Intended audience: Intermediate and up
Warning:This can cause nightmares for weeks, especially if holding this hand. Please view at your own risk.
Neither vul, matchpoints, as south you hold: ♠A42 ♥KQJ109 ♦87642 ♣-
West North East South
- - 2NT P
3♦ 3♠ 3NT P
4♦ P 4♥ ?
2NT = 20-21
3♦ = Transfer to hearts
What do you bid?
This beauty occurred yesterday, and was the talk of the day. The first thing you do of course is check the backs of your cards to ensure that you are all playing with the same colour cards! The bidding is, to say the least, surprising.
You have an opening bid partner has bid IN FRONT of the 20-21 point hand without the ace in their suit. Obviously West has a zero count. Right? We’ll get to that in a minute.
It looks like you can easily make 4♠. Although on reflection partner is void in hearts and you are void in a suit that has not been bid, and is in all likelihood partner’s 2nd suit. 4♠ is iffy so it is best to play it safe and double.
After some thought, West surprises you by bidding 5♦. Well this is tough, another easy double one level higher. Would you believe 5♦ is cold! Here is the full deal (hands rotated and spots approximate):
♠ 10 9 8 7 6 5 3
♥ -
♦ -
♣ 9 8 7 6 3 2
♠ - ♠ K Q J
♥ 8 7 6 5 4 3 ♥ A 2
♦ K Q J 10 9 ♦ A 5 3
♣ A 3 ♣ K Q J 10 5
♠ A 4 2
♥ K Q J 10 9
♦ 8 7 6 4 2
♣ -
Partner led a spade and declarer ruffed your ace, pulled four rounds of trump, pitching the 2♥, and played on clubs. All you got was one trump – making six! Even if partner leads a club and gives you a ruff, declarer has 11 tricks.
Lessons to Learn
There are good therapists and medications to help you get over hands like these.
Don’t double contracts with trump stacks unless you know you can beat other possible contracts such as 4NT or five of a minor. Some North’s passed and the opponents wound up in 4♥. The smart South’s passed, beating this one. Others got greedy and doubled, and wound up -550 or -650.
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