ACES ON BRIDGE

“Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure.”

— Earl Wilson

In the Cayne-Bramley semifinal in the 1998 American Trials, the Bramley team never seriously threatened Cayne. In fact, whenever they got the chance to score, something always seemed to go wrong at the last moment. This hand came from the seventh and final set of their match — they conceded with a set to go.

Bart Bramley and Sidney Lazard had collected plus 150 with the North-South cards in the other room, a very promising result. Here, Steve Garner as West led a low spade against one no-trump. However, Garner led the spade three, though his partnership was technically playing fourthhighest. Declarer, Mike Passell, played low from dummy, and East,

Howard Weinstein, inserted the nine, holding the trick.

Weinstein then cashed the spade queen, Garner following slightly carelessly with the seven. (He said afterward that he had caught himself thinking and did not want to pause to betray that he had a choice of cards, leading him to play without giving himself sufficient time for thought.)

It is possible that the opportunity for the Bramley team was lost at that point. If Garner had followed with the spade 10, the suitpreference element of that card might have guided Weinstein into finding the killing diamond shift.

Weinstein studied the spade seven for a while before finally deciding to make the seemingly safer exit of a low club. Not this time — plus 150 to Cayne for a push, but the chance of a decent pickup for Bramley had vanished.

ANSWER: In third seat, it is worth opening one club to direct the lead. Partner will rarely have the values to punish you. After all, an opening in this seat always comes with a certain health warning. Note that if you had seen an opening bid to your right, you would never overcall. This hand has so little offense that many bad things can happen if you act at the two-level.