Bridge Match 1 - Board 127

Board 127 – Dealer South – NS Vul

My hand: ♠ A T 4 ♥ 5 3 ♦ A J 5 ♣ K Q J 8 5

I open 1NT. West interferes with 2 clubs and partner jumps to 4 hearts. Are systems on over 2 clubs? If they are, would Texas even be on? Am I even playing Texas? I don't think so, so I pass. East leads the T of clubs.

	NORTH ♠ Q 9 7 ♥ A J 9 8 4 ♦ Q 9 6 2 ♣ 6
		EAST ♣ T
	SOUTH ♠ A T 4 ♥ 5 3 ♦ A J 5 ♣ K Q J 8 5

West	North	East	South
			1NT
2♣	4♥	All Pass

I have 1 diamond, 3 heart, and 1 spade. That's a start... I will set up 2 clubs trivially after this lead. A diamond can be brute forced as well. I might get a spade if the K is onside. Maybe if West has KT or QT I can cut out a heart loser?

Unfortunately West has 6 clubs so I'm pretty sure I'm going to get something ruffed here. Unless I duck! I can ruffing finesse later to pick up the A. Yeah! T-5-9-6. West shifts to a spade. This gets me my spade trick! 2-4-5-7.

At this point I think I just want to draw trump and suck up my losers. A-7-3-6. 4-2-5-T. I guess I might actually have 3 heart losers, eh? West returns a spade. J-Q-K-A. Unfortunately I have no way to hand to draw to draw 2 trump at once. I think I should just play for down 1 anyway. I play the K of clubs. K-4-9 of spades-Q of hearts. And now I realize I'm screwed since I pitched the spade. Oh well. East returns a diamond. I need to brute force a second entry to board now, so I duck. 3-5-7-9. I draw out the last trump. 9-4 of diamonds-8 of clubs-K. West returns the A of clubs, so I can ruff, play up to the A of diamonds and claim. Down 1.

	NORTH ♠ Q 9 7 ♥ A J 9 8 4 ♦ Q 9 6 2 ♣ 6
WEST ♠ J 5 3 ♥ K T 6 ♦ 7 ♣ A 9 7 4 3 2		EAST ♠ K 8 6 2 ♥ Q 7 2 ♦ K T 8 4 3 ♣ T
	SOUTH ♠ A T 4 ♥ 5 3 ♦ A J 5 ♣ K Q J 8 5

Professor Jack wants me to cover the club lead. I think that would have been a pretty big mistake. I strongly disagree with 4 hearts, though. We could have 24 points and a 7 card fit. Come on Jack. Invites are legal! So is double!


On the replay the auction goes the same. Declarer covers the club lead. West returns a club which gets ruffed. But then East gives him extra entries to his hand by playing spades twice which lets him draw trump for 1 loser. Making 4.

Nick: -100
Jack: 620
IMPs: -12 (-44 total)