Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 03/03/2001
Level: Intermediate
Some deals you never forget. I held this hand in 1980, and I'd say it "launched my career:"
Q J 10 9 8 5 4 2
--
A K Q 7 5
--
In the Vanderbilt teams, I dealt and had to make the first bid. My partner was Ron Gerard, and I hoped he had read what I had read. What had I read? That an opening bid of 5
or 5
shows this type of hand -- 11 winners missing only the ace and king of trump. So, I opened 5
, a bid that took everyone by surprise. My LHO passed, and my partner, with a sly look on his face, jumped to 7
. Hopefully he knew that he should raise to 6 with one high trump, and to 7 with both high trumps.
This was the full deal:
Vul: Both Dlr: South |
A K
K Q 7 5 2
10 2
Q 9 4 2
|
|
7 6
A 9 8 6 4
6 4
A K J 3
|
|
3
J 10 3
J 9 8 3
10 8 7 6 5
|
|
Q J 10 9 8 5 4 2
--
A K Q 7 5
--
|
|
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
Ron Gerard |
|
Larry |
-- |
-- |
-- |
5 ! |
Pass |
7 ! |
All Pass |
|
West trusted our bidding enough not to double, and he also trusted it enough to lead a trump (and not try one of his aces). Still, I was able to ruff one diamond in dummy and easily claim 13 tricks for 2210. At the other table, my counterpart opened 2
and reached only 6
. Our team went on to win the match, and this deal was written up in the New York Times bridge column; my first claim to fame!