I sometimes amuse myself with "what ifs". Board 4 from yesterday's crazy slams is an example. Jim and i were playing and I was wary of bidding slam here. It makes, but it's not a laydown. First I give the hand as it was, then in a re-arranged version. The format I used for doctoring gives a link that needs to be copied and pasted, rather than just clicked on.
The hand as it was:
https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st||pn|S,jcreech,N,kenberg|md|2SQ986HJ76DJ7CT432,SK2HA842DA9CKQJ65,SJT3HKT3DT8543C87,SA754HQ95DKQ62CA9|sv|o|rh||ah|Board%204|mb|1C|mb|P|mb|1S|mb|P|mb|2H|mb|P|mb|3D|an|lack%20of%20anything%20better|mb|P|mb|3N|mb|P|mb|6N|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|pc|D8|pc|D2|pc|DJ|pc|DA|pc|H2|pc|HT|pc|HQ|pc|H6|pc|CA|pc|C2|pc|C5|pc|C8|pc|C9|pc|C3|pc|CK|pc|C7|pc|CQ|pc|D4|pc|S4|pc|C4|pc|CJ|pc|S3|pc|S5|pc|CT|pc|C6|pc|SJ|pc|H9|pc|D7|pc|D9|pc|D3|pc|DK|pc|H7|pc|DQ|pc|S6|pc|H4|pc|D5|pc|H5|pc|HJ|pc|HA|pc|H3|
The hand as it might have been:
https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st||pn|S,jcreech,N,kenberg|md|2SQ986HKJ7DJ7CT432,SK2HA842DA9CKQJ65,SJT3HT63DT8543C87,SA754HQ95DKQ62CA9|sv|o|rh||ah|Board%204|mb|1C|mb|P|mb|1S|mb|P|mb|2H|mb|P|mb|3D|an|lack%20of%20anything%20better|mb|P|mb|3N|mb|P|mb|6N|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|pc|
Notice that Gib says the slam can also be made in this re-arranged form. It's an interesting exercise, more than a bit double dummy I think, to see just how. Assume the opening lead is a small
rather than the potentially helpful 8.
This was a crazy slam session, so I bid the slam. But I was a bit worried as I raised to 6NT, the hands are not fitting all that well.
So as a lesson goes, I am not so sure the lesson should be that pair should bid the slam.
Also, while it is true that with the revised hand it is still possible to make 6, I can't imagine anyone would actually play the hand in the manner required to bring in 6 when the hearts have been rearranged. Maybe, as an act of desperation after the heart K takes the Q in the hypothetical , they bring it in if indeed the lead was the
8. After 8-2-J-A, leading the 9, letting it ride if not covered, or establishing the 6 if it goes 9-T-K-7, brings in a miraculous make. These opening leads of second from the top with spots do not always work out.
Hands are seldom simple.
Speaking of crazy, I close with a favorite from years back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbnrdCS57d0
