December 2014 - 53
Intermediate Players
Misplay These Hands with Me
BY MARK HORTON
Unsound combination
My partner in a multiple teams event
has won more than one world title,
and our teammates have a silver from
the Bermuda Bowl, so any mistakes on
my part are unlikely to be overlooked.
With both sides vulnerable, I pick up as
dealer:
♠A 6 4 2 ♥A Q 3 ♦10 8 7 4 ♣A 5
I open 1♦ and when partner bids
2♣, I bid 2NT which partner raises to
game.
This has been our brief auction:
West
Pass
Pass
North
East
2♣
3NT
Pass
All Pass
South
1♦
2NT
West leads the ♥2 and dummy has
nothing to spare:
♠ K 7
♥ K J 6
♦ K 5 3
♣ Q 10 9 8 6
♠A642
♥AQ3
♦ 10 8 7 4
♣A5
With only six tricks on top, it is clear
I must make something of the clubs.
Fortunately, a memory stirs and after
winning the ♥A, I cash the ♣A and
then play a club. If the suit is divided
3-3, then it is a guess as to which card
to play at this point, but when West
plays low, I put up the queen. The point
of this play is to pick up ♣J x in the
East hand. (If East has ♣K x, then two
tricks must always be lost.)
East wins with the king, however,
and returns the ♠5. I win with dummy's king and play another club, which
West wins as East discards a heart. I
win the spade return and try a diamond
to the king, but East wins with the ace
and cashes two spades and the ♦Q to
leave me two down.
is to start by leading the queen. The
chance of scoring four tricks is almost
42.80%. While many suit combinations
can be calculated at the table, it is well
worth memorizing some of the less
well-known ones, as this deal illustrates.
◾
♠ K 7
♥ K J 6
♦ K 5 3
♣ Q 10 9 8 6
♠Q93
♠ J 10 8 5
♥ 10 8 7 2
♥954
♦ J 6
♦AQ92
♣ J 7 3 2
♣ K 4
♠A642
♥AQ3
♦ 10 8 7 4
♣A5
Postmortem
At the other table, declarer won the
heart lead with dummy's jack and advanced the ♣Q at trick two, ensuring
four club tricks.
For a long time, it was considered
that the best line of play for four tricks
was to cash the ace and then play low
to the queen, hoping for the layout I
described.
North American star Fred Gitelman
has analyzed this combination in some
detail, and suggests that the best line
December 2014 Bridge Bulletin
53
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2014
In First Seat - by Paul Linxwiler
InBox
From the CEO - by Robert Hartman
New Orleans hosts the Spring NABC
Report from the World Bridge Series in Sanya, China
Robot play has a human side
2014 WBF wrap-up
Sharon Everett on mission to help African hospital
District 1 honors TDs
Club News
A Game for All Ages
Myers boosts Humphreys to unique double honor
ACBL election news
Richard Anthony "Tony" Priday 1922-2014
Schedule of nationally rated events at NABCs
2014 Jane Johnson Awards: Lavender and McGuire
The Bidding Box
It's Your Call
Mike's Bridge Lesson - by Mike Lawrence
Bridge Player's Survival Kit - by Leslie Shafer
Ask Jerry - by Jerry Helms
Upgrading Your Game - by Lynn Berg
Newcomer Help Desk - by Brent Manley
Play & Learn - by Pat Harrington
Challenge of the Month
Out of Hand
Ruling the Game - by Mike Flader
Chalk Talk - by Eddie Kantar
East hands for the Bidding Box
Misplay These Hands with Me - by Mark Horton
The Real Deal - by Larry Cohen
Boehm on Bridge - by August Bohem
Better Bridge with Bergen - by Marty Bergen
My Bridge and Yours - by Frank Stewart
West hands for the Bidding Box
Bidding Matters - by Karen Walker
Charity Game winners
Test Your Play
Mike's Advice - by Mike Lawrence
Solutions to Test Your Play
Puzzle of the Month
Big Games
Bridge with the Abbot - by David Bird
Dear Billy - by Billy Miller
George's World - by George Jacobs
New Life Masters
Life Master Milestones
In Memoriam
Richard "Rick" Mueller 1949-2014
Jim Reiman 1949-2014
Theodore H. Brashier 1921-2014
Tournament Directory
December 2014 - 1
December 2014 - 2
December 2014 - 3
December 2014 - 4
December 2014 - 5
December 2014 - In First Seat - by Paul Linxwiler
December 2014 - InBox
December 2014 - 8
December 2014 - From the CEO - by Robert Hartman
December 2014 - New Orleans hosts the Spring NABC
December 2014 - 11
December 2014 - 12
December 2014 - 13
December 2014 - Report from the World Bridge Series in Sanya, China
December 2014 - 15
December 2014 - 16
December 2014 - 17
December 2014 - 18
December 2014 - 19
December 2014 - 20
December 2014 - 21
December 2014 - Robot play has a human side
December 2014 - 2014 WBF wrap-up
December 2014 - Sharon Everett on mission to help African hospital
December 2014 - District 1 honors TDs
December 2014 - Club News
December 2014 - 27
December 2014 - A Game for All Ages
December 2014 - 29
December 2014 - Myers boosts Humphreys to unique double honor
December 2014 - 31
December 2014 - ACBL election news
December 2014 - 33
December 2014 - Richard Anthony "Tony" Priday 1922-2014
December 2014 - Schedule of nationally rated events at NABCs
December 2014 - 2014 Jane Johnson Awards: Lavender and McGuire
December 2014 - The Bidding Box
December 2014 - 38
December 2014 - 39
December 2014 - It's Your Call
December 2014 - 41
December 2014 - 42
December 2014 - 43
December 2014 - Mike's Bridge Lesson - by Mike Lawrence
December 2014 - Bridge Player's Survival Kit - by Leslie Shafer
December 2014 - Ask Jerry - by Jerry Helms
December 2014 - Upgrading Your Game - by Lynn Berg
December 2014 - Newcomer Help Desk - by Brent Manley
December 2014 - Play & Learn - by Pat Harrington
December 2014 - Out of Hand
December 2014 - Ruling the Game - by Mike Flader
December 2014 - East hands for the Bidding Box
December 2014 - Misplay These Hands with Me - by Mark Horton
December 2014 - The Real Deal - by Larry Cohen
December 2014 - Boehm on Bridge - by August Bohem
December 2014 - Better Bridge with Bergen - by Marty Bergen
December 2014 - West hands for the Bidding Box
December 2014 - Bidding Matters - by Karen Walker
December 2014 - Test Your Play
December 2014 - Mike's Advice - by Mike Lawrence
December 2014 - Solutions to Test Your Play
December 2014 - Puzzle of the Month
December 2014 - Big Games
December 2014 - Bridge with the Abbot - by David Bird
December 2014 - Dear Billy - by Billy Miller
December 2014 - George's World - by George Jacobs
December 2014 - New Life Masters
December 2014 - Life Master Milestones
December 2014 - 69
December 2014 - Richard "Rick" Mueller 1949-2014
December 2014 - Theodore H. Brashier 1921-2014
December 2014 - Tournament Directory
December 2014 - 73
December 2014 - 74
December 2014 - 75
December 2014 - 76
December 2014 - 77
December 2014 - 78
December 2014 - 79
December 2014 - 80
December 2014 - 81
December 2014 - 82
December 2014 - 83
December 2014 - 84
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