Wernher Open Pairs, second final: what was up must …

Having blogged about the 63% first final session of Barry Purrington and me, fairness requires a blog about the 37% second session, from the Wernher Open Pairs, rated a national event, in Toronto.

Agreeing on opening bid style is an important element for a successful partnership.  Playing with a good partner, but in a nonregular partnership, we came a cropper on two hands from the second final.

Dealer: 1-N Vul: None	North ♠ KJ97 ♥ QJ2 ♦ 4 ♣ T9754
West ♠ 53 ♥ AT ♦ QJ9532 ♣ QJ3		East ♠ AT42 ♥ K9753 ♦ A876 ♣ —
	South ♠ Q86 ♥ 864 ♦ KT ♣ AK862

Partner passed the East hand, a hand I would have opened.  I passed the 4♦ response and we had not only missed game, we had also missed slam.  I also slopped a trick in declarer play and +150 was worth only 7 mps on a top of, I think, 64.

Dealer: 20-W Vul: Both	North ♠ Q43 ♥ JT874 ♦ QJ4 ♣ 84
West ♠ T985 ♥ AK952 ♦ 6 ♣ KT3		East ♠ K2 ♥ Q6 ♦ AK98 ♣ AQJ76
	South ♠ AJ76 ♥ 3 ♦ T7532 ♣ 952

My 2♥ rebid was forced by system agreements (3♣ and 2♠ would show extras and 2NT was verboten with a stiff).  Not allowing for such a weak opening bid, partner advanced the auction quickly to 6NT before I could show my club support.  6♣ seems like a fair contract (but would not make on this lie of cards) and 6NT had no chance.  Down 2 for 5.5 mps.

Dealer: 7-S Vul: Both	North ♠ 2 ♥ Q652 ♦ AKJ7 ♣ Q854
West ♠ AQ875 ♥ A ♦ 4 ♣ KJT963		East ♠ 643 ♥ JT43 ♦ QT963 ♣ 2
	South ♠ KJT9 ♥ K987 ♦ 852 ♣ A7

Many poorly declared or poorly defended hands followed, and, while the severity of our bad score was a surprise to me, we clearly knew that we had fallen far, far from contention.

Dealer: 4-W Vul: Both	North ♠ J6 ♥ AT632 ♦ K3 ♣ AT76
West ♠ AKQT72 ♥ 984 ♦ J74 ♣ 3		East ♠ 43 ♥ KQJ7 ♦ T98 ♣ KQ94
	South ♠ 985 ♥ 5 ♦ AQ652 ♣ J852

When I played golf regularly, a bad round seemed always to be capped by a good last hole, thus producing encouragement that the next round would be much better.  So, too, it was with this session of bridge.  On the last board we were playing a pair whose skills I respect but, well, I really do not like much.  Given the results on earlier boards, where I had learned of differences in opening bid standards between partner and me, I would have been well-advised not to have opened the West hand with 1♠.  But that is the opening I chose.  When North decided to overcall 2♥, and that call was passed back to me, I chose also to pass, rather than compete when I held a heart fragment and such a weak hand.  I am sure that partner, who was awaiting a conversion of a balancing double, thought that we had suffered yet another bad board.  However, 2♥ was not a happy contract for the opponents.  I was doubly pleased when North, who discovered early in the hand how good were my spades, gave me a look that said “you really do not know what you are doing” and then we earned 58 mps for +300 defending 2♥ undoubled.  (On the previous board, these opponents missed a cold notrump game, when I opened a balanced, but poor, 13 count and they held 25 of the missing 27 HCP.  Yay!)

We’ll get the rest of the field next time.