Good Luck!
As we all know, bridge can be a mystical combination of good fortune, good decisions, good cards – and much more. Sometimes a bit of each can deliver something great!
So it was today in the morning Compact KO. Two passes to you, and you open up one of the best hands you have ever been dealt: AKx, AKQJ863, Axx, none.
You are playing a convention, “Kokish” – and it is excellent for such a hand. With the opponents silent, you open 2C, partner bids 2D, “waiting” – and now you begin a Kokish relay with 2H. Partner is forced to bid 2S, so you can describe your hand. 2NT is a 25+ huge no trump hand. 3H means you have a strong 2 bid in hearts, but partner can pass with nothing. And bidding a new suit here other than hearts shows something in that suit, with hearts as your primary suit and game going values.
Ergo, you now call 3D.
Partner responds with 3H. According to your partnership style, this shows heart support and some values. With some hearts but nothing else, partner would bid 4H.
You call 3S; partner bids 4C, a cue bid.
While club values aren’t as attractive as spade or diamond support would be, you still have a super hand. So, you continue with 4S. Partner bids 5H – nothing more to show. Unwilling to play this hand below slam, you bid six, ending the auction.
A diamond is led, and you see this dummy: Jxx, 97x, J9x, KQxx. Not exactly what the doctor ordered – but – now you have to make your own luck!
You call for the 9, and RHO plays the queen. You win, and get your first nice piece of luck; LHO plays the 10 of hearts. You have two dummy entries.
If the queen of spades falls doubleton, however, you do not need a spade pitch. So, your next step is to cash your spade AK. No luck there, as everyone follows low.
A heart to dummy’s 9 collects the last trump. You now try the club king.
Eureka! RHO covers with the ace, so you have a resting spot for that losing spade. Another trip to dummy with trump gives you your spade pitch.
Now you need one more bit of luck; the king of diamonds onside. As you lead your diamond toward dummy, LHO thinks a bit. If you think that this means your luck is in – correctomundo. LHO finally chooses to win his diamond king, leaving your jack a winner and no more losers. Plus 980 when your unlucky opponents stop in game at the other table.
Did this hand take a lot of luck? You betcha!
But take your luck when it’s there, and you will be a winner more often than not!
Peg Kaplan