November 2015 - 21

We had only spent a few minutes
filling out a convention card before the
game, and we certainly hadn't discussed this sequence. So after a quick
prayer to St. Hamman, I passed and
hoped for the best.
While Rumelhart considered the
opening lead, Kantar asked to see my
hand. I suspected that something was
fishy, and I became convinced of it
when Eddie asked to see Rumelhart's
hand, too. The defenders objected.
"If dummy has seen all the hands,
couldn't he guide declarer's play with
the use of facial expressions?" they
said.
"Yes," Kantar conceded, "but I need
to know which face to make." Rumelhart finally capitulated to Eddie's
request and then led the ♦J.
When dummy appeared, it was clear
we belonged in 4♠. So in the spirit of
things, I asked Eddie about his choice
of rebids.
"You have 18 points and a six-card
spade suit. Isn't that a textbook 3♠
rebid? I thought all you Hall of Famers
knew that."
Rumelhart and Mackay giggled and
looked at me approvingly. I was clearly
a fast learner.
"Shut up," my partner helpfully
explained.
In 3NT, I had to hope that hearts behaved and that the ♣K was onside, so
I began by cashing the ♥A K, followed
by the ♥10. Rumelhart won the queen
and continued diamonds. So I shrugged
and took the club finesse, losing to the
king. A parade of diamonds followed.
"Oh, well," I said. "3NT can't be made."
"The ♣K was singleton," said Mr.
Hand-Peeker, looking at me as if I were
a dull child.
"Down one?" Mackay leered.
"Ha!" Rumelhart offered.
Eddie was not above playing the role
of tormentor-in-chief. Check out this
deal:

Dlr: East
Vul: Both

♠A72
♥Q8
♦ A K Q 10
♣J743
♠QJ85
♠ K 10
♥9543
♥AKJ72
♦32
♦9654
♣A86
♣ 10 2
♠9643
♥10 6
♦J87
♣KQ95
Eddie opened a strong 1NT in fourth
seat, ending the auction. Mackay led
a low heart, and Eddie won the queen.
He next drove out the ♣A, won the
spade(!) return and claimed nine
tricks.
"Even you two will figure out to cash
your heart tricks eventually," he told
the defenders, adding, "Nice lead."
The next deal is my least favorite
board of the evening. You'll see why.
Dlr: North ♠ A 5 2
Vul: N-S ♥ 10 5
♦ Q 10 6 4
♣A743
♠KQJ63
♠-
♥6
♥AKQJ98
♦J932
♦A7
♣KJ8
♣ Q 10 9 6 5
♠ 10 9 8 7 4
♥7432
♦K85
♣2
West
1♠
Dbl

North
East
Perpetrator
Pass
1♥
Dbl
Pass
All Pass

South
Victim
Pass
2♦

I was South, and I was happily minding my own business, delighted to be
taking no part in the bidding, when
center-hand opponent made a takeout
double after passing initially. I bid a
cheery 2♦, but Rumelhart lowered the
boom.
The play was bloody. West led the
♠K. Without much hope, I covered

with the ace, and East ruffed. Mackay
cashed the trump ace and played three
top hearts, as West pitched clubs. Ruffing the third round of hearts in dummy,
I cashed the ♣A and tried to ruff a club
in my hand, but Rumelhart overruffed,
and I was soon down three for minus
800.
Mackay was right on time with,
"Down three?" Meanwhile, Rumelhart
contributed, "Ha, ha, ha!" - a "ha" for
each undertrick.
The evening ended on a high note for
Eddie and me, however, as this was the
final deal:
Dlr: West ♠ 10 9 6 3
Vul: None ♥ 7 2
♦J97
♣ K 10 8 2
♠-
♠QJ752
♥9864
♥ A Q 10
♦A6542
♦Q8
♣AQJ5
♣963
♠AK84
♥KJ53
♦ K 10 3
♣74
West
Rumelhart
1♦
2♣

North
Eddie
Pass
Pass

East
Mackay
1♠
2NT

South
Me
Pass
All Pass

I led my fourth-best heart to declarer's 10. Mackay took the losing club
finesse, and Eddie returned a lethal
♠10, covered by the jack and my king.
I exited with a club. Mackay won in
dummy and continued the suit to see
if they were 3-3, but Kantar won the
fourth round (I pitched a heart and a
diamond) and got out with the ♦7. I
covered declarer's 8 with the 10 and
returned the ♦K. When the smoke
cleared, declarer was down three.
Eddie and I high-fived each other.
"Down three?" said Eddie.
"Ha, ha, ha!" I said.
(Thanks to Eddie, Don and Stephen
for a terrific evening and for allowing
some artistic license in the description
of events. Ha!)
◾
November 2015 Bridge Bulletin

21
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2015
