Cramp their style with a big leap

Gary Abbate of Bridgeport, West Virginia, submitted this senryu: Go forth with your guts / Bid it to the hilt, partner / Big rewards are ours.

North was an advocate of this approach in a deal from a Bridge Base Online duplicate. All of the other players sitting North started with a two-heart cue-bid, showing at least game-invitational values with club support. Then South rebid two no-trump, and North raised to three no-trump. Especially in a duplicate, who plays in a minor when no-trump is in the picture? The small snag, of course, was that a few Wests led the spade king (or ace), East signaled enthusiastically with the eight, and the defenders took the first six tricks.

One North bid to the hilt, plunging straight into five clubs!

West led the spade king, leading the king from ace-king at the fivelevel and higher. East gave count with the eight. If West had continued unimaginatively with the spade ace, the contract would have failed. But he strangely shifted to his trump. Declarer drew East’s last trump, cashed the heart ace and king, then led a sneaky heart nine. When West played low, South discarded a diamond from the dummy. He ruffed the heart 10 and led the spade queen, discarding a diamond from hand.

West took the trick but was endplayed. He tried a low diamond, but declarer ran it to his queen. West was marked with the king from the bidding. Alternatively, if West had returned a major-suit card, South would have ruffed in the dummy and sluffed another diamond from his hand. Plus 400 was a 93.3% board.