Tops galore, but still no score

I can’t recall a game with so many really special tops that counted to less than 55%.  Had we only defended to our ability on some hands …

1.  Folks support all sorts of uses for a 2♦ opening bid.  And each of the other uses has its favorable moments.  But I still prefer the old standby of a weak two.

North ♠ 432 ♥ J ♦ KQ9875 ♣ QJ8

South ♠ A7 ♥ A87432 ♦ AJT3 ♣ A

Here I think partner might have considered just jumping to 6♦ directly (we do not play feature, but Ogust, and so the ♥K find would be tough, and perhaps the direct jump might avoid a damaging lead), but he chose to first bid 2♥, and then over my 2NT jump to 6♦.  Better yet might be 4♣ as a special keycard call after a preempt — which could allow for a grand if opener has both high diamond honors and the ♥K, but we do not play that.  Grand is still pretty good opposite both high diamond honors and, as here, a stiff heart … which is harder to find.  No matter.  Received a spade lead won in dummy, and began to set up hearts right away using all of those great high diamonds (solid through the seven!).  When hearts were 4-2, I got to pitch both losing spades on hearts and then ruff dummy’s other spade in hand.  +940 for 9.5 out of 10, which seems higher than it should be.

10.  After this auction:

West	North	East	South
—	—	P	1♠
Dbl	P	3♥	P
4♥	Dbl	All pass

what do you lead from ♠QT96532, ♥A3, ♦Q7, ♣K7?  Partner Len Aberbach found the ♠2.  I ruffed that, returned a diamond from A-fifth to his queen (declarer erred by playing small diamond from KTxx; dummy held ♣AQ and so that return from my hand was not a consideration), ruffed a second spade, cashed the ♦A and we still had ♥A to come for +500 and a supertop.

15.  I held ♠AKJ864 ♥AT ♦KQT4, ♣Q.  That is four losers and four quick tricks, enough for a 2♣ opening by my standards.  Pard responded 2♠, artificial and showing an ace and a king somewhere.  I bid 3♠, pard bid 4♣, I bid 4♦, and pard bid 5♣.

West	North	East	South
—	—	—	P
P	2♣	P	2♠ (some A and some K)
P	3♠	P	4♣
P	4♦	P	5♣
P	?

What now?

Partner’s A and his K are probably in clubs and opposite a six card or longer suit, my stiff ♣Q is sufficient support.  However, a heart lead is probable and is problematic.  I think my 6♣ call is too aggressive, but I was thinking that partner might deliver a seventh club and/or a spade or two to help me draw trumps without loss and make eleven black tricks to go along with ♥A won on opening lead.

I have since rethought that optimistic approach but at the table, the opening lead was not a heart but was a trump.

North ♠ AKJ864 ♥ AT ♦ KQT4 ♣ Q

South ♠ — ♥ J865 ♦ 532 ♣ AKJ763

Now I made 6♣ – and I would have gone down on a heart lead — for an unshared top by winning ♣Q, cashing one high spade and ruffing a spade, drawing trump (they were 3-3), losing ♦K to A, winning red suit return and playing high spade (they were 4-2) and ruffing another spade to set up the suit, with other red suit entry to reach my hand: that is two top red cards, six clubs, two top spades and two long spades for twelve tricks.

16.  Partner proved that his ability to offer me a ruff was not limited to Board 10.  After the opponents’ auction of 1♣-1♠-2♠-4♠, Len was on lead with ♠83 ♥A96432 ♦AT7 ♣T8.  He led the ♥A, seeing this dummy:

West ♠ KQ92 ♥ QT8 ♦ QJ9 ♣ KJ5
	South ♠ 83 ♥ A96432 ♦ AT7 ♣ T8

Even though I played the lowest heart, the five, he continued with a high heart.  I ruffed the second heart, led to his ♦A, ruffed a third heart and cashed the ♦K as declarer claimed the rest for down two and another unshared top for my side.  Without this defense, declarer had five spades, two hearts and three clubs, making game by losing only the three missing top red cards.

18.  Opponents bid to 3NT via 1♣-1♥-3NT.  Typically that should show 16-18 HCP, shortness in hearts and running diamonds.  That looks possible from my hand of ♠52 ♥A53 ♦95432 ♣K84.  Even though declarer said they do not have any special agreements about the auction they conducted, I decided to play for that type of hand by leading the ♥A.  This captured declarer’s stiff ♥K (why she bid this way as opposed to opening 1♦ and jump shifting to 2♠ or opening 2NT is not my concern, I guess).  But another unshared, albeit lucky, top resulted when a heart continuation led to partner cashing the next four tricks.

Dealer: Vul:	North ♠ 52 ♥ A53 ♦ 95432 ♣ K84
West ♠ A976 ♥ K ♦ AKQ7 ♣ AJ52		East ♠ KQJT ♥ 9642 ♦ JT8 ♣ 93
	South ♠ 843 ♥ QJT87 ♦ 6 ♣ QT76