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Could this be dummy?

We never put an 8-card card suit down in dummy, do we?

It’s a common saying that a solid 8-card suit should never be put down as a side-suit in dummy. Well, what do you think about this heart suit? You are playing Pairs and the auction starts off in an interesting unusual way:

    

 

3NT is Gambling, a long-running solid minor with no outside ace or king. Well?

There can rarely be a more descriptive bid than South’s. As North, you know exactly what your partner has and has not got and there is no need to ask for aces/ key-cards etc. You would appear to have 8 heart tricks along with A and a second-round spade trick. Your partner has at least and probably 7 tricks in clubs…that’s about 17 tricks with only one drawback…A.

Were you not to have a club, then it would be best to play slam in partner’s suit as you could otherwise have two unavoidable spade losers. However, you do have access to South’s hand and should be able to make 13 tricks without touching spades, 12 if a spade is led.  But playing Pairs, you do not want to make hearts trumps. Why, you want to be in no-trumps, of course! That 8-card heart is going down in dummy!

 

As it happens, West is likely to lead a spade as a club does not seem worthwhile while a diamond seems unnecessarily dangerous. West would save just a little in leading a spade because most of those who bid slam played in 6 where A was often led.

The Gambling 3NT Opening could rarely have been more successfully used than on this deal. Although all should reach slam after South starts with 1 and rebids the suit, it may seem safer for North to bid 6 even if they discover their partner holds the top 3 clubs. However, 8 heart tricks, the top 3 clubs and A is enough to bid 6NT. Once South has shown solid clubs by their opening bid, the top scoring no-trump contract is even easier to bid.

So, keep the Gambling 3NT in your arsenal but be sure the suit is running without any help from your partner. Your partner will know when to pass 3NT or when to go elsewhere. “Elsewhere” this time meant three levels higher and a highly successful result if you put down your solid heart suit as dummy.

Richard Solomon

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