Third In Hand

6^th May–Board 20. Game All. Dealer West.

Third in hand you can open on almost any old junk because partner is not likely to get too excited and drive you too high. East should have followed this rule on the hand below although to be fair the outcome might well be the same.

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

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

I would open that East hand third in hand or first in hand either come to that and I am considered backward in these matters according to y teammates. South has a difficult choice with 1NT being the best of a bad lot and after some soul searching 3NT is likely to be the contract of choice. On a heart lead this has no chance at all because sooner or later West will get in with a diamond to play a second heart and the contract should fail by two tricks. Without that heart opening West might be tempted to look elsewhere with a less fortunate outcome.