The falsecard might cost a trick

Today’s senryu came from Terry Kee of San Rafael, California: Why did I bid game? / Unattractive was my shape / Mirrored in your hand!

That made me think of this deal, which arose during a Bridge Base Online duplicate. What do you think of the bidding, and how did the play proceed?

Sitting North, initially I wondered if we might have a slam in hearts, but East’s leap to four clubs changed all that. Suddenly I had a strong feeling that our best score would come from doubling four clubs, given that our opponents were vulnerable and we were not. But if I were wrong, I really would look silly. So, I did the “normal” thing and rebid four hearts.

West led the club nine, and South made the textbook falsecard, dropping her jack under East’s queen. Now East did not know who held the club two.

However, East decided that if South had begun with a singleton club, the contract was unbeatable. So he cashed the club ace, and West discarded an encouraging diamond 10. After a diamond to the ace and a diamond ruff, declarer took the rest for down one.

When I saw that we could have taken 200 against four clubs doubled, I nodded my head ruefully. However, maybe our score wouldn’t be so bad. If East had shifted immediately to his singleton diamond, West could have won and returned the suitpreference diamond two. East would have ruffed and could have led the club four, forcing West to ruff and deliver a second diamond ruff for down two.

However, minus 50 proved to be only a 33.3% board. Five pairs were allowed to make four hearts.