On the house ~/

In the hospitality industry when the establishment you dine at offers you a complimentary meal, you should accept it. However at the bridge table there is no free lunch.

At the Victoria Regional, during the Friday-Saturday KO. This situation occurred at Aidan Ballantyne (West) and Doug Fraser (East)’s table.

Board 3. Dealer South. East-West vulnerable.

   

 

South open the bidding with 2♦  Flannery, four-five in the majors. North set the trumps suit in hearts with 3♦,   next explored for slam via four no-trump key card ask in hearts. Discovered they were missing two key cards, settled in the reasonable contract of 5♥.

West’s lead of the nine of clubs did not scare declarer till East ruffed away dummy’s queen. East returned the three of spades, queen, ace and eight. West played the Jack of clubs, king, East ruffed with six of hearts, ten. Declarer was down one before he even started!

Trick 4, East exited with the jack of spades, king, five and nine. Now eight of diamonds, nine, dummy won with the king, six.

At trick 6, Declarer called for the ace of clubs and offered our Grand Life Master a ruff. Doug discarded a diamond.

Eventually declarer with no help from the defence took the losing heart finesse and went down two for -100.

At the other table. I (South) and Maurice De La Salle (North) stopped at 4♥

         

I open the bidding with 1♥, Maurice invited slam via Jacoby 2NT-forcing heart raise with four trumps, and I declined.

The play for the first five tricks went the same way as at Doug’s table. I was booked and had to find the trump king.

At trick 6, I called for the ace of clubs and offered East a ruff on the house. He accepted, ruffed with the nine, over ruffed with the queen, jack. Next I played the ace of hearts dropped the lonesome king. Thank you very much.

Made ten tricks for +420 and +100 won us 11 imps.

Our team of Bard Bart, Aidan Ballantyne, Doug Fraser, Maurice De La Salle, Cam Doner and I, went on to win this event.