Dealer: W Vul: Nil
NORTH
♠ A54
♥ 1042
♦ AK1083
♣ 104
WEST EAST
♠ 2 ♠ 83
♥ AKQJ8 ♥ 63
♦ — ♦ QJ9762
♣ AKQJ972 ♣ 853
SOUTH
♠ KQJ10976
♥ 975
♦ 54
♣ 6
Have you ever seen a hand so strong that it causes difficulty in the bidding? Last Friday every West player won twelve tricks in clubs, but only one reached the par contract of 6C. Part of the art of playing bridge is calculating the odds. On this hand, what are the odds of either North or South holding five cards in clubs or hearts? When one player holds a five-card suit, the other eight cards are distributed across the other three hands. For either of the defenders to hold five cards in that suit would be unusual. What are the odds on partner holding a winner or two?
Pragmatists will open the bidding with 6C. Analysts will open with a bid such as 4C or 4NT, which asks whether partner has an Ace, and if so, which one. Most of the local players were apparently pessimists, because only one bid 6C and one 5C. Perhaps in their efforts to force a bid from partner they failed to advertise the strength of their hand. Ian House played a cat-and- mouse strategy. He started slowly, giving North the chance to show diamonds and South to respond with spades. From that point on, Ian quietly bid his clubs over the defenders’ spades. Finally, after South took the auction to 5S, Ian bid 6C. Totally taken in, this writer doubled the contract. There were no problems in the play. It was simply a matter of cashing winners and conceding the Ace of spades for a score of 1090. Dianne Dawes and Carla Hall were next best with 400 for twelve tricks in 5C.
Results, Monday, 12/05/25 (6-table Mitchell): N/S H. Price J. Mobbs (58.7) 1; D. Duckworth S. Duckworth (57.8) 2; J. Smith L. Munson (51.4) 3. E/W P. Campbell T. Hinde (68.5) 1; C. Duggan M. Johnston (62.3) 2; W. Milne J. Sipple (54.1) 3. Friday, 16/05/25 (5 & 1/2-table Howell) T. Hinde J. Mobbs (72.2) 1; H. Price N. McGinness (61.6) 2; P. Kelly D. Moran (56.4) 3; L. Don M. Johnston (54.6) 4.
