Gryphons II -- Hand writeup -- January 26, 2002 Jim Plank & Kevin Wilson This was the biggest swinging board of saturday's huge game. You are south. Board: 4 Dealer: W Vul: Both S J5432 H Q62 D 852 C K3 Pass to you and partner opens 1H. Righty overcalls 1S, and question #1 -- do you bid? 2H? 1N? Pass? I'm a 2H bidder. Yes, you may not be able to defend spades now, since partner rates to be short, but you've gotten the heart support off your chest. And at least partner is in a good ruffing position with spades. Pass, 3c by partner, and here are three questions. What do you bid over (a) righty's pass? (b) righty's 3d? (c) righty's 3s? Kevin? Kevin: I would also support with 2 hearts. I have a minimum with only three trump so I wouldn't accept any game try but I don't agree with pards 3c bid. If partner doesn't bid 1NT then his points must not be concentrated in spades so I would just bid game over 2H. I would not bid over righty's pass or 3d, but I would double 3S. Over pass, I'll bid 4H. Partner's asking for club help, and I have it. Over 3d and 3s, I'm less sure. I think over 3d I'll still bid 4H, timidly though, and over 3s I'd go into the tank and whack it -- I'm not sure that we're making 4H, but I'm pretty sure we're getting at least 200 in spades. And given the auction (and the fact that my partner is aggressive about pushing toward games), I'm betting lots of pairs will miss their game, if it's there. Switch to the east hand: S AQT976 H J D AK97 C J5 Sure, 1s is clear over 1h, but what about over the 3c bid? I'd probably go into the tank. I think I'd pass. Partner may be bust, and since we're vulnerable, getting doubled may be dumb opposite their partscore. I imagine some will bid 3s, rolling the dice. It works here. Here are all four hands: ---------------------------------- Board: 4 Dealer: W Vul: Both S H AK9875 D J64 C AQT9 S K8 S AQT976 H T43 H J D QT3 D AK97 C 87642 C J5 S J5432 H Q62 D 852 C K3 I'm guessing north will pull south's double, but you never know. Since west has likely been silent the whole time, it may be ugly. The only down side is that north's AK of hearts look to be worth one trick in spades. You'll note, 4H is cold, and if the defense is not accurate, 5 is possible (consider a spade lead, north ruffs and plays a heart to the queen and a heart back, now a club to the king and a club back, getting the excellent news of east's club holding. Two diamonds go on the two good clubs, and now a diamond. How many easts are going to have the discipline to duck so west can take the ruff out of the dummy? It's a marked play, but I bet lots of easts will panic and go up with the DA. What about spades? 8 tricks should be the limit as long as N/S keep leading hearts (they should get one heart, two clubs, the SJ and a long spade once south has to ruff two hearts). If N/S don't tap east from the get-go, then east will chalk up 9 tricks. Kevin: I think nine tricks in spades will be the norm. 9 tricks can be scored in spades if you trust south having the jack of spades for his double. A first round finesse of the spade 8 is not unreasonable and after this you cash four top spades and then play diamonds. Eventually you will come to nine tricks. The scores are all over the place: The plus scores: 1 - 850 5H doubled, making 5. Dave and Elaine Jerviss take a push and wrap it. 1 - 790 4H doubled, making 4. June Gerhard and Arlene Key make their contract after an ill-advised double. 1 - 650 4H plus 5 7 - 620 4H plus 4. The game was worth 17/23, or 74% 2 - 500 I'm guessing 4S doubled, down two after accurate defense. This is the par result, worth 54% for N/S, 46% for E/W. I don't think it's a good bid. 3 - 200 Either 3s doubled, down one, or 4s, undoubled, down two. Note, this score got N/S 10/23, or 43%. 1 - 170 3H or the equivalent. 2 - 100 3S or 4S, undoubled, down one. This was worth 26% The minus scores: 1 -100 Pushed to 5H and down one? I'm guessing north was pulling south's doubles... 1 -140 3S making. 1 -670 2S doubled and making. 2 -730 3S doubled. Darlene Parr & Pat Swafford, and Nancy Gibbs & Carol Ohlgren made the risky bid, and made south pay for not leading hearts (or, as Kevin says, hooking the S8).