Much Improved

3rd May – Board 13. Game All. Dealer North.

A lot of hands improve considerably as the auction continues, often when a double fit comes to light.

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

West	North	East	South
	1S	No	2C
No	3C	No	4S
End

There is no doubt that North has at least a five-card spade suit in the auction shown because if he was 4-4 in the blacks he would have to be 3-2 in the other suits and would have opened, or rebid, in no-trumps. (Remember you never open 1S with a triple four, one hand.) All this means that South has a clear-cut raise to game and even with the bad break coming to ten tricks should not prove too difficult a task.