IMPROVE YOUR PLAY #40 with Larry Matheny

While the 4-3-2-1 point count system most players use to evaluate their hands is valuable, sometimes you have to look beyond it.  This hand is a good example of how big seven high card points can be.

Scoring: IMPs

Hand #40
Dlr  N
Vul BOTH
S AK3
H 10542
D 109642
C 2
S J1087652
H A6
D
C 9854
    
S 9
H 3
D KQJ8753
C KJ106

S Q4
H KQJ987
D A
C AQ73
West North
 East
 South

Pass
 3D 4H
 Pass 4NT Pass
 5D* 
    Pass
    6H All Pass
    





*0-3 keycards

BIDDING:  After East's 3D preempt, South jumped to 4H.  A vulnerable overcall of 3H would show a good hand so the jump indicated a very strong hand.  North didn't hold many high card points but he had good heart support and controls in two of the outside suits.  He also knew his partner should be short in diamonds.  Realizing what a good dummy he had, he used Roman Keycard Blackwood to check for the keycards (four aces + heart king) and then bid the slam. 

PLAY:  Declarer won the spade opening lead and knocked out the ace of trumps.  He was later able to discard one club loser on the spade king and ruff the other two in dummy.  Most players who held the North hand passed and said "But I only had seven points".

Copyright ©2007 Larry Matheny.