This hand is, of course, taken from last year’s Lower Slobbovian Mud Cup, and requires considerable explanation. In LS, Winter is long and hard, and the first sign of the coming of Spring is … mud. The column bidding is very standard and uneventful, but matters often proceed very differently at the LSMC where the mud causes attacks of Spring Fever. It was featured in the tourney daily arrowin (LS is tech-backward).
jim2April 5th, 2021 at 3:32 pm
At that table, North was a devoted point-counter, and opened 1C. He regarded the quality of his diamonds as fatally deficient and did not want to disrespect the top club honors, so he opened one club. He later claimed he planned to jump in notrump following a diamond response and raise either major (again paying homage to the spade honors). Let us call him “WW” for reasons known to all.
Holding the West cards was Red Robin, rendered even more frenetic than was his already ebullient wont, by his sighting of his namesake of the season, albeit up to its wing roots in mud. Bored with his cards, he chirped in a one spade overcall. He reasoned that his convention card said “overcalls occasionally light” and his holding certainly fit that description.
jim2April 5th, 2021 at 3:33 pm
Holding the East cards was Red Robin, rendered even more frenetic than was his already ebullient wont, by his sighting of his namesake of the season, albeit up to its wing roots in mud. Bored with his cards, he chirped in a one spade overcall. He reasoned that his convention card said “overcalls occasionally light” and his holding certainly fit that description.
Poor South was still recovering from hibernation, and the bright sun reflecting off the mud puddles made him even more tentative. He had no spade stopper, so a notrump response was out. He checked his clubs again to make sure they were not spades, and then made sure there was not a heart hiding in his diamonds. At last convinced, he knew he did not dare risk a negative double. Since North had not really promised a club suit, he dared not raise. Faced with the fact that he was close to breaking tempo, he muttered “Pass,” hoping he would get another bid.
West knew his partner’s tendencies (though hardly the actual holding!), and contented himself with a simple raise to two spades.
This, then, is the first round of bidding:
1C – 1S – P – 2S
jim2April 5th, 2021 at 3:36 pm
North failed to completely hide his scowl, and South flinched, unaware that North was directing it at his abhorrent diamonds. With even a knave there, he might have weighed in with two notrump. As it was, he decided his only recourse was to Double.
East briefly toyed with the notion of acting again, but even Spring and favorable vulnerability proved insufficient, and so he passed.
South blinked and blinked again in the glaring reflections on the walls off the dirty pools as he considered his plight. His spades were such that he dared neither bid notrump nor Pass. He had no suit of his own to bid (he did check again). This led him to bid two clubs. Partner had bid them, after all, and he had shown remarkable restraint in not raising him the first time. He knew he had not shown all his high card points, but what else could he do?
West had no interest in making a bid, though he did give a moment’s thought to Redouble.
North gave his diamonds another baleful glance and passed. Thus:
1C – 1S – P – 2S:
Db – P – 2C – All Pass
jim2April 5th, 2021 at 3:42 pm
North actually smiled when trump failed to break, telling his partner that they had not missed a game as he scored up +130.
Since more N-S went down in 3N as made it, they scored an average-plus and thought no more of it.
Such goes the LSMC.
bobbywolffApril 5th, 2021 at 6:06 pm
Hi Jim2,
And East, Red Robin, the clown prince of LS bridge, was heard to mutter later after a kibitzer had, after the session, wondered “what will poor Robin do”?
He found out, when overhearing RR discussing that board with both of his former opponents present, concluded with, “No, I’m OK, they deserve their above average board, since what happened was more fun than bridge”.
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It’s awfully quiet here!
This hand is, of course, taken from last year’s Lower Slobbovian Mud Cup, and requires considerable explanation. In LS, Winter is long and hard, and the first sign of the coming of Spring is … mud. The column bidding is very standard and uneventful, but matters often proceed very differently at the LSMC where the mud causes attacks of Spring Fever. It was featured in the tourney daily arrowin (LS is tech-backward).
At that table, North was a devoted point-counter, and opened 1C. He regarded the quality of his diamonds as fatally deficient and did not want to disrespect the top club honors, so he opened one club. He later claimed he planned to jump in notrump following a diamond response and raise either major (again paying homage to the spade honors). Let us call him “WW” for reasons known to all.
Holding the West cards was Red Robin, rendered even more frenetic than was his already ebullient wont, by his sighting of his namesake of the season, albeit up to its wing roots in mud. Bored with his cards, he chirped in a one spade overcall. He reasoned that his convention card said “overcalls occasionally light” and his holding certainly fit that description.
Holding the East cards was Red Robin, rendered even more frenetic than was his already ebullient wont, by his sighting of his namesake of the season, albeit up to its wing roots in mud. Bored with his cards, he chirped in a one spade overcall. He reasoned that his convention card said “overcalls occasionally light” and his holding certainly fit that description.
Poor South was still recovering from hibernation, and the bright sun reflecting off the mud puddles made him even more tentative. He had no spade stopper, so a notrump response was out. He checked his clubs again to make sure they were not spades, and then made sure there was not a heart hiding in his diamonds. At last convinced, he knew he did not dare risk a negative double. Since North had not really promised a club suit, he dared not raise. Faced with the fact that he was close to breaking tempo, he muttered “Pass,” hoping he would get another bid.
West knew his partner’s tendencies (though hardly the actual holding!), and contented himself with a simple raise to two spades.
This, then, is the first round of bidding:
1C – 1S – P – 2S
North failed to completely hide his scowl, and South flinched, unaware that North was directing it at his abhorrent diamonds. With even a knave there, he might have weighed in with two notrump. As it was, he decided his only recourse was to Double.
East briefly toyed with the notion of acting again, but even Spring and favorable vulnerability proved insufficient, and so he passed.
South blinked and blinked again in the glaring reflections on the walls off the dirty pools as he considered his plight. His spades were such that he dared neither bid notrump nor Pass. He had no suit of his own to bid (he did check again). This led him to bid two clubs. Partner had bid them, after all, and he had shown remarkable restraint in not raising him the first time. He knew he had not shown all his high card points, but what else could he do?
West had no interest in making a bid, though he did give a moment’s thought to Redouble.
North gave his diamonds another baleful glance and passed. Thus:
1C – 1S – P – 2S:
Db – P – 2C – All Pass
North actually smiled when trump failed to break, telling his partner that they had not missed a game as he scored up +130.
Since more N-S went down in 3N as made it, they scored an average-plus and thought no more of it.
Such goes the LSMC.
Hi Jim2,
And East, Red Robin, the clown prince of LS bridge, was heard to mutter later after a kibitzer had, after the session, wondered “what will poor Robin do”?
He found out, when overhearing RR discussing that board with both of his former opponents present, concluded with, “No, I’m OK, they deserve their above average board, since what happened was more fun than bridge”.
It’s quiet here, too!