Better Bridge in Barry County April 24 2014

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

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

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

West North/South 4♠

 

North   1♦ 2NT Pass	East   Pass Pass Pass	South   2♣ 3NT	West Pass Pass Pass

Captain M. North stared gloomily out of his condo sunroom. There was no sun to enjoy on this 15^th day of April, Tax Day. There was a layer of snow on the hillside, and all Captain North could think of was what a cruel trick this was for the middle of April. “It is the ‘Winter of our discontent,’” he muttered to himself. “How could this happen on my vacation?” Even the bluebirds had disappeared waiting for a nicer day to choose a nesting box for this season. “This is just not fair,” he muttered again.

Just then the phone rang. Captain North, relieved to be taken out of his melancholic wanderings, answered on the second ring. “Yes, this is Captain North. This is the Wonder Storage Company? You have some good news and some bad news for me? Oh, dear.” Here, Captain North found a soft recliner to brave the news from the Wonder Storage Company.

“Yes, I have stored my boat with you again this year. Yes, it is called the Barry County Bridge Barge.” There was a long pause then as the Captain listened. The good news was that no one had been hurt when the snow had collapsed on the stored boats at the Wonder Storage Company. The bad news, of course, was that the Barry County Bridge Barge had not been so lucky. Captain North needed to plan on visiting the Wonder Storage Company in the morning.

Thoroughly discouraged now, Captain North sought solace in the bridge hand of the day. The North/South team had found themselves in a 3NT contract after a straightforward bidding sequence. North was the declarer, and South prepared to table his cards. With enough high card points for game, this could be a fun hand to follow along. Perhaps he would forget about his troubles for a bit. What could be worse? Snow? Taxes? A crushed boat? The Captain could not even decide. He turned his attention to the cards instead.

The Captain looked at the certain winners in the North hand and then in the South hand. It appeared that there were five certain winners: The A♠, the A♥, and the top three diamonds would provide five winners, but the other tricks would have to be promoted. North as declarer would have to be extra sharp to do well on this hand.

East led the 4♠ as her lead, and her partner West won the first trick with the K♠. West returned a spade and the trick was won in the South with the A♠. Here North’s plan of setting up the club suit was put into play immediately. North called for a small club toward his K♣. The K♣ won the trick, and North continued the club suit with his final club toward the clubs in the dummy. The A♣ in the West won the trick taking the Q♣ from the board.

West continued a spade lead, and it was won in the North with the Q♠. Next the diamond lead to the K♦ scored another trick for North/South. In the dummy, North called for the J♣, the 9♣, and the 6♣ all winning tricks for them. A small diamond to the A♦ in the North followed by the Q♦ gave them two more tricks. The J♦ from the East hand had fallen under the Q♦. That promoted the last good diamond, the 7♦ for their tenth trick. The final trick for the hand was the winning A♥ for a total of eleven tricks taken.

Captain North gave a contented sigh as he looked over the play of the hand. “Well done, North and South, to make two overtricks and a 660 point game.” Out of the 32 tables that had played these same cards, only 8 North/South teams had managed to not only make the contract but to take two overtricks for an astounding 89.9% success rate. Making one overtrick had been a good score as well with a 55.9% score, but those teams that just made the contract of 3NT only scored a 23.5% score, a very bad score indeed.

Captain North smiled and softly muttered aloud. “Things are not so bad after all. The snow will go away. Tax day is only one day a year. The sun will come out, and tomorrow I will go inspect the Barry County Bridge Barge. ‘Hope Springs Eternal in the Human Breast.’” Captain North wandered back to the sunroom and sat down. The bluebirds were back trying to decide which nesting box they wanted to use this year.

 

Gerald Stein

April 17, 2014

Number of words: 936

 

Bridge Notes: Another Learn Bridge in a Day? Seminar is planned for Saturday, May 3, 2014 at the Hastings Community Education and Recreation Center. A five-hour seminar is planned for those who have always wanted to learn bridge, or for those who want to review and investigate the latest changes in the bridge world. If interested, sign up at the Community Education office by calling 269 948-4414.