ABTA Provides the Answers – March 2025
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Two questions from the European Winter Transnational Championships.
Grand Life Master Patty Tucker was inducted into the ACBL’s Hall of Fame in 2019. For the last several decades she has devoted more time to teaching and developing material for students, experiencing a deep satisfaction in sharing with others her love for the game of bridge. Here she answers reader’s questions.
Everything under Control
Dealer South. All Vul.
♠ 752
♥ AK94
♦ AKQ9
♣ A6
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2SA(1) | |||
| Pass | 3♣(2) | Pass | 3♦(3) |
| Pass | 3♠(4) | Dble | ? |
(2) Puppet Stayman.
(3) No five card major.
(4) Hearts.
What would you bid at this point?
If you decide to pass and partner redoubles what would that mean?
This is one of those hands that when you have an established partnership… you can get it right! Without an established partnership, you’re whishin’ and hopein’ that you are on the same wave length!
I would pass, expecting that if partner redoubles that would show a Spade control (Ace, void or singleton). I would expect with the ♠K or some stopper in Spades, partner would bid 3NT. Without any of the above, I expect partner to bid (probably 4♥ though they could show a second suit).
If we are not on the same wavelength, we’ll at least have something to discuss at dinner.
The Plays the Thing
Dealer West. N/S Vul.
| W | N | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1♠ | Pass | 2♥ | |
| 3♠ | Pass | 4♣(1) | |
| Pass | 4NT(2) | Pass | 5♦(3) |
| Pass | 7♠ | Dble |
(2) RKCB.
(3) 3 keycards.
East leads the ♥2. What are your options?
If my opponent loves to make unilateral and unusual plays, I have to consider he has the ♥K and is forcing me to decide immediately whether to take the Heart finesse or not.
In reality, I think him having underled the ♥K is unlikely. I would win the ♥A, play the ♦AK and trump a Diamond with the ♠A, overtake the ♠10 and run the Spades, discarding all the Hearts in dummy. If I don’t see the ♥K, I will finesse for the ♣K, unless the discards somehow make it clear that I did in fact have a squeeze in Hearts and Clubs on West. In reality, with a non-Heart lead, the only play I had was a Club Heart squeeze or ♣K onside. Hopefully if East underled the ♥K, partner will back me up over dinner with friends that they led a Spade on the opening lead!
The American Bridge Teachers Association is a networking organization of bridge teachers, authors, and anyone interested in the future of bridge. Its aim is to help those who teach bridge to do it better, more effectively, more knowledgeably and more professionally throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico. Send your bridge related question to bridgerama@lebridgeur.com – it might appear in this column!
