Jennbridge: A Hand from Louise

Here is a hand from one of my old friends from Cincinnati who I'll call Louise.  Louise is part of a group of well-to-do housewives who play day-bridge.  She has exceptional skills which she doesn't tout, preferring to fit in with her friends, who range in skill from average to above-average.  They don't discuss hands nor do they pay undue attention to results.  They attend local sectionals and occasional nearby regionals for a few days, preferring to spend time with their families.  Louise will be sending in hands from time to time.

Jennifer, this may be a good hand for your blog.  I especially liked it because it was against the nastiest pair at the club and we got a top!  I opened one notrump with this hand.

♠ K9x
♥ A10xx
♦ AKQx
♣ xx

Partner transferred to spades and then bid clubs.  I jumped to 4 spades and got a spade lead.

♠ AJxxx
♥ xx
♦ x
♣ AQxxx

♠ K9x
♥ A10xx
♦ AKQx
♣ xx

I ducked the spade to my nine and took the club finesse.  RHO won and returned a heart.  I won the ace and cashed the ace and king of diamonds, pitching a heart from the board.  When I then cashed the spade king the queen came down doubleton on my right (to the apparent dismay of Mrs. Nasty).  A club to the board followed by a club ruff set up the clubs.  Now I simply ruffed a heart to the board and drew the last trump, making 6.  Mrs. Nasty said "it always makes 6" and I, of course, didn't say anything, but I knew that Mr. Nasty's lead was a big help.  When the scores came in we saw that we had a cold top!

By the way, Jennifer, I'll bet you and your partners have some fancy agreements for an auction like this.  Should I have rebid 3 spades after partner's 3 club bid or jumped to 4 spades?  What if I like clubs?

Finally, I love your Losing Trick Count booklet and am encouraging all of my partners to order their own copies from your blog.  Makes difficult hand evaluations a breeze! 

Thanks Louise, and thanks for the great hand.  It is especially fun to get good boards off opponents like that!

We play that after a transfer and a rebid of a new suit, a jump to 4 of the transferred suit shows a fit with a minimum, (fast arrival) while a bid of 3 of the transferred suit shows a hand willing to cooperate in a slam investigation.  For example, 1NT, 2H (transfer), 2S, 3C, 3S shows a good hand with a spade fit, while a jump to 4S shows a hand without slam interest.

If you are interested in partner's second suit--in this case clubs--you cuebid.  For example, 1NT, 2H (transfer), 2S, 3C, 3H shows a hand with a heart control which would cooperate in a slam investigation in clubs.

Of course, if you're not particularly interested in either suit you simply bid 3NT.

Hope you're having a great summer and look forward to hearing from you again.  Keep an eye on the Spingold in Toronto next week--we're playing in it!

See you at the table!