Is It Natural?

Gerard complains that I choose hands that show him in the worst possible light and that if he didn’t have bad luck he’d have none at all. Here at the Chronicles we aim to please. So today’s hand will feature Gee’s partner selling him down the river. Because I’m that kind of guy.

Both Vul
IMPs
Dealer: West
Lead: A

	peterw 4 3 2 Q 8 3 8 5 J 7 6 4 3
plus790 — J 10 9 6 5 Q 9 7 4 A 10 9 5		mohawk A 9 8 6 5 A K 7 2 10 6 Q 2
	Maestro K Q J 10 7 4 A K J 3 2 K 8

West Pass Pass 4 Dbl Dbl

North Pass 2 Pass 5 Pass

East 1 2 Pass Pass Pass

South Dbl 3 4 ! Pass Pass

 

After East opens a spade, Gee elects to double, I suppose on the theory that he’s strong enough to rebid his diamonds, although a jump by his partner in hearts might leave him in some embarrassment. He is momentarily spared: West passes and North bids clubs in perfect innocence. East makes an ambitious rebid of two hearts, considering his partner might be flat broke, and West shows his colors with a raise to four over Gee’s three diamonds.

Four hearts probably makes although it’s no cinch, but Gee is bent on a sac and bids a remarkable four spades, putting poor North in a quandary. Is the bid natural? A little reflection will tell you that it must be, since 4NT is available for minor suit takeout. Four spades, with the correct forcing defense in hearts, is down only 4, for a mere 1100. But North pulls to five clubs, down 5, and because of his failure to read the four spade bid correctly a 9 or 10 IMP loss becomes 14. Gee is right. His partners just keep doing him in.