Better Bridge in Barry County April 4 2013

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

	North ♠  K Q 9 7 4 ♥  A ♦  A 8 6 2 ♣  9 5 3
West ♠   A J 10 3 2 ♥  3 ♦  J 9 5 3 ♣  K Q 8		East ♠  8 6 ♥  Q 10 5 ♦  K Q 7 ♣  A 10 7 6 2
	South ♠  5 ♥  K J 9 8 7 6 4 2 ♦  10 4 ♣  J 4

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

East Both K♣

 

North   Pass	East Pass Pass	South 4♥	West Pass

Captain M. North looked over the dwindling snow banks in southern Michigan. He was glad to see winter finally leaving, and he was watching for the return of the robins and the bluebirds. The time for regeneration and rebirth was at hand. It was time to prepare the Barry County Bridge Barge for the summer cruise-and-bridge tournaments on the Thornapple River. There would be a lot of prep work before the bridge players would return for their weekly cruises. But Captain North was ready for the warmer weather.

As he glanced over his mail, he saw a familiar-looking return address on the upper left corner of the envelope. “R and V,” he muttered to himself. “Who was that again? Panama City Beach? Another ad for a recreational vehicle?” He tore open the envelope to see the friendly handwriting of someone he recognized: “Ah, I remember now…Rosy and Vera, my two favorite bridge players are snowbirds down in the Panhandle of Florida. I wonder what they are up to now.

“Dear Captain North,” their letter began. “We are ready to return to Michigan and begin the summer cruises again with you. We will be home shortly, but we have a bridge hand that you should take a look at. You can tell us what you think when we arrive in April.” It was signed “Your bridge players, Rosy and Vera.”

Captain North looked at the hand on the back of the letter. With East as dealer, it did not take South long to take a look at the long hearts and no points and to see an astonishing bid of 4♥. Captain North gasped. No doubt, it was Rosy who bid that way. She loved to play South when she and Vera were teammates.

The auction stopped there at 4♥. The preempt bid had done its business. East/West had been shut out of the bidding, and they were no doubt groaning inwardly. A note caught the Captain’s eyes. “West will lead the top of the club sequence, the K♣.”  The Captain nodded knowingly. “And West will continue with the Q♣ once they win the first trick.” The Captain sat down to study the rest of the hand.

“The 8♣ would be a continuation of the club suit, but no doubt, South would ruff it with the 2♥. South would then lead the 5♠ toward the K♠/Q♠ in the North hand. West would take the A♠, and East/West would have taken three out of the first four tricks.” Here the Captain pondered the way that South would take the rest of the tricks and make a 4♥ contract with such a paltry hand of five high-card points, and not good ones at that.

“I suppose Rosy got a spade return, pitched a losing diamond from her hand, and won with the K♠. Leading the good Q♠ would have East trumping with the 10♥, but Rosy would overtrump with the J♥ winning another trick. She probably next led a small heart to the A♥ winning. Leading another spade forced East to play the Q♥, and Rosy overtook the Q♥ with the K♥. With four more heart tricks and the A♦, it was clear that Rosy was smiling with a 4♥ contract bid and made.” The Captain looked over the letter for a confirmation of his analysis. There on the back of the note was indeed the play of the hand as the Captain had mentally pictured.

On the back was a postscript written by Rosy, but it probably included ideas from Vera as well. It went like this: “Well, Captain North, did you figure out the hand? Vera and I are sure that you did. We have this motto that we would like to share with you for this coming summer cruise season: “Preempt soon and Preempt often!” Here Captain North knew that Rosy and Vera were giggling and laughing out loud.  It would be fun to have them back ready to ride the Barry County Bridge Barge and play in the bridge tournaments as they cruised down the Thornapple River. It was time to remove the shrink-wrap from the BCBB and get her ready for the warm months ahead. Captain North looked up just in time to see a pair of robins flittering across his yard. He smiled and nodded as he went back to work on the Barry County Bridge Barge.  

 

Gerald Stein

March 28, 2013

Number of words: 867

 

Bridge Notes: Did you notice that East/West could make a vulnerable game in No Trump with this hand? They never had a chance with Rosy at the wheel. “Preempt early and preempt often!”