I enjoy hands where things do not really go as they should. It suits my view of life. Here is an example from yesterday.
Matchpoints, nobody vul, the deal is on your left, he opens 1
, partner overcalls 1
, rho bids 2
. You hold:
K432
KQ4
87
K964
Ok, too strong for a preempt but the opponents seem to have all the values so I stretch, or maybe it's an anti-stretch, and bid 3
. Partner doesn't have much, no surprise, and 3
could be set 2 tricks but the opponents go on:
1
- 1
- 2
= 3
Pass - Pass - X - Pass
4
- Pass - 4
- Pass
5
All Pass
I am on lead and I choose a
. As the cards lie, this holds them to 11 tricks, or so it would seem. On any other lead they can take 12 tricks. As the hand was played, it was down 1.
So: 3
could have been doubled and down 2 for -300, 5
could make for -500, we get +50, it scores 31%. The top score our way is 3NT our way, it could have been set 2 but made. Another good score in our direction is 3NT played their way, off a surprising 4.
Yes, this was played against the bots, but 5
is not all that crazy a contract since it could have been made.
QJT65
3
QJT
J
A9
87
3
AT986
9543
AK62
AQT832
75
K432
KQ4
87
K964
Apparently declarer decoded that my 3
was week enough so that he should play my partner for the
K and he led a
to the 8 (Tthe T seems better if he doesn't want to play the Q). Now we are beating this.
Fwiw, Lott says the trick total should be 9+8=17, it really is 7+11=18.
Cards do not always behave as they should. I invite other examples. I am not sure there is anything great to be learned, but I find these hands to be fun.
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