THE RIGHT HAND TYPE FOR A TIMELY PASS

Yesterday, I gave a deal in which advancer (North) had passed with only K-Q-9-3-2 of spades when his partner had made a two-spade Michaels CueBid, showing at least 5-5 in hearts and either minor. The contract went down five, minus 250, which proved to be a 30% board. That was, in theory, lucky for NorthSouth because the opponents had no making game contract.

Now have a look at the North hand in today’s diagram. Your left-hand opponent deals and opens one heart. Your partner overcalls two hearts, a Michaels Cue-Bid showing at least 5-5 in spades and either minor. After your right-hand opponent passes, what would you do?

If you are ever going to pass partner’s Michaels, one feels that this North hand is about as suitable as you are ever going to get. Yes, if the heart nine were the heart 10, it would be even better, but such is life at the bridge table!

How do you think the play went in two hearts?

After two hearts was passed out, West understandably led a trump. Declarer took dummy’s four top hearts (discarding three spades and one club from his hand) played a diamond to his ace and returned a diamond to dummy’s nine.

East ruffed and unwisely shifted to the club king. So, declarer took that with his ace and claimed. He could run the diamonds to end with six hearts, five diamonds and one club. Plus 230 was a 57.73% board.

If East had taken his two spade winners when in with the heart nine, North-South would have gotten 50.55% — not much of a difference.