[blml] Rueful Rabbit [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

[richard.hills at immi.gov.au]

Imps
Dealer South
Vulnerable East-West

The bidding has gone:

WEST      NORTH     EAST      SOUTH
---       ---       ---       2C (1)
2S        3C (2)    Pass      ?

(1) Symmetric Relay (system notes emailed on
request.  10-14 hcp, at least two controls
(A = 2, K = 1), almost always at least six
clubs (could have five clubs with 100
honours), almost always single-suited (could
have four rotten diamonds lacking the A, K
and Q).

(2) Not a yarborough, but not inviting game,
instead merely competing for the partscore.

You, South, hold:

QT8
---
K93
AKT8542

What call do you make?
What other calls do you consider making?

*     *     *

Those blmlers who responded to the poll were
unanimous in suggesting that Pass was a
"logical alternative".

This again highlights the difference between
"logical alternative" and logical alternative,
since it is totally illogical to pass 3C at
imps scoring, when a 45% chance of success
makes a non-vul game worth bidding.

For example, if partner is competing for the
partscore with this boring flat hand:

J32
QJT
A32
9763

then 3NT is 100% cold (and 5C could fail on
the plausible defence of ace and king of
spades, then a spade ruff).

So at the table I did choose the "illogical
alternative" of 3NT.  Under the EBU "Red
Psyche" regulation my non-Pass would be
deemed to be "illegal fielding", since pard
had psyched his non-forcing non-invitational
3C bid with:

A7
982
AQT652
QJ

(Actually partner had recently had cataracts
removed from both eyes, so partner simply did
not see all of his high cards.)

Astute observers will note that opposite
partner's actual cards 7C or 7D is a pretty
good contract.  But naturally enough partner
passed 3NT.  The complete deal:

               A7
               982
               AQT652
               QJ
KJ9532                          64
QJT764                          AK53
4                               J87
---                             9763
               QT8
               ---
               K93
               AKT8542

If West had chosen to lead from their spade
suit against 3NT something would have been
salvaged from the wreckage, but West unluckily
chose to make the only logical lead of the
queen of hearts instead.  -100 in 3NT for a
complete and utter debacle.

But at the other table team-mates managed to
steal the contract in 4S, which made when
North-South failed to find the double-dummy
defence of two heart ruffs.  +620 to the good
guys, so a Rueful Rabbit complete and utter
debacle which gained 11 imps.

;-)


Best wishes

Richard James Hills, amicus curiae
Level 6 Aqua Training Suite, DIAC
02 6225 6776

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