There have been no blog-worthy hands the past few days. One of the upsides of making a flagrant error at the bridge table is that I at least get to write about it on this blog. But this week, none of my mistakes costed much. We ended up with 60% games (and one 75% one) every time we played, and that was not because we were playing all that well. We were just plain lucky, which is not good for blogging purposes.
Consider this hand from an online matchpoint tourney (click on lakshmanok to hide the other hands). Partner bids 1NT. What do you bid holding 4-5 in the majors and 4 high-card points? I saw two options: Garbage stayman (bid 2C and pass partner's response since bidding 2H over his 2D should promise a better hand than this) or a simple transfer to hearts. I chose to transfer:
South decided to get in on the action with a takeout double (vulnerable, holding a balanced hand, with a strong 1NT sitting over him!) and North bid 2S. I know partner has at least 2 spades, and so, they are about to play their 4-3 fit. I double. North then runs to 3D.
Now my errors began. I should double 3D also, of course, but I thought we were in a forcing pass situation (for what? partner can have no bid). In the defensive card play, I made another error (click Next on the above hand to see if you can spot it).
Neither error -- the failure to double or cashing the king of hearts -- cost us. Declarer ruffed dummy's winning Ace of clubs with the Ace of diamonds, negating my heart suit mistake. 3D down 2 for 200 points was itself a match-point top.
I make two mistakes, and still get a top board. That's how my week has gone, bridge-wise.
You were lucky, but you pretty much won the board when you chose to transfer and play 2H. After that, your opps were headed for a bad board I think.
ReplyDeleteI blundered on trick 10, by not covering the J...
ReplyDeleteNo idea what I was thinking, but not very clearly obviously.