ToyBridge: Trump suit acrobatics

For anyone who was getting tired of me reporting on my silly system I'm now back to playing Acol so the auctions should be a fraction more palatable.

This is an entertaining hand from a swiss pairs event played during the long weekend. Yes folks the Queen is one year older and we celebrate with imped pairs. Anyway, picking up a nice collection I opened 1♥ and over partner's 1♠ I showed my clubs. He put me back to hearts and without a reason to move I didn't.

♠	K Q J T
♥	T 2
♦	T 8 5 4
♣	T 9 7

♠	6 2
♥	A K J 5 3
♦	7
♣	Q J 4 3 2

After some amusing comment from partner about having four of a kind I realized the defense had led a diamond. Fiddlesticks! How did they work that out? Hopefully they'll switch at trick two.

Nope. I'm staring at 6 tricks, 3 diamond ruffs, the two top trumps and a spade. If I pitch a black card here the opps will dive on the suit like hawks on a cute defenseless bunny and I'll be no better off so I ruff. Exiting a spade seems the best way to start and it wins on the table. Here's a chance, maybe the defense are a little sleepy and will let me have a second spade. Wrong, West wins the Ace and continues diamonds, they probably play something technical like count.

Time for something dramatic. Ruff with the Ace of trumps and lead back the Knave. West after some thought wins his Queen and returns the fourth round of diamonds confirming an even break. Ruff with the King of trumps and enter dummy with that T partner was so happy with. Now if a hand with four hearts is kind enough to also hold four spades I'm home.

J♠, ruffed by West. Even if they were playing count the simpler system of following suit was the key driver behind the earlier play. Now West is thinking. And thinking. A♣, 7♣, K♣ 2♣, hooray!

Dealer: S
Vul: All