A Man for All Systems

None Vul
IMPs
Dealer: South
Lead: 8

	deebee K Q 10 8 7 5 4 9 J 7 5 5 4
giajen 2 Q J 7 6 Q 6 3 2 A K 10 6		zl1 J 6 3 10 8 5 4 3 10 8 4 8 7
	Maestro A 9 A K 2 A K 9 Q J 9 3 2

West Pass Dbl Pass Pass

North 2 4 5 Pass

East Pass Pass Pass Pass

South 1 3 4NT 5

A distinguishing feature of the expert is that he is at home in many bidding systems, adjusting to his partner’s wishes instead of forcing her to adjust to his. So it is with Gee, who plays Standard American, 2 over 1, Precision, Nightmare and many other systems with equal dexterity.

Consider, for instance, today’s Precision auction. Gee’s 1C opener shows any hand with 16 plus points, and North’s 2S reply shows 6-8 points and six spades or more. Back to Gee. Now I know what you STCP™s are thinking: place the contract! 29 points at most in the two hands combined. Two likely club losers, maybe a spade as well. Bid 4S and let it go at that. (In Gee’s case, 3NT, to right-side the hand.)

You poor saps. Don’t you know that 3C is correct here? Where is the sense in settling for an eight-card major suit fit when an eight- or even a nine-card fit may be available in a minor? Note also that 3C gives West a chance to get himself in deep trouble, of which he promptly avails himself by doubling.

3CXX is the winning contract. But North can’t bid it with two small clubs, and she can’t pass with all of her values in a seven-card spade suit; her hand could easily be worthless in anything but spades. She makes the fine choice of signing off in 4S. Gee launches Blackwood. Surely he does not expect his partner to hold the club ace; otherwise what is West doubling on? Perhaps he imagines a North hand like KQxxxxx Qx xxx x. Here 6S would be almost cold. I should note, to be fair, that in this case the Blackwood response would impart nothing useful: real experts are undeterred by such difficulties. North dutifully reports her single key card and Gee, trusting his table feel, signs off in 5S instead of bidding the slam.

East leads a club as instructed, and West cashes the ace and king and fires a third round through declarer. She ruffs high with SQ and can still make (if only Gee were declaring!) by taking a first-round finesse with S9. Instead she plays for the drop and goes down 1. Even an expert auction can be undone by bad declarer play.