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I played with Red Bird yesterday and was dealt this wonderful hand on the second board of the day:

                    AK9     AKQ654     9865     void

 

RHO opened 1C and I overcalled 1H.  Red Bird bid 2C (cue bid) to show her limit raise values and a good fit with my hearts.  I was so excited to get to Game that I just bid it right away, bidding too fast as usual.

 

I took all the tricks and scored up +710 and Red Bird graciously asked if she could have bid better.

 

"No," I told her.  "Your bid was perfect.  It's my bid that needed more thought."  On later reflection, I figured out a possible way to get there.  Since I am always going to get to 4H once Red Bird shows me the Limit Raise, I think I should jump to 4C (a splinter, or shortness) and now Red Bird can bid 4D to show first round control of the diamond suit.  That will give me courage and I can now bid 4NT.  I wouldn't normally do that with a void, but I know she has the diamond Ace so I want to know if she has the Ace of Clubs.  She doesn't. so she will have to bid 5C,one or four key cards in our system (1430). 

 

She promised me 10 points for her cue bid limit raise and all she has shown me so far is the AD.  Where are her other points?  She could have the heart Jack, the spade Q and J, the diamond KQJ and anything in clubs.  But I don't think she has much in clubs, because not only did opener bid clubs, he also doubled her club bue bid for the lead.  So I think all her points are in the pointed suits and will all be helpful.

 

So I can get to at least 6H.  7H is a little too rich for me.

 

Bidding 4H and making 7 produced a slightly better than average score so very few pairs reached a slam.  But I should have got there - I had the tools.  Next time, I will be braver.

AND SLOWER.

 

Here is the whole hand:

                                                     AK9

                                                     AKQ654

                                                     9865

                                                     void

                          T83                                           752

                          J7                                              98

                          QJT                                           7432

                          AKJ95                                       Q864

                                                    QJ64

                                                    T32

                                                     AK

                                                     T732

 

The lead was the club Ace, ruffed in hand.  I pulled trump in two rounds, cashed AK of diamonds, back to hand with the spade Ace, spade King, ruffed a diamond, cashed Q and J of spades, pitching my last diamond, making seven.

 

This is how our auction could/should have gone:

 

      RHO     Me      LHO     Red Bird

 

     1C         1H       P           2C

      X           4C      P           4D

      P           4NT    P           5C

      P           6H      all pass

 

 

If only all hands could be this delightful.