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A Lighter Look
Making Someone Happy
Look on the bright side. One pair’s disaster is another’s delight. If you can make someone happy along the way, then your day or night has not been in vain.
Who said those fine words?
So, I pose a bidding problem for you. You hold the following collection:
A86
A87
A32
A532
Do you like them or loathe them? Aces, or so we are told are worth more than 4 hcp each. So, the bidding comes round swiftly to you in 4th seat:
West North East South
1NT Pass Pass
?
Do you or don’t you? “Double”, that is? You have been known to double with a reasonable 13 in the pass out seat.
Here, you are happy whichever long suit partner leads….You have here 16 going on 17 or 18. Oh, the shape is not great and your pip cards could be better (but your clubs are not quite in sequence!) and it would be good to catch them. Oh, 1NT is a mere 10-12 hcp…only your side is vulnerable.
So, you do…. and they take some evasive action:
West North East South
xx Pass 2
“Redouble” said “pass if you are happy and otherwise bid your lowest suit.” You pass 2 as double is for take-out and but partner doubles and you decide to have a go at defending. You were rather glad too as these were the 4 hands:
| North Deals E-W Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 NT | Pass | Pass | |
| Dbl | Rdbl | Pass | 2 ♥ |
| Pass | Pass | Dbl | All pass |
You make an inspired opening lead of a small diamond, which after declarer played low from dummy at trick one, enabled your partner to score an immediate diamond ruff. Partner scored their Q separately too. Eventually spades had to be led from dummy…4 light…+800. Better than 3NT. Bet you were glad you doubled..better than picking up +200 or +250 from defeating 1NT without that double.
AND THEN YOU AWOKE!
Back to reality…back to the table….back to the real bidding as these were the four real hands, two of them unchanged but the other two marginally different:
| North Deals E-W Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 NT | Pass | Pass | |
| Dbl | Rdbl | All pass |
Why did partner not run? Why did you not run? The next question is “where”? Any suit at the 2 level looks likely to be down 4 or -1100. One overtrick in 1NTxx is only 760…a bargain!
Maybe I can negotiate next time with he or she who deals the hands to spread the 11 hcp in South and the one in the East hand a little more evenly…to give everyone a chance. Once in a while, though, the person or people who will be happy following your action will not be the one sitting opposite you. It’s only one board…one match…one score that will not be covered by teammates or other pairs.
Great! It almost is sounding like a triumph!
Come on now. I would hardly call this deal “A Lighter Side” but you do not tell me the amusing, the sad, the different things that happen to you. Please. I do not want to remember the above. Help me to forget with some of the stories which happen to you.
Will I ever double 1NT again?
Richard Solomon
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