Better Bridge in Barry County May 15 2014

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

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

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

East North/South J♠

 

North   Pass Dbl Pass	East 1♠ 2♣ Pass Pass	South Pass Pass 2♥	West 1NT Pass Pass

The Take Out Double is a most useful convention in our list of conventions to have and to use from this day forward. Let’s take a look at today’s hand, especially at the bidding to see how North/South ended up with the correct contract.

East, as dealer, opened the bidding with 1♠, promising at least five spades and twelve high card points. With a pass from South, West with seven high card points and a singleton spade used a one no trump forcing bid. East was obligated per their partnership agreement to bid again, even if it were a three-card suit. East bid the cheapest bid she could, and she bid 2♣. South passed again, West passed, and now North came to life.

Having listened to the bidding and looking at his hand, North used the Take Out Convention to tell partner South that he was short in both of the bid suits: spades and clubs. Short means short: a void, a singleton, or in this case, a doubleton in each suit. As always, if East passed as she did, South was forced to bid one of the two unbid suits. South, accordingly, bid the only suit she could: the heart suit. She had no diamonds. What a surprise when South ended up the declarer when everyone passed, and South would play the contract in 2♥.

The play of the hand followed with a lead of the J♠ from West. South won the trick in the North hand with the A♠. A small diamond came from the North hand and was trumped in the South hand for trick number two. A small club was led to the K♣ in the North hand and back came another diamond and another heart trump. The A♣ was played next from the South hand, and a small club was then trumped in the North hand. Back came another diamond that was trumped in the South hand. At this point, South has taken the first seven tricks without drawing a single trump.

At the eighth trick, South led the 8♣ that lost to the 10♣ in the West. South elected to pitch the 8♠ on West’s winning trick. Back came a diamond from West, and South used the Q♥ overtrumping the 8♥ from East. A small spade from South was trumped in the North with a small heart. The J♥ was led and was allowed to win for North, but West would win the last two tricks with the 10♥ and the A♥. South had taken ten tricks with hearts as trump for a successful 170 points and a top board on that hand.

While this hand was played numerous times, only eleven teams found the Take Out Double as a way to find the fit in the heart suit. Without using the Take Out Double, most of the unsuccessful North declarers used a diamond overcall and went down to defeat when partner South showed up without a single diamond. Listening to the bidding was crucial on this hand. North was patient,  listening to the bidding and was ready for action once it looked like East and West would be playing in the club suit. Short in the two suits that had been bid, North gave South the choice of her best suit. South, of course, had only one choice left once the bidding returned to her. With no diamonds, and knowing that North was short in spades and clubs, it was an easy choice to bid the major suit. Hearts were just the ticket for today’s hand.

 

Gerald Stein

May 10, 2014

Number of words: 758

 

Bridge Notes: The Take Out Double is one of the “Eight Conventions You Should Know and Use.” The Stayman Convention and the Jacoby Transfer Convention are two others. What are the other five? Check in next time for a continuation of useful conventions that you and your partner should know and use.