High Level Decisions

12^th March – Board 1. Love All. Dealer North.

‘The five level belongs to the opposition’ goes the old saying but that is not always the case.

	North: S none H A K Q 10 3 D A J 9 6 5 C K 7 3
West: S K 10 8 6 5 H 6 2 D K 7 3 2 C Q 2		East: S A Q 9 7 4 2 H J 7 D 8 4 C A J 6
	South: S J 3 H 9 8 5 4 D Q 10 C 10 9 8 5 4

West	North	East	South
	1H	1S	No
4S	5D	No	5H
End

Each player might bid something slightly different at their turn but even so absolute par is hard to find. Note that West is quite right to barrage to 4S with the general notion of bidding to the total number of tricks a good rule to adhere to. Likewise North shouldn’t be shut out with that fine four loser hand and if East remains silent over that bid South has an easy convert to 5H. 5H makes of course but it requires a certain amount of luck with a minor suit finesse obligatory and something nice to happen in trumps because you need to get to dummy to take a diamond finesse. (Meaning of course that you have to ruff an opening spade lead with the ten of hearts.) If neither the queen nor ten of diamonds is covered you have to run the ten of clubs so it’s not easy. So what is absolute par then? Well 5S doubled I guess, down two and costing 300.