Chapter 14
Making the Most of Your Entries
© 2004 - Marty Bergen
Page 147
Making the Most of Your Entries
Some
Hands Get Better With Age
As
South you pick up:
7
6 4 3 2
 A
Q 3 2
 A
Q J 5
The
auction proceeds:
West North East
South
-- --
1NT
Pass
2 *
Dbl. 2
???
2*
= Jacoby Transfer
You recognize
partner’s double as lead-directing, promising length and
strength in hearts. As expected, opener then bids 2.
Based on the early
auction, do you believe your nice hand merits taking any action?
Definitely.
Supporting
partner when you like his major suit is what bridge is all
about.
If you bid 3,
you are on the right track. However, I believe that the standout
action is to jump to 4.
Your partner promised at least five good hearts. Your ace-queens
are well-placed behind the notrump opener, and your singleton
spade guarantees that you won’t lose any more than one trick in
that suit.
Your jump to 4
ends the auction.
© 2004 - Marty Bergen
Page 148
Making the Most of Your Entries
Unfortunately (for
you), West makes the indicated lead of a trump. When your
opponent opens 1NT and your side finds a fit and obtains the
contract, you must have a lot of distribution.
Therefore, on
these auctions, the opponents should lead trumps.
North tables a hand
with which very few players would have doubled.
A 5 4
Q 10 9 8 7
9 4
7 4 2
The double was very
frisky, but I confess that I would have made the same call. The
importance of helping partner find the best lead cannot be
overemphasized.
Contract: 4
Lead:
5 |
|
North
A 5 4
Q 10 9 8 7
9 4
7 4 2 |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
South
7
6
4 3 2
A Q 3 2
A Q J 5 |
|
West North East
South
-- --
1NT
Pass
2 *
Dbl. 2
???
2*
= Jacoby Transfer
© 2004 - Marty Bergen
Page 149
Making the Most of Your Entries
Anyway, on to the
play. You certainly have some work to do. You try the
10,
but East wins with the jack. He then cashes the
AK.
West, who started with a singleton trump, encourages in spades.
East then shifts to the
2,
and you win dummy’s ace.
Count your winners.
Dummy still has two trumps, but you have only one trump in your
hand, so you can ruff only one spade. That’s three tricks. You
already won the
A,
so you need to win six tricks with your minor-suit cards.
Because there is no hope of winning more than two diamond
tricks, you’ll need to win all four of your clubs in order to
bring home the contract.
Time for a finesse.
The good news is that you are almost certain that it will win.
N-S have a total of 19 HCP, so E-W have 21 HCP, and East has at
least 15 of them. West must have some spade honors, so there is
not much room left in his hand for an outside king. Obviously,
if he has one, 4
can’t be made.
The bad news is
that you have
many
finesses to take, but not many entries to dummy.
Question:
Which finesse do you take
now?
Answer:
Although the clubs are stronger and will produce
more tricks, you must take the diamond finesse first.
© 2004 - Marty Bergen
Page 150
Making the Most of Your Entries
Why is that? If you
did take a successful club finesse, what would you do for an
encore? You’d be stuck in your hand – the
last
place you want to be.
Here is a summary
of the correct line of play:
Tricks 1-3: The
defense pulled three rounds of trumps.
Trick 4:
You won the
A
in dummy.
Trick 5:
Finesse the
Q.
Trick 6:
Cash the
A
Trick 7:
Ruff a diamond to get to the
board.
Trick 8:
Finesse the
Q.
Trick 9:
Ruff a diamond with dummy’s last
trump to get back to dummy.
Trick 10:
Finesse the
J.
Trick 11:
Cash the
A.
Both follow. YES!!
Trick 12:
Cash the
5.
Trick 13:
Win the last trick
with your
6.
© 2004 - Marty Bergen
Page 151
Making the Most of Your Entries
By the
way: If you have never bid after partner’s lead-directing
double, I hope that this hand provides food for thought. If you
regard a lead-directing double as indicating a suit worth
overcalling, then bidding the suit that partner promised is just
one more example of “support with support.”
Contract: 4
Lead:
5 |
|
North
A 5 4
Q 10 9 8 7
9 4
7 4 2 |
|
| |
West
K
Q 10 8 6
5
10 8 6 5
10 8 6 |
|
East
A
5 4
A
K J
K J 7
K 9 3 |
| |
|
South
7
6
4 3 2
A Q 3 2
A Q J 5 |
|
© 2004 - Marty Bergen
Chapter 15 :Don’t Rely on Good
Splits ........................... 159
|
