Today’s deal is from a recent online team competition. At one table, the auction went as shown, with North blasting into game at his first turn. South won the opening diamond lead in hand with the ace and led a trump. West rose with his ace and shifted to a high heart. South won with his ace and led a trump to dummy’s king, successfully drawing trumps.
Two high diamonds and a diamond ruff set up dummy’s nine. Declarer crossed to dummy with a trump, discarded a low heart on the nine of diamonds, and led a club. He eventually ruffed a club in dummy for his tenth trick. Making four!
At the other table, instead of bidding four spades, North tried the neo-modern, ultra-scientific, two no trump to show some kind of sophisticated spade raise. East took the opportunity to bid three clubs, and West bid five clubs at his next turn. South doubled to end the auction. Five clubs might have been defeated by two tricks, but North led his partner’s suit — spades. Dummy’s queen won, which eliminated West’s spade loser and gave dummy an entry for the club finesse. Making five! Had these two tables played the same hand?
