How Did That Happen?

None Vul
IMPs
Dealer: West
Lead: 3

	laurel A Q J 8 J 8 7 6 3 Q 9 2 4
sauron K 7 6 4 K 10 2 7 3 9 7 6 2		jdonn 10 3 2 9 4 K J 5 Q J 8 5 3
	Maestro 9 5 A Q 5 A 10 8 6 4 A K 10

West Pass Pass Dbl Pass

North Pass 4 Pass Pass

East 1NT Pass Pass Pass

South Dbl Pass Rdbl

 

You ever hear a score and wonder to yourself, “How did that happen?” I do all the time. So when I was told that Gee lost an eight-board team game 31-12, I had to wonder, “How did he win 12 IMPs?” Here’s how.

Today’s hand was reported to me by one of the participants, one might even say the principal culprit, jdonn, and I can do no better than to let him tell it.

“I get the party started,” Josh writes, “with a 1NT psyche 3rd seat, knowing Gee is bound to have a good hand and doesn’t have a penalty double available. He doubles to show a single suiter (though I hesitate to call those diamonds a ‘suit’) and his partner bids…4 hearts!?!?! Personally I would be worried that my partner’s suit might be clubs, but that’s just me.

“Gerard uses his famous table feel to work out to pass 4 hearts, not playing his partner for anything like his bid (Axxx K109xxxx x x or the like, which leaves me room for a 16 count and might explain his partner’s initial pass). I would of course be playing my partner for Jxxxx as well on this auction. Anyway my partner quite reasonably decides to double, not knowing what they or I am up to. Laurel now decides that even though Jxxxx opposite no hint of support is good enough to triple jump to game, AQJx isn’t good enough to run to when the first suit gets doubled.

“Gerard now ships it back. Interesting how a hand that last round didn’t consider itself good enough to explore to the 5 level becomes absolutely confident of making 4, when his only new information is that the opponents have doubled him. I consider a run to 5 clubs but quickly decide that will only make things worse (indeed, despite my partner’s club support, I am on a diamond guess for down 6/7 in 5 clubs doubled). So I suck it up for -1080.

“The post mortem sheds little light on their adventurous auction.

jdonn: sorry partner, I thought you had opened 1 diamond. I need to go to bed and get my vision checked :o
Sauron: no problem partner
Sauron: strange bidding by opps as well, X as single suit
Sauron: and then 4H from hell
Gerard: yes… we play DONT
Gerard: not sure where the 4h comes from:-)
Laurel: do we play dont?
Laurel: lolllllllllllllllllllllllll
Laurel: i thought we played capp
Gerard: was happy to hear 4h anyway:-)

“I, still reeling, and wondering how 4H is any better opposite a capp double than a dont double, will take a nap now.”

At least it wasn’t sticks & wheels.