Michael, Yasser, and Jim2 again (with only a cameo appearance),

You guys worked it out with the defense (East) clearly not ruffing (the 2nd club led from dummy), thereby giving away his chance at defeating the slam in case South did not have AKQxxx.

At least to me, at some kind of comprehensive bridge school, this hand would symbolize the necessity for having enough numeracy while on defense to, while counting to 13, on almost all hands, to keep up with declarer’s entire hand as it unfolds trick by trick.

While starting to play bridge, that ability to think in those terms MUST be ingrained in all students as the single most important quality to possess. And if one starts out with it being difficult, until one grows to master it, his attempt at raising his game to expert potential is closer to nil and void than it is to success.

IOW, either learn to do it somewhat seamlessly or otherwise remain a journeyman in substance. And always realize that to do so is available to almost anyone who really tries to do it. After all it is only counting to 13 to most, but sometimes like climbing Mt. Everest to some.

And what better way to master arithmetic than to play bridge and learn simple important exercises which make “real life” so much more successful.

Yet in the USA no one has made the effort to get bridge in our primary schools by informing and proving to the government’s educational division, just how important it can be to our children’s future.

Please forgive my usual rant!

Should this contract be played in 6 spades doubled by East? If West had a void in diamonds, does that make the sacrifice a better or worse bid?

What is the best line in 7 diamonds? Should 7D be considered over 6S?

While I strongly agree with the bridge in school desire, there is a centuries-old taboo on card playing to overcome. Right now, from a pupil learning point of view, I like Ken-Ken, which has arithmetic, simultaneous equations and logic, all build in to a game for middle-schoolers. A good place to look is the NY Times.

Hi Ginny,

And welcome to AOB.

Yes, 6 spades is a good sacrifice over 6 diamonds, but only if 6 diamonds is carefully played and thus scored up.

While playing seven diamonds perhaps the best line is two rounds of diamonds followed by two rounds of clubs and if they break then draw trumps and hope the heart finesse is on side or else the singleton club defensive hand only has a doubleton diamond, enabling a club ruff and then back to hand to draw the last trump and again play for the necessary heart finesse to work.

Not a good contract, but we have all been in worse which survived. No, seven diamonds should never be risked over 6 spades but of course, until we play with transparent cards we will never be able to predict anywhere near 100% where all adverse cards are located.

Yes, some religions have called playing cards the “tickets to the devil”, therefore making them off limits to some families, but while, like so many other activities, the proof is in the playing and since there is enormous benefits in playing bridge, problem solving, everyday logic, numeracy, legal partnership communication, iron discipline, and fierce mind competition, all plus values, which to a thinking environment, could (should) in this day and age overcome negative religious beliefs.

Never heard of Ken-Ken but it sounds constructive. Bridge does have the advantage of also being a very social game, one which appeals to couples and already itself surviving many years of intelligent competition.

Thanks for your questions and your comments about teaching bridge and/or learning how to play Ken-Ken.