Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
7 4 3
J 9 2
K 7 4
A K 10 4
WEST EAST
Void Q J 8 6 5
7 4 10 8 3
Q 10 6 3 2 A J 9
Q 9 8 7 5 2 J 3
SOUTH
A K 10 9 2
A K Q 6 5
8 5
6
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1 Pass 1NT Pass
3 Pass 4 Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Three of
The new year had been kind to Trump Coup Tommy. It seemed that every time he sat down at the bridge table trumps broke badly -- the only circumstance in which he excelled. As a result, his account showed a healthy surplus. Here is an example of his unusual talent.
Four spades was an eminently reasonable contract, reached after North made a forcing no trump response to Tommy's one-spade opening bid preparatory to showing an invitational raise on the next round. When Tommy indicated a strong major two-suiter, North elected the slightly conservative raise to game rather than an advance cue-bid since he had no major honor in either of Tommy's suits.
West led his fourth-best diamond to the king and ace and East returned the suit to his partner's queen. The club shift was won in dummy, and a low trump to the ten brought what was for Tommy good news -- spades were 5-0.
He crossed to dummy with the jack of hearts and led another trump. East split his honors, Tommy won with the king and started running the hearts. On the fourth round Tommy discarded the table's remaining diamond. Since a club return would allow Tommy to win in dummy and pick up trumps, East ruffed and returned a diamond. Tommy countered beautifully -- he ruffed in hand with the two and overruffed with dummy's remaining trump to cash the high club, discarding his last heart. Now a club from dummy allowed him to coup East's Q 8 of his spades with his A 9.
'Swonderful!
& copy;2007 Tribune Media Services
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