harryyyy

Yesterday was a great day, except for maybe the drive. Ok, the drive was fine too. We shared a imaginary trip into a world where Ron (who is obviously Lovey) is eating Lavender Brown's face (clearly fiction), and Professor Slughorn (David Gershkoff, anyone) is proving himself a master schmooz. We're all seeing the fifth movie with our friends tomorrow, who once again are the illustrious Eric (Bob) and Argenta (who believe or not studied in Argentina.)

To make the day really great, the afternoon set we played was one of the more amusing sets of duplicate bridge I can think of.

On one hand, I open a heart with

S void
H AK9xx
D KT7
C AQ653

and Lovey responds 3NT, nominally showing a strong spade splinter but obviously trying to bid a concealed splinter because righty passes quickly and they would have 12 spades. I smirk and cuebid clubs anyhow after describing the convention. (We end up in game, I play the diamonds wrong for +1, an average). On the very next hand, against the owner of the club, I hold:

S AT86
H T8732
D T7
C AK

I open a heart, and Lovey bids 3NT. I immediately start laughing, and alert it as a strong spade splinter with absolute confidence :) I cuebid clubs, Lovey cuebids diamonds (A/K) and I bid 4H, which I think is a mistake. I know the splinter is good news, but he doesn't really since I would cuebid anyway when he shows such a strong hand, so I should bid RKC I think. Lovey does me the favor of just bidding 6H, which was a good guess. Dummy comes down:

9
AK5
AKQ
J97543

The hand is not totally obvious but fairly straightforward. They lead a spade, and I win my ace. I reason that I don't have enough spade pitches and roughs to make this unless the Q and J of hearts drop (I need a 3-2 break at any rate). Therefore, I need to draw two rounds of trump and rough out clubs while keeping spades stopped when the Q of H ruffs in as I make pitches on clubs. All goes according to plan, for a tied for top. Most people in are in 4H making 5, and a couple are down in 6.

While talking to our pro friend Ken, he mentioned a story he calls "your ignorance is showing." Basically, the story is that someone with a 18 count and 7 hearts to the AKQJ opens 1H, which passes out, making 7. After the hand, his partner/girlfriend says: "Partner, you can't open that hand 1H!" Ken mentally cheers. "You've gotta open that hand 4H!" Ken mentally boos.

This was hilariously repeated for us today, when I open 1D, lefty doubles, pard bids 1NT, right bids 2H, I pass, and doubler bids 2S! Is this a 60 point deck, we each wonder? (I have a full open and pard has a max for his 1NT) 4S, all pass. Trust me, we're beating ourselves up now for not doubling. Lovey leads a diamond and dummy comes down with a 7 high and 5-5 in the majors. At least this guy is reasonable, we think. We take them down 2, and look at doubler's hand. He has a 4-3-3-3 11 count with no aces, 1 king, and QJx in my suit. His partner exclaims "You can't double with that hand!" We mentally cheer. "You've gotta have at least a 14 count to double on your first turn!" We mentally booo.

How would you bid this one? It goes 1C on your right and you hold:

S KT
H AKJT2
D AJ875
C 9

You probably bid 2NT if you play unusual as 2 lowest and mini-maxi like we do, and Lovey holding this hand does. So far, so good. It goes pass, 3D, pass. Now what? If you play 3S as stopper asking, you're stuck, but 3S stopper showing is still probably wrong. Are you worried about clubs? Do you want to fakely show a 6-5 in order to invite somehow? I'm not good at this sort of thing, but I would bid 4D. 3NT is not insane, but on this hand you're easily down two because the only lead for them is clubs. Lovey chose 5D, which is insane, but these are the same people who doubled with that 4-3-3-3 11 count and points in my suit.

I'm now playing 5D holding:

Jxxxx
x
KT3
T752

West (rotated) leads the king of clubs, and east signals high. He tanks, then switches to a spade which I play the king on, which holds. I play a diamond to king, heart to 10, rough a heart, 10 of diamonds, queen covers. I draw drump, play A and K of hearts, dropping the Q, and give a club and a spade for making 5, a top. Not hard when they lead a spade for you, but if they didn't, I would have to play hearts for the queen being Qxx or roughing two hearts and drawing trump without finessing. Actually, all of these things would have worked, but we still get a top because Lovey is insane.

It's really sad to know we won't be playing at the Columbus Bridge Center for a while. We got to play with some really great people, and more national champions and pros than I've ever played with knowingly. Even with all the age barriers, it was nice to feel welcome in a place we had visited just for the silver points. Bridge is a special game.