BB

The Real Deal by Larry Cohen

North might briefly consider nA? I don’t mind leading away reaching game in diamonds. South’s from aces at notrump —but never 2o bid didn’t say anything about against suit contracts. So a heart diamonds, of course. In fact, South lead is surely possible. could have as few as two diamonds! Another good policy is “When in How can that be? With three cards doubt, prefer to lead a major instead in each major, two diamonds, and of a minor.” You know that your five clubs, South would surely open opponents would have found a 4 –4 1NT if in range, and in response to heart fit if they had one. So they don’t Stayman would bid 2 o. have more than seven hearts. On Admittedly, with no four-card the other hand, if you lead a minor, Larry Cohen, a many-time National major South rates to have diamond they might have plenty of those. champion, recently won the Silodor length —as on the actual deal, where For example, on this deal, North- Open Pairs for a third time at the South has four. However, there is no South have an eight-card diamond ACBL Spring North American practical way to explore for 5 o. fit, but nobody looks for minor-suit Championships held in Houston. North might shrug —mentally —, fits on these auctions. One of Larry’s favorite teaching but really has no choice other than So would I lead a heart? It is not methods is to analyze random to bid 3NT with the unbalanced hand. clear. I feel biased since I’m looking deals. He feels that any time at the entire deal! Maybe you THE REAL DEAL you deal out a deck of cards, can give this problem to a few there are numerous lessons NORTH friends without their knowing that can be learned. DEAL : 2 m A J 5 4 the deal, and ask which suit they would lead. DLR : E n Q 7 4 2 n the previous issue, we had o If you do lead a heart, which VUL : N-S K J 8 4 one should you lead? When a competitive auction, but p 4 this time North-South bid you have a sequence, that over - I WEST EAST rides the usual consideration with no interference. East m Q 8 m 9 6 3 2 against notrump of “fourth passes as dealer, and South has N n A 10 9 8 WEn 6 3 best.” Any three cards in a row a routine 1NT opening. Only a o Q 7 6 S o 5 3 are considered a sequence few teachers are still holdouts p Q 10 9 6 p K J 8 5 3 when leading against notrump. from the old era when 16 –18 was the range for 1NT. The SOUTH If they are the highest three m K 10 7 in the suit, such as nQ–J–10 –8 modern way is 15 –17. West n n would need more shape or K J 5 or 10 –9–8–3, you lead the top —never fourth best. Even in more high cards to consider o A 10 9 2 this deal, where the sequence is anything other than Pass. So p A 7 2 not at the top, you still lead top the auction begins: of the sequence. In this case, WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH we call it an “interior sequence.” So, Pass 1NT Pass 1NT from nA–10 –9–8, the proper lead Pass 2p Pass 2o Pass ? is the n10, not the n8. From Pass 3NT All Pass North is looking at 11 high-card nA–J–10 –9, you lead the nJ; from points, so there are 26 –28 combined : ?? nQ–10 –9–8, the n10. points —enough for game, but not As usual, a lot rides on the opening As you can see from looking at all slam. The only question is: Which lead. Against notrump, the normal four hands, a heart lead is not best Game? policy is “fourth from your longest for the defense. Declarer would win North starts out by using the and strongest.” Here there are some the nK or nJ, and probably work on Stayman convention, looking for a conflicts for West. the longest combined suit, diamonds. 4–4 fit in a . North bids The longest suit is a tie between This diamond suit presents a 2p, but South has no major. South hearts and clubs. The stronger is “two-way” guess for the oQ. This has to answer 2 o. hearts. Should West lead from the means that the can be taken

BETTER 10 BRIDGE VOL . 13, N O. 6 JULY /A UGUST 2009 BB in either direction (see box). You can After leading the mK, declarer must lead the oA from your hand, and then lead the m7, not the m10. If declarer THE TWO -W AY FINESSE the o10 for finesse through West. leads the m10, West’s mQ appears, There are many stories about Or, you can lead a diamond to and declarer wins dummy’s mA. The two-way for a queen. dummy’s oK, and lead the oJ for a mJ is a third trick, but East’s m9 is Consider the standard layout: finesse through East. now the highest remaining spade. NORTH Which way should you go? The Of course, we haven’t considered n A 3 2 only thing to go by is that West seems a club lead. Many Wests will choose WEST EAST to have heart length. So maybe the to lead a club, the p10 —there’s that SOUTH other player has diamond length, top of an interior sequence again. n K J 10 and you can play East for the o What a symmetrical deal! West Declarer wants to take three Q.There is so little to go by, that can lead the n10 or p10, both the tricks. Declarer can play the nK I’d say if you have a hunch, or are a top card of an interior sequence. and lead the nJ to finesse good guesser, then go with it! I’ll bet Meanwhile, declarer can guess through West. Or, declarer can that all of you reading would guess either opponent for the oQ or mQ. play the nA and lead a low heart right, since you can see all 52 cards! On a club lead, declarer is up against to finesse through East. If you guess diamonds correctly, it once the pA is driven out. Declarer Experts have many ways to you can then turn your attention to needs to guess the location of both figure out which defender holds n spades. Again, there is a two-way queens to get nine tricks. Good luck! the Q. One sure thing is to get guess for a queen, but even if you the defenders to lead the suit. If lose a trick to the mQ, you will have Summary either East or West leads the suit, three spade tricks to go with a heart Even though 5 o might be a better you get three tricks automatically. trick, four diamonds, and a club. If contract, it is very normal to reach Some of the all-time great you guess the location of the mQ, 3NT following a Stayman auction. players claim to have “never” you can then promote an extra heart The opening lead is a big guess. A misguessed in this situation. I trick. Any declarer who’s queen club lead works out much better suspect this is an overbid. locator is working well, will get a than a heart lead. In both case, take Some players always finesse great result on this deal! note of the “interior sequence.” the same way, so they don’t drive themselves crazy by zigging and If you misguess diamonds, and On any lead, declarer needs to be m zagging. An old rubber-bridge the defenders then lead a club, you a good guesser. Both the Q and tactic is to always assume the will have to guess spades to make oQ are there for the taking, if Queen lies after the Jack. This has the contract: four spades, a heart, declarer has a lucky day. This deal is some validity. When the cards three diamonds, and a club. more about luck than skill. from a trick are stacked together, the Queen will often end up on top of the Jack, because the Jack got Hazel & Jenny Wolpert covered by the Queen or lost to the Queen —but never the other way around. If the cards are then not shuffled properly, indeed the Queen will be in the hand to the left of the Jack on the next deal. The best advice I can give at is to lead the nJ from your hand. West will often cover —cover an honor with an honor —and your problems are solved. If West hesitates and plays low, assume West has the nQ and let the nJ run. If West plays low without a care, assume West doesn’t have the nQ. Go up with The Real Deal was dealt by Hazel Wolpert , who has enjoyed an outstanding the nA and finesse the other way. bridge career. She has represented Canada internationally. She established It is completely ethical to rely and operates one of the most sophisticated full-time clubs in North America, on the opponents’ , but it and she recently received the Audrey Grant Award for excellence in teaching. would be unethical for West to Larry reminds us that ‘Wolpert’ is a familiar name in bridge. “I know her son, Gavin, hesitate when the nJ is led when a frequent teammate and opponent. His beautiful and talented wife, Jenny, has West doesn’t hold the nQ. also been my teammate.” (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Steinberg ) BETTER 11 BRIDGE VOL . 13, N O. 6 JULY /A UGUST 2009