Both Vul
IMPs
Dealer: West
Lead: 
Q
ada_1 Q J 7 4 Q 10 3 7 6 3 K 10 3 |
||
| acemi_ce A 9 3 2 K J 4 4 A Q J 7 6 |
![[W - E]](http://gee.aaronhaspel.com/files/2012/10/t.gif) |
Maestro 10 6 5 A 9 7 A K 5 2 9 4 2 |
| moon K 8 8 6 5 2 Q J 10 9 8 8 5 |
| West 1 3NT |
North Pass Pass |
East 2NT Pass |
South Pass Pass |
Richard Posner once remarked that the best way to read the French deconstructionists, like Derrida and Lacan, is as quickly as possible, because then “they almost make sense.” I recommend the same procedure with today’s hand. I should note, before we begin, that this hand was played non-competitively. This will feature prominently later on.
Gee winds up in an eminently reasonable notrump game after a standard auction, and receives the obvious lead of the DQ. Gee wins DK and leads a club, finessing the jack. South plays C8 and North ducks, correctly.
Our hero crosses to his hand with the HA and leads the C9, South playing the 5. He lets the 9 run, which wins four club tricks against any possible layout. Time to claim.
North wins the C10 and returns a diamond. Gee wins the DK — no need to duck with nine tricks in the bag — and promptly takes the heart finesse. North wins and returns his last diamond, allowing South to cash three diamond tricks for down 1.
“Not sure,” says Gee, “that I would play that way in competition.” His partner doesn’t answer. He must have been too busy picking his jaw up off the floor.
Gee was clearly demonstrating his grasp of the advanced technique of the Practice Finesse. It is a shame that the hand he chose to use for demonstration purposes was also one wherein one must demonstrate the art of a Holdup With Two Stoppers, a technique that would have guaranteed the contract even with a losing heart hook. Give Gee credit….few players are able to pull off two examples of legerdemain on the same hand.
Actually once G plays a heart to the ace and finessed the club nine the hand is in jeopardy. North wins the club 10 and exits with KC, locking him in dummy. After running clubs G would have to guess the position to make. After exiting a low spade to the 10 and K, he would have to win the heart return with the King and exit with the JH endplaying North in spades.
Of course the hand is frigid. After QC wins,play a club to the nine. Now you can always take 4C-2H-2D-1S.
10.89 (albeit NC) imps are not punishment enough for this overt display of incompetence. Gee, remember that this is only a comment on your ability to play bridge in the circles of expert, advanced and intermediate players, not a comment on you personally.