Bridge With Nino Culotta

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday April 18, 2008

Ron Klinger

The name Nino Culotta would be most closely associated with the book They?re A Weird Mob and the film of the same title. The thought struck me that this would also make a great title for a bridge book as I perused the highly unusual actions on this deal from Stage 1 of the Australian Seniors Team Selection.

Round 4 : Board 5

South dealer : North-South vulnerable

NORTH

These were sensible auctions:

West North East South

Lane Chan Stuart Januszke

Caplan G.Bailey Havas K. Bailey

--- --- --- Pass

1H 2H/2S Pass 3C

Pass Pass 3D All pass

Peter Chan?s 2H showed spades and a minor and Roger Januszke?s 3C was pass-or-correct. Gavin Bailey?s 2S showed spades and clubs. Having passed on the first round, both Easts re-opened with 3D and were not punished by their partners.

Both made nine tricks for +110. Datum E-W 60.

East did too much here:

West North East South

--- --- --- Pass

1H 1S 2D? Pass

3D Pass 4H?? Dble

Pass Pass Pass

The 2D response is below expectation, but 3D was a fine spot until the curious jump to 4H. East could be charged with bridge vagrancy: no visible means of support. The cost was 500 and 11 Imps away.

West tried an unusual lead here:

West North East South

--- --- --- 1H

Pass 1S Pass 2C

Pass 3C All pass

Lead: H3

A trump lead looks attractive and it would not be unreasonable to try the DA (the unbid suit) or the SA, looking for ruffs, but a heart? It did not cost, as 3C went one down anyway, but it seems a strange choice.

Finally:

West North East South

--- --- --- 2D

?

South?s 2D shows a weak two in hearts (five or six cards) or 5-5 in the black suits or a game-forcing hand. With West?s values you can virtually dismiss the last option. What action should West take?

The weak two in hearts is about 10 times more likely than the 5-5 pattern.

West should therefore pass and await developments. This is what actually happened:

West North East South

--- --- --- 2D

2H?? Pass 2S Pass

2NT Pass Pass Pass

No doubt East wanted to remove 2NT to 3D, but feared partner would take that as a forward-going move. 2NT failed by two tricks for 4 Imps away.

In the meantime North-South were already beyond their safety level after the 2D opening and might even have landed in 2H.

Why is it that normal bridge players are the ones you don?t know?

Tomorrow?s problem:

South dealer : North-South vulnerable

West North East South

--- --- --- 1D

3C (1) Dble (2) 5C ?

(1) Weak

(2) For takeout

What would you do as South with:

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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