Both vulnerable. East deals.

Both vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

x9 4 2

uQ J 10 9 6 3

vA 4

wK 5

WEST EAST

xJ 8 6 5 3 xVoid

u8 7 4 uA K 5 2

v9 2 vK 8 7

wJ 10 7 wA 9 8 6 4 2

SOUTH

xA K Q 10 7

uVoid

vQ J 10 6 5 3

wQ 3

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

1w 1v Pass 1u

2w 2x Pass 3x

Pass 4x Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Jack of w

There is nothing Trump Coup Tommy likes better than when a North American Championships is in a city known for its casinos. He did not pass up a weekend at Las Vegas where the American Contract Bridge League was holding its Summer Championships. His fortune at the tables paled in comparison to being dealt a hand on which he could exercise his peculiar talent of changing from card pusher to card magician on hands where trumps broke badly. Here’s a case in point.

The auction was uneventful by any standards. Tommy overcalled in his longer suit and proceeded to game when his partner could raise his second suit.

West led the jack of clubs, East rose with the ace and returned a club to dummy’s king. The ace of diamonds was cashed and the diamond continuation was won by East’s king. The defender forced Tommy to ruff a club, and visions of an overtrick vanished when, after the king of hearts was ruffed by Tommy and a high spade was led, East discarded a club.

Lesser players might have thrown in the towel, but Tommy was in his element. He started running diamonds from the top. It made no difference whether West discarded or whether he ruffed high or low. If he discarded, Tommy would simply continue diamonds. If he ruffed high, declarer would discard from dummy, ruff the heart return and continue with diamonds. Sooner or later West would have to trump, Tommy would overruff and take the rest of the tricks by drawing trumps and cashing his diamond winners. If West ruffed low, Tommy would overruff, draw three rounds of trumps and revert to diamonds. West could score his last trump, but Tommy would ruff the next trick and cash his diamonds for 10 tricks.

2008 Tribune Media Services