Placing

Hi all

Lack of nice games this week. So here’s one I can remember from the Open Pairs last year. And big thanks to Hoek for helping me out with bidding diagrams. Best viewed in Firefox.

I was holding a fairly nice hand:

South
AK863
5
AQ84
Q74

The bidding was quite jumpy (me sitting South):

West
North
East
South
1
pass
1
21
pass
2NT2
3
4
a.p.
 
 
 

1. Preempting them out of their contract
2. Showing a “good” raise, four card support

I got a diamond lead and dummy hit the table with:

North
J752
Q873
3
K965
South
AK863
5
AQ84
Q74

The diamond lead went to my Queen and I took stock. A crossruff seemed like a good idea and I played my small Heart, East winning cheap. He played back a trump but I rose and initiated my crossruff. Leading to this position:

North
J
7
K965
South
A8
A
Q74

I was in my hand with six tricks in my pocket. I cashed the Ace of (maybe trumps are 2-2) but East showed out. Now I had a complete count of the hand, West is 3-3-4-3 and East is 1-5-4-3, also suggested by the bidding. I cash the Ace and play a small to the King. West has to play small or he gives me my tenth trick immediately, but now I’m in dummy to ruff the last . Now West has two choices: discard and grant me my tenth trick with the 8, or overruff and being placed in .

Here’s the complete deal:

West Dealer
– Vul
North
J752
Q873
3
K965
West
Q94
K62
K975
AJ3
East
T
AJT94
JT62
T82
South
AK863
5
AQ84
Q74