Be cautious with balanced hands

Wallace D. Wattles, an author who died in 1911, said, “The calm and balanced mind is the strong and great mind; the hurried and agitated mind is the weak one.”

At the bridge table, it helps to be calm and have a strong and great mind. But if you have a balanced hand, be a tad cautious. Unless partner has a long suit or two, you will probably not win as many tricks as your combined point-count suggests.

In yesterday’s deal, Lorenzini and Quantin from France bid an excellent grand slam with only 24 combined high-card points. Quantin’s club void was opposite three low cards, so they had no duplication, as it is called. In contrast, look at the South hand in today’s diagram. You open one heart, and partner responds three hearts, a game-invitational limit raise with at least four-card support. What would you rebid?

After finding a fit with partner, I like to apply the Losing Trick Count. The South hand has six losers: two spades, one heart, two diamonds and one club. Partner should have eight losers for a limit raise, which he does because you deduct one loser for a 10-card or better fit. Six plus eight from 24 gives 10. You should win 10 tricks. So, do not even think about a slam!

At the table, South controlbid three spades. North should have signed off in four hearts, but he thought it couldn’t hurt to show his club control. However, South launched into Blackwood and bid to six hearts.

Note that even with the club finesse winning, declarer had to lose a spade and a diamond.