Calculated risks can help players gain an edge

In a head-to-head team match, scored at IMPs, you can win by just one IMP — the value of an overtrick. But in a matchpoint duplicate event, you may be up against a ballroom full of pairs and will need a high score to do well. At matchpoints, players take risks. They make bids that are unsound in theory, trying to get an edge.

In today’s deal, South’s three clubs would have been reckless at IMPs. But at matchpoints, South thought he was unlikely to score well by letting East-West play comfortably at two spades. Moreover, North was marked with some points on the bidding. So though South was vulnerable, he took a chance and “balanced.”

West led the K-A and a third diamond, and East ruffed and led the 10 of spades. South took his ace and saw that if he could pick up the trumps, he would have eight tricks. Minus 100 would be a good result if East-West could have scored plus 110 at two spades, but if South went down two, minus 200 on a partscore deal would be fatal.

South knew West had held five diamonds and East two. East had four spades for his one-spade bid, but West needed three-card support to raise. In hearts, South placed West with four: If East’s pattern had been 4-4-2-3, he would have responded one heart, showing his four-card majors “up the line.”

Playing West for 3-4-5-1 shape, South led a club to dummy’s ace and let the 10 ride next. I don’t admire his bid, but if you’re going to indulge in bids like that, it helps if you can play the socks off the dummy.