Better Bridge in Barry County September 27 2012

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

	North ♠  J1084 ♥  9 ♦  96542 ♣  J94
West ♠  Q6 ♥  KQ108 ♦  J1083 ♣  753		East ♠  952 ♥  J6542 ♦  AQ ♣  Q106
	South ♠  AK73 ♥  A73 ♦  K7 ♣  AK82

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

South None 7♣

North 3♣! 4♠!	East Pass Pass	South 2NT 3♠ Pass	West Pass Pass Pass

Captain M. North was whistling softly to himself. Today was the first day of autumn, and the next few weeks of October would be dazzling with colors and the fresh smells of the woods and trees along the Thornapple River. The setting would be perfect for the final three or four river cruises and bridge tournaments on the Barry County Bridge Barge. No wonder the Captain was whistling.

Just then, Captain North heard a cheery call from the Port Tyden Park landing. “Yoo-hoo, Captain North! It’s Vera and Rosy! May we come aboard?” The captain looked up amused. “Of course, Rosy and Vera, come aboard. But you know, don’t you, that we have no cruise today? Our next cruise is early next week.”

“Oh, Captain North, of course, we know that. But we have such news that we couldn’t wait to share our stories with you.”  The Captain smiled. He knew that his cleanup of the BCBB would have a temporary pause. “Come aboard, and sit down, ladies.”

Vera and Rosy took their seats at one of the bridge tables. The captain took a seat as well and waited to hear his favorite bridge players share their bridge stories. “Oh, Captain North, you have heard of the Hastings Banner, haven’t you?” Rosy did not even stop to hear the Captain’s response; he only nodded. “Well, Captain North, you cannot believe all of the bridge classes that will be offered in our area shortly. Isn’t that a hoot?” The Captain smiled. “Yes,” went on Rosy without losing a breath, “there will be plenty of new bridge players for our weekly cruises down the Thornapple. Won’t that be wonderful?” Again, the Captain could only nod.

Here Vera chimed in, “Captain North, your bridge cruises have been the best experiences for playing bridge and seeing the natural beauty of our beautiful Barry County. We just wanted you to know.”

“The Captain smiled and said, “Thank you, Rosy and Vera, that is certainly a nice compliment. I was just thinking that our next few cruises will be especially fun with all of the fall colors and the changes in the season. Fall is one of my favorite seasons.”

Rosy spoke back up again, “That’s not all, Captain North. We have a special hand to share with you today. It happened just this week at our local club in Kalamazoo. You do know where Kalamazoo is, don’t you?” Again, Captain North nodded.

Rosy went on, “Vera opened her very powerful hand with 2NT, promising at least 20 high card points, even distribution, and a request for game if possible. In our partnership agreement, 2NT is not a forcing bid, so I could have passed without feeling too much “angst.” Do you know that word, Captain North? I just learned it on the internet. What fun!”

The Captain smiled. “Go on, Rosy, please.” Rosy sat up straighter in her chair. “Captain North, do you know what I bid as North with only two high card points? I had two jacks and not much more.” Here Rosy stopped and waited for Captain North’s response. The Captain only shook his head. “What did you bid, Rosy?”

“Three clubs!” Rosy exclaimed triumphantly. “The Stayman Convention works after 2NT just as well as after a 1NT bid. I bid three clubs, hoping that I might find my partner Vera with a four-card spade fit.”

Here Vera almost jumped out of her chair. “I responded to Rosy’s request for a major by bidding three spades, and guess what Rosy did next, Captain North? She bid four spades! Can you imagine?”

The two bridge players were so excited about their bidding sequence that Captain North had to nudge them along. “Well, what did Vera say when she saw your two high card points and four spades?” He looked at them expectantly.

Here Vera spoke up, “Well, Captain North, at first I was a bid flustered to say the least. But I duly thanked Vera for her bid, and I did ask her about it. She told me that with the two high card points and the singleton heart that we had a golden fit in spades and enough points to make a game. I nodded to her, and I set about with my plan.” Here Vera sat back down to regain her breath.

“And what a plan Vera made,” commented Rosy. “Why, Captain North, you would have been so impressed with Vera’s play. Vera took the club lead with the A♣ in her hand, and she drew two rounds of trump only, saving the J♠ and 10♠ on the board. She wisely played her A♥, and trumped a loser heart from her hand with the 10♠ in the dummy. She led a small diamond from the dummy, planning to finesse with the K♦, but East jumped in with the A♦. That set up Vera’s K♦.

Vera continued, “With the A♦ out of the way, I was ready. I did not draw the last trump, but I used the J♠ to trump my last loser heart. I led a small club to my K♣, played the K♦, and led a small club to the nine on the board. The rest was elementary, as the saying goes, and I made our four spade contract.”

Here Rosy was practically jumping up and down at the table. “Captain North, you will not believe our outcome. With this same hand played 13 times, we were the only ones to find and bid four spades. We won the top board on that hand, a 12. Wasn’t that something?”

Captain North nodded and smiled. “Rosy and Vera, you are most amusing with your bridge enthusiasm. What a great bid and what a great play of the hand. You are indeed to be congratulated on your bridge skills.

“Oh Captain North, we did well on that hand. But on some of the other 25 hands, not so good. Not so good.” Here Rosy and Vera burst into laughter as the Captain looked at them with a bemused smile on his face.

Gerald Stein September 22, 2012 Number of words: 1084