Not every venture works out well

P.G. Wodehouse wrote, “There are three things in the world that he held in the smallest esteem — slugs, poets and caddies with hiccups.”

My wife and I are not fond of hiccups in slam deals. At Bridge Base Online last month, we had one. Look at the North hand. Your partner opens two notrump, promising anything from an excellent 19 to a poor 22, and usually at least two aces and three kings or three aces and one king.

You are clearly in the smallslam zone, but a suit contract in a 4-4 fit might generate an extra trick that cannot be collected in no-trump.

In this deal, the winning response is three clubs, Stayman. Then, when partner shows four hearts, you might leap straight to six hearts — real bridge players don't need Blackwood!

With a 3-2 heart break, you take an easy 12 tricks: one spade, four hearts, four diamonds, two clubs and a club ruff in the South hand.

My wife used Gerber, then bid six no-trump. I sympathized, especially as I had only 19 points, but the contract was unmakable. Strangely, West led a diamond, not the club queen. I won on the board and led the spade seven.

East took the trick with the queen and returned a spade to the ace. Now if East had had the courtesy to hold at least six clubs, I would have squeezed him in the black suits, but it was not to be.

Two pairs got to six hearts after North opened one diamond and raised a one-heart response to game. One North made six no-trump when East led the spade king. Eight stopped in game, and two failed in grand slams.