The Holy Grail

None Vul
IMPs
Dealer: East
Lead: 8

	brynja Q 9 5 6 A K 6 3 2 Q 8 4 3
babac 8 7 A K 10 9 8 8 7 K 10 9 5		drhasan J 6 4 5 4 2 Q 9 4 J 7 6 2
	Maestro A K 10 3 2 Q J 7 3 J 10 5 A

West Pass Pass Pass

North 2 4

East Pass Pass Pass

South 1 2 Pass

Will the 100 Gee-spot ever surface? Until it does, today’s hand may have to do.

North/South reach a normal spade game on a normal auction, with the maestro in the driver’s seat, and West opens a trump, won profligately by Gee with the ace as East plays low.

The STCP™ might stop here to count tricks. Five trump, the ace of clubs, and four diamonds even if the finesse loses makes ten. Drawing trump and finessing diamonds loses only to a 5-0 diamond break either way. (Declarer must be careful to duck the DQ if West covers, to protect against Qxxx onside.) So the optimal line is about 90%.

Our hero crosses to the diamond ace at trick 2 and leads a heart. West takes the HQ with the king and of course continues trump. Gee wins on the board with S9, crosses to the club ace and ruffs a heart with SQ. He crosses back to his hand with a club ruff, pulls the last trump, and finesses the DJ, which loses, with two more hearts to lose at the end, for down 1.

So Gee’s line succeeds whenever trump are 3-2 and the diamond queen is onside, i.e., 34% of the time. 90% – 34% gives us a Gee-spot of 56. Not bad; and it does not escape his partner’s attention:

brynja: are u a beginner partner u write expert there
G: not the right line
G: because you never misplayed a hand?
Spec #1: what will gee say about this?
Spec #2: see what i mean by no G proof?
brynja: not right line no int player could play it down
Spec #1: lol
Spec #3: maybe “beginner” is icelandic for “god of bridge”
brynja: that was not even a guess
G: go get lost. I tried a line that was wrong. the other line could have been wrong just as well
babac: gerard
brynja: just finesse diam second trick and claim
Spec #2: wowwwww
The table has been closed.
Spec #3 (now overheard in lobby): that guy should be nicer to G
G: that’s ok… another pretentious poor player who knows better… so he thinks

Still, 56 is not 100. The quest continues.