Aces on Bridge — Daily Columns

The Aces on Bridge: Monday, March 21st, 2022


2 Comments

Iain ClimieApril 4th, 2022 at 10:34 pm

Hi Bobby,

In the 2nd room today (EW +730) what can North infer before doubling about South’s hand? Clearly he hasn’t bid 3S (surely expected with 4) nor doubled (penaltiezs with good H I presume and 3S at most,) so is a 4H bid a better shot here? Ironically even 3N works.

Regards,

Iain

bobbywolffApril 5th, 2022 at 1:51 pm

Hi Iain,

The entertainment attribute I mentioned for this hand is, of course only applicable for EW and their fans.

Nothing about high-level bridge can be learned
except the possibility (probability for those less serious younger players) of a disastrous forget by NS, when 3 hearts doubled became the final contract.

While reaching a slam is nothing to be proud of with the NS cards, it is definitely not unreasonable, especially so, since there was so much duplication (and thus wasted values) between them.

If the horrible result for NS is to be judged, I would give the slam bidders a pass, while benching for a significant time, the pair who allowed 3 hearts doubled (by EW) to be played and not allow them to represent that team again, until they have proven to me, that they know what double (in many varied instances) is always intended to mean.

For that matter, I also hate East’s 3 heart vulnerable intervention both for risk and for very poor lead direction, but, and of course, their incredible result might have, in addition, caused a slight smile (to which I would make every effort to conceal, when later discussion took place.

However, if either one of them made such a horrible bid again (for all the wrong reasons),
I would throw the kitchen sink at them.

Our great game does have some unusual features, making it a truly original and entertaining exercise in the relative unknown, with the probability of being better off, never to experience.