[This is an article I had posted on www.bridgewinners.com, and is based on the characters in Victor Mollo's, "Bridge in the Menagerie" series. The menagerie book is a must read for any bridge player]
It was business as usual at the Griffins club. It was the first board of the rubber, and Rueful Rabbit had the mixed fortune of cutting Hideous Hog for a partner, and the good fortune of playing against Karapet and the Secretary Bird.
On the very first hand, they were dealt
Karapet bid 1H and the Hog as usual bid 1NT preparing to play the hand, while simultaneously ordering a plate of biscuits. The Bird raised to 2H. The Rabbit quickly bid 2S, with Karapet overcalling 3D. Just then, the waiter arrived drawing Hog's attention for a moment, and forgetting he had not overcalled 1S, the Hog bid 4S. Delighted, the Bird doubled, and that was the final contract.
It was business as usual at the Griffins club. It was the first board of the rubber, and Rueful Rabbit had the mixed fortune of cutting Hideous Hog for a partner, and the good fortune of playing against Karapet and the Secretary Bird.
On the very first hand, they were dealt
Karapet bid 1H and the Hog as usual bid 1NT preparing to play the hand, while simultaneously ordering a plate of biscuits. The Bird raised to 2H. The Rabbit quickly bid 2S, with Karapet overcalling 3D. Just then, the waiter arrived drawing Hog's attention for a moment, and forgetting he had not overcalled 1S, the Hog bid 4S. Delighted, the Bird doubled, and that was the final contract.
Karapet let the HK, and taking a quick glance at the Rabbit's cards, the Hog chuckled, "Even you should not go down more than three on this", as he fumbled to place the dummy down.
"Ace heart", said the Rabbit, as Bird signalled with the H7 and Rabbit played the 2.
The Rabbit now thought, "I have 3 clubs, 1 heart, 2 ruffs in hand. That is 5 tricks. I need the SK to be singleton to get 5 more tricks from spades".
"Ace spade" called the Rabbit. The Hog immediately played a low spade, while offering the others some biscuits. The Bird played the K. "No thank you", said the Rabbit and played low, while Karapet discarded a heart. The Bird led the DA next.
"Wait! I won the trick in dummy", said the Rabbit.
"No, you called for a small spade".
"I said Ace spade, not a spade", said the Rabbit with a quivering nose.
"The rules of our club are clear", said Bird. "Once the trick is over, and a card is led to the next trick, you cannot take back a played card".
"It is ok, partner, he can take it back", said Karapet.
"I agree", said Hog. "The rules are indeed clear."
By now, Rabbit's cheeks had become red with anger, and with a trembling voice he said, "Alright! Let's get on with it".
The DA was won by the Bird, and he played another diamond to Karapet's Q, who returned a third diamond.
The Rabbit still fuming and thinking, "A spade! Down three! I will show him how to waste tricks!". He didn't want to make it too obvious by discarding. "Ruff with the top spade, partner".
The Hog played the SA, and the Bird discarded, while Karapet slumped back in his chair. He thought, "This is nothing compared to that time anyway...".
The rabbit then called for a spade, and when the Bird played the S9, he played the ST, hoping to lose to the SJ. To his surprise, he won the trick, as Karapet discarded another heart.
Unable to lose tricks, he wondered if playing normally would help. He played the SQ and ruffed a diamond, but could not avoid taking the rest of the tricks.
"Down how many?".
"You made it".
"Well played, partner".
On the very next deal, the Hog was distracted again to put the Rabbit in 5H, with Karapet leading the S3.
Guess what happened?
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