Quick Tricks

31st October – Board 1: Love All. Dealer North.

Some twelve counts are a lot better than others as North should have realized on the hand shown below. But South had to play his part too.

	North: S A 7 3 H 9 8 2 D A 10 8 6 C A 6 4
West: S 6 2 H A 10 4 D 4 2 C K J 10 9 8 5		East: S Q H K J 7 6 3 D Q J 9 3 C Q 7 3
	South: S K J 10 9 8 5 4 H Q 5 D K 7 5 C 2

West	North	East	South
	1NT	No	2H
No	2S	No	3S
No	4S	End

Some Easts might wade in with a two-suited overcall but not me, for with its collection of ‘quacks’ it looks a poor hand and I would let it go. But how would you rate that South hand? A jump to game has some appeal but could easily have no play while just selling out to 2S seems feeble. So what is wrong with enlisting partner’s help with a game try? Three trumps and three quick tricks should leave North in no doubt as to what to do and the excellent game is reached. As an aside I hope you and your partner know what to do if East had decided to bid; in other words how do you now make a game try?