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The Real Deal (Larry's ACBL column deals)

image Larry Cohen

Battle Won, War Lost

Lots of Lessons

A Little Extra Caution

This deal was played by my friend Gary Cohler in the 2022 Jacoby Open Swiss Teams in Providence:

Not so Safe

Two out of Three is Bad

Well Bid, Better Played

Nine in a Row

12 Comparisons

A Non-Finesse

JJ3

Desperate Measures

Missed It Again

From Complex to Simple

Moysian Reflex

For Once, a Winning Lead

An Odd Safe/Danger Layout

A surefire counterplan

Double Error

A Brilliant Exception

Multiple Chance

A Tantalizing Queen Guess

Better than Double Dummy

Victory Turned into Defeat

We Can Do Much Better

Game Try Double Justified

Semi-Real

Eight is Not Enough

Need to Play More

An Uncommon Deal from the Common Game

Not Totally Impossible

No Excuse

Succumbing to Temptation

Rand McNally

How to Play Jxx Opposite A10x

Even the Best

Another deal from Victor

Blackless

Blame the Time Zone

In Retrospect

Another Accusation

Diagnosable

Two-Two Too Easy

Playing with TGBH

Another 2-way Finesse

Notice the Nines

Screen Reading

An Abnormal Finesse

Six-ever?

By Rote

Round-Suit Kings

My Take

Finding Jack

Smooth Duck

Common Game Greed

Accidents Happen

Expert Spot Usage

A Solid 1430

Turkey in Turkey

This Should be a Routine Move

10 For Sure

I Transfered, but I Declared!

Not Hall-worthy

Mr. Anonymous

Plan C

Handling a 4-2 Trump Split

Almost Real

But, what if they are 4-1?

Costly undertricks

The Real-ish Deal

A Long Side Suit in Hand

Best Try for a Twelfth

Logic Trumps Odds

The Timing Was Off

The GOAT?

An Expert Should Get it Right

The Ones We Should Get Right

High Level Balancing Act

Twice Wrong

From the Bergen Archives

4 + 3 = 7

Double Dummy

Even Better

9-Ever, But Not Always

Passive or Aggressive

RC Squared

A Ruffing Finesse?

Declarer's Signals

A Valuable Overtrick

Black Breaks

Roadmap

Wasting your own trumps

Why Take A losing Finesse?

They Missed the Point

Think in Reverse

A Modified Rodwell File

Red Herring

Good, but not good enough

Back to Florida

They Can't Take Four

Partner's Cards are Meaningful

Missed by Both Experts

6-5 Come Alive

Throw Losers, Keep Winners

Drop or Finesse?

Vanishing Spades

What They Don't Know

Watching Helplessly

Way with the Odds

Some Chance is Better than No Chance

Maximum Overtricks

Glossed Over

Justifying Partner's Faith

Good 8 Is Better than Bad 9

5-6-7

Pinochle Deck

Did You See it?

You're Not in 7

3 Hearts?

Spot the Errors

Seesaw

My Diamonds are Good

Looking for Jack

Going Backwards

Only Spades

Greed is a Terrible Thing

Is This How We Learned to Finesse?

A Mature Decision

The Better 3-0

Embarrassed Again

They Pay Bonuses

Judge John Again

Zero or Three?

Mispractice

A Reflexive Unblock

I've Been in Worse Slams

12 For Me, 1 For Both of You

Play with the Stars

High Black, Low Black

Safety at Sea

Not by the Book

A Sneaky Spade Eight

Texas in Comp

Seduction

Lead Low from a Doubleton?

Trouble in the Big City

Judge John

Don't Give Them a Chance

Variation on a Theme

Switching Horses

Another SFBP Deal

A Taste of the High Life

3-2 or 4-1?

Moysian Maintenance

The Good Nine

Let Them Help

All For Naught

Perfect Technique

8-4 Bid Some More

Smooth

What Can Go Wrong in Just 1 Hour?

All In?

A Sure Thing?

It's a Chance

Check Your Reflexes

Is it magic?

What's Going on Here?

Where there are 8...

Don't Get Discouraged

Your Best Chance?

Plan B from Down Under

Staying Awake

Quality not Blue

I Can't Stand It

Not Yet

An Endplay in Wales

Don't Let Your Heart(s) Distract You

Careful In California

The Dentist without Baby Food

It's Your Only Chance

Logical Bidding, Logical Play

A Scary Save

Avoidance and Guesswork

A Curious Club Suit

Could it hurt?

It's Always My Fault.

A Real Deal from Asia

A Real Deal from Hunt Valley

Careful, Now

Good declarer, Good defender

When in doubt...

Loser on Loser Squared

Don't Let Partner Err

David's call from Oregon

Get out the Scissors

Don't Give Up

15 years later!

For the Millionth Time