You Might Not Like North's Opening Bid but That's What Starts Things Off at the Table

16 Point Slam

Roswell, GA Sectional, Friday afternoon session, 2/27/09

You might not like North's opening bid but that's what starts things off at the table. East trots out Unusual Notrump at favorable vulnerability. South does not have Unusual Vs. Unusual in her partnership toolkit so no one else at the table knows what 4 ♠ is based on. West bids 5 ♣, envisioning cross-ruff possibilities. North must think she hasn't shown all her values with her opening bid and competes to 5 ♠. (OK, maybe the club void influenced her. And she does have first round control in both of East's suits.) East figures the opponents know what they are doing and with a tad extra shape takes the sacrifice at 6 ♣. South has heard enough and brings down the hammer.

This is how the play actually went. Declarer probably should not play the ♦ K so early to minimize the chances of an overruff. With North being void, it didn't matter here.

At Trick 11, if South ruffs with the ♣ A, West discards and has 2 high trumps. If South ruffs low, West overruffs and leads her last heart for dummy to ruff. All East can get is the ♣ A.

The lead of the ♦ A is clearly a poor choice but it plays the same even with a different lead. The ♦ A will fall in three rounds and the ♦ K can still be cashed. All it takes for the slam to make is for South to have 4 spades, the ♥ K, 4 diamonds without the ace and all 3 clubs. And of course you have to "right-side" the hand, as you can't make six with South on opening lead. Your stereotypical high percentage slam!

Not a good "sacrifice" on East's part. The opponents can't make 5 ♠!