Jennbridge: Adventures with Abbe

Abbe (my bridge student, assistant and friend) and I stayed to play in the Marin Co. unit game after the losing trick count seminar Gene Simpson and I taught yesterday.  Here is one of the more memorable hands.

RHO dealt and passed and I innocently opened 1NT:
♠ 952
♥ AQJ
♦ A1092
♣ A104

Abbe, with a flourish, responded 4 ♦, a Texas transfer, and I duly bid 4 ♥.  She now bid 4NT, keycard, and I responded 5♦, showing 0 or 3.  She now signed off (or attempted to) at 5♥.  I found this whole auction unusual, however, and couldn't really figure out what was going on.  It did seem to me though, that since I had 3 keycards rather than 0 that I should take another call.  So I bid 6 ♥ and everyone passed.

The ♦ king was led and I did my best to conceal my surprise.

♠ J76
♥ K85432
♦ J
♣ KQ3

♠ 952
♥ AQJ
♦ A1092
♣ A104

"Good grief!"  I quieted my mind with the declaration that I wasn't down yet.  I saw that I could take a ruffing finesse against the ♦ queen and be down only one (for what that would be worth).

I drew a couple of rounds of trump and took the ruffing finesse--the ♦ 10 being covered by the queen and ruffed.  I drew a couple more rounds of trump and noted with interest as LHO, a very experienced player with thousands of masterpoints, pitched two diamonds.  For good measure I drew the last tump and played off the clubs ending in my hand. 

♠ J76
♥
♦
♣

♠ 9
♥
♦ 92
♣

I cashed the  ♦ 9 pitching a spade as both opponents followed.  Was there really a miracle at hand or had I miscounted?  I played the ♦ 2 and pitched another spade as eveyone showed out.  Making 6.  The ♦ 2 was my 12th trick!

Abbe was starting a small celebration in her seat and I hurriedly scored up 1430 and jumped up from the table for a walk out into the hallway.  Ha!  Perhaps I have been in a worse slam but, mercifully, I can't remember it!

LHO held:  Q4/ 97/KQ765/9762

See you at the table!